Innholdsfortegnelse for Special 2019 i The World of Cross Stitching

Are you busy stitching for the big day? If you’re stuck for ideas, then don’t worry – we’ve packed this issue with cheery festive makes to inspire you. We’ve got two innovative ways to display presents this year with Sally Wilson’s fun stocking sign (p24) and Lucie Heaton’s charming Santa sack (p72) – both projects are sure to delight little ones. Fans of classic Yuletide designs will want to bookmark The Nutcracker ABC set on page 67, the three Christmas carol hangings on page 20 and the Victorian-inspired 3D cards on page 60. And if you’re not that into Christmas stitching, you’ll still find lots of projects you can enjoy – including an adorable West Highland terrier (p78) and a blooming bouquet of sparkling poinsettias (p56). Earlier this year, we…

Stocking Mouse key Cross stitch in two strands Backstitch in one strand STITCH COUNT 40 high x 40 wide DESIGN AREA 14 HPI (28-count evenweave) – 7.5x7.5cm (2 3/4x2 3/4in) This design was stitched using DMC stranded cotton Missed a chart? ISSUE 287 In this sweet design, Lizzie Mouse cuddles up to her favourite red-nosed reindeer. ISSUE 286 Wearing his crooked hat and purple robes, Monty is sure to put you under his spell. ISSUE 285 All nice and cosy in his warm sweater, Monty is enjoying the cool, crisp outdoors. For back issues, call 03330 162 137 or visit http://bit.ly/1NwX3Rv Monty’s feeling excited on Christmas Eve as he stands in front of a roaring fire with a beautiful holly surround, filling a stocking with a surprise gift. Stitch this…

How did Margaret begin her career as an artist? For as long as she could remember Margaret had a pencil in her hand creating her own fun characters! When Margaret left school, she studied illustration, believing she would pursue a career in medical illustration. But, as photography advanced, she realised this wouldn’t be possible. As a young woman with a family, Margaret taught art at a local school. I was a baby, so she was able to take me with her. I would lie under her desk during class, distracting pupils by blowing raspberries. In addition to teaching, she also illustrated children’s books, greetings cards and adverts. For the last 20 years, Margaret’s career was dominated by designing for cross stitchers and crafters. What did you think of Margaret’s work?…

Father Christmas and his trusty team of reindeer have a hugely important job to do on Christmas Eve, with a lot of houses to visit in a very short time! You can make Santa’s task a bit easier this year by hanging up children’s stockings on this personalised sign, so he instantly knows whose presents go in which! The pattern has a simply sweet colour palette of pastel pinks, blues and purples alongside brighter red lettering and details. The design is created in whole cross stitch only, with just a bit of backstitch for the reins and each name, so advanced beginners will enjoy tackling this project. You’ll find an alphabet chart for personalising the sign, and the simple repeating border, which is reminiscent of candy canes, can easily be…

Fiona Baker Fiona is our Technical Editor and is on hand to answer any technical stitching questions that you may have Heather Nugent Heather is our Charting Editor so she’s all ready to answer your problems on all things stitch and chart related Jenny Barton Design pro Jenny has been creating projects for us for years and is ready to take on your design challenges Hannah Kelly All set to hunt down those elusive charts and products, Hannah’s here to find shopping answers that you need Katriel Costello Stitching guru Katriel has worked in the industry for years, so has ample knowledge to answer any queries Stripes in the snow Q My aunt loves tigers and I really want to stitch her one in a winter scene for a Christmas…

Cassie Ruth: It’s always a joy to stitch for Christmas – cards, gifts, ornaments for the tree – it’s probably my favourite time to stitch for. I start at the end of July each year so that I am not under any pressure and can enjoy it. Chris Cooper: Have a selection of card size patterns and try and use some one year and then some the next. I have loads of patterns in ring binders – starting from the front of them I stitch as many as I need then mark where I got to and then start again from the mark. Ann Jones: I take photos of my stitching, stick them in a scrapbook and I write next to each picture who it was to. Each Christmas I…

Christmas stockings CREATE A KEEPSAKE SNOWMAN CHRISTMAS STOCKING This ‘Snowman Christmas Stocking’ from Historical Sampler Company* takes the style of a traditional band sampler, with rows of snowmen, fir trees and Christmas puds decorating the stocking. The band sampler pattern and lack of backstitch and fractional stitches make this an easy project to tackle. Also available as a kit. Stitch count: 38 wide by 38 high, 43x30cm (17x12in) on 16-count aida CUTE DETAILS POLAR BEAR STOCKING We’re treated to a bright array of colours in this design from Lucie Heaton*. Two polar bears are fishing while sea creatures enjoy the festivities under the ice. The downloadable chart is printed across 11 pages and uses both symbols and full colour. Stitch count: 128 wide by 196 high, 23x35 1/2cm (9x14in) on 14-count white…

He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice! Every child loves waking up to a pile of presents on Christmas Day, and with Lucie’s gorgeous design you can make this magical yearly tradition even more special (yes, it’s possible). Lucie has used colour and shading to great effect in this adventurous beginner-level project, which employs whole cross stitch and backstitch on 14-count rustico oatmeal aida. The jolly scene has a thread palette of 30 shades, including some DMC Étoile thread for a hint of sparkle, and once you’ve completed the main design you can then stitch a name at the top using the included alphabet chart. The sack is finished with a contrasting fabric cuff on the top and pretty baker’s twine to close the bag, creating a lovely finished…

A love of books and reading truly is one of the most enduring and wonderful pastimes and you can help foster this in a child by gifting them Durene’s enchanting cushion. This charming design captures the magic of reading and the spell that stories can weave as we get lost in the pages of a good book. Stitched on navy 14-count aida, the motifs and words in this design are made up of whole cross stitch and backstitch, with some metallic threads for extra special sparkle. This cushion has a handy pouch to keep a child’s latest page-turner in, as well as a handle at the top so it can easily be transported between favourite reading nooks and hiding places. Use the simple steps on page 88 to make this…

CALL THE HOTLINE TODAY ☎ 03330 162 137 Issue 287 Brrr, it’s cold outside! Why not stay indoors and stitch a snowy woodland scene instead? Stay warm and get festive by creating your own city snow globe cards, Nativity triptych or winter floral bunting. Or perhaps the festive puns Design Library will tickle your fancy – we guarantee it’ll have you in stitches! YOUR EXCLUSIVE GIFT: Tatty Teddy calendar! Order online at www.buysubscriptions.com/worldbackissues, by phone or using our form below Back issue order form – or call ☎ 03330 162 137† Issue 286 Tatty Teddy calendar, tomte bookmarks, kawaii mug, fluffy animal cards, world festivities DL, Highland cows, gingerbread Advent calendar Issue 283 Sunflowers needle book + butterfly charm, bird quilt (part 1), travel Design Library, Art Nouveau bookmarks, 3D…

CHOOSE YOUR ESSENTIALS… Start with these must-have items 1. FABRICS Begin with either aida or evenweave. Aida is best for beginners, with regular woven blocks and obvious holes. It’s stiffer than evenweave, but will soften slightly as you work. The most common fabric is 14-count aida. It’s harder to work fractional stitches on aida, as you’ll need to make an extra hole in the fabric, in the centre of the aida block. Evenweave is a lovely fabric to work on when you have a little more experience. The fibres aren’t woven in blocks as with aida, so it’s softer and the fine weave has more threads-per-inch – the most commonly used is 28-count. One stitch is usually worked over two threads of the fabric so it has an equivalent design…

LUCIE HEATON Stitch a special child Lucie’s Santa sack to store their presents in this Christmas (p72). Make it even more special by personalising it with their name. MARGARET SHERRY We’re delighted to bring you this cute kitty in Margaret’s usual whimsical style (p10) – the festive feline will make a perfect present this season. SALLY WILSON We’re a big fan of Sally’s bright, modern designs so we were excited to have her put her own twist on a classic Christmas stocking hanger (p24).…

NEW FOR 2019 £8.99 with FREE UK delivery delivery* PLUS Meditations and yoga poses to balance mind and body at Christmas Find all the inspiration you need for a calm Christmas. From natural decorations to sustainable gifts and stress-free gatherings. FREE INSIDE! Vegan party food collection ORDER ONLINE WWW.BUYSUBSCRIPTIONS.COM/MINDFULCHRISTMAS OR CALL 03330 162 138† AND QUOTE ‘MINDFUL CHRISTMAS 2019 PRINT 1 †UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). Outside of free call packages call charges from mobile phones will cost between 3p and 55p per minute. Lines open weekdays 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm. *Price above applies to UK orders…

SARAH SCOTT, STITCHTASTIC Festive feline Q Can you find a Christmas ginger cat for me? I have a ginger tomcat called Benny but no festive decorations for him! Angie Lawston, via Facebook A Sarah says: Our ‘Christmas Cat’ (MAW-0003-K) design by Kate Mawdsley should be a big hit with Benny! This cute ginger cat is peeping over a snow topped wall in his cosy looking Santa hat, and with a finished size of approx. 17x18cm (6_x7in) on 14-count fabric it would make a lovely hanging to display in your home during the festive season. Costing £24.95, the kit comes with 14-count aida fabric, 21 pre-sorted DMC threads and a needle. The chart is printed clearly in black and white with complete beginner instructions included too, so you can get started…

PICK OF THE MONTH Festive fun TRADITIONAL EUROPEAN ART This Christmas, treat yourself or a loved one to one of these designs from the Permin Christmas Collection 2019, available from Arts and Designs*. With so many choices, you have lots of different making up options which can be displayed in every nook of your home. Fans of decorating their walls will love the fun ‘Elf with Tree Wall Hanging’ (36-9648) cross stitch kit or the beautiful ‘Santa with Woodland Animals Advent Calendar’ (34-7503) (bell pull not included). The ‘Elf Resting’ (92-9642) cross stitch kit comes with its own red hoop for mounting or perhaps you’ll stitch and hang the colourful ‘Moose Mini Stocking’ (01-9213) on your tree. All these items feature elements of traditional European design and will be a…

It’s long been traditional to decorate using foliage at Christmas time, brightening up our home and bringing the outside indoors during the chilly winter. And with Lesley’s intricately stitched arrangement of elegant flowers and berries, you can ensure that you’ll have Yuletide blooms year after year! The stars of the show are three cheery red poinsettias, whose vibrant colours are complemented by Christmas roses, holly, ivy and winter berries in delicate shades of white and green. Once you’ve stitched the main design, this classic-style project is simply bursting with details and embellishments to enjoy creating – you’ll use silver, white gold and dark gold metallic threads, then add seed beads and round cup sequins to the centre of the flowers. An antique gold frame will provide a suitably eye-catching finish…

Sitting amid the falling snow, his head cocked to one side and all wrapped up warmly in a little tartan coat, this adorable West Highland terrier is definitely ready for a cosy Christmas cuddle! Ruth’s heart-melting design is so incredibly detailed, it’s hard to believe it’s all done in fabric and stitches! Her Westie is beautifully brought to life in whole cross stitch, fractionals and backstitch on 25-count lugana splash fabric in a delicate shade of taupe with a white snowflake effect printed directly onto the fabric. The plentiful backstitch detail will make you just want to reach out and pet this fluffy pup. You’ll use a range of grey, brown and white threads to create the realism of the dog’s fur, while white French knots bring a twinkle to…

The perfect Christmas gift from only £29.99 A unique Christmas present they’ll continue to enjoy all year round* Delivered direct to their door Over 30 magazines to choose from – gardening, cooking, crafting, cars, music, wildlife and much more Remember ordering online is safe and secure, choose from any of these payment options This offer closes on the 31st December 2019 and is valid for UK delivery addresses only. The discounts shown are savings calculated as a percentage of the full shop price, excluding Radio Times and Match of the Day which are calculated as a percentage of the Basic Annual Rate. For overseas rates visit www.buysubscriptions.com. All Christmas gift subscriptions will start with the first issue available in January 2020. Should the magazine change in frequency, we will honour…

Jenny Sampson is a website, SEO and social media content assistant from Norwich Your intro to cross stitch? When I was little, my mum gave me a scrap of fabric, a blunt needle and some coloured thread to experiment with because I was ill and bored. When I got better, we then progressed to basic cross stitch and I haven’t stopped since! Fave WOXS design? ‘All the Fun of the Fair’ by Fiona Baker from issue 281. I love the use of the coloured fabric to evoke the sunset. It’s something I’ve always wanted to work with, so this project is ideal. Memorable stitching moment? At my cousin’s wedding, as everyone was finishing the meal and just before the speeches, I presented the wedding sampler I had made to the happy couple.…

We know that for many of you, Christmas isn’t Christmas without one of Margaret Sherry’s cute animals to stitch, so we’re delighted to be able to continue this festive tradition even after the sad news of Margaret’s passing. This fluffy feline has all the elements of Margaret’s instantly recognisable whimsical style, from his oversized whiskers beautifully created in backstitch to the comedic position this kitty has got himself in! The design is stitched on Sew-it-All’s gorgeous dark cloud 14-count aida in beautiful shades of blue, on which you’ll use whole stitches, fractionals and backstitch, plus half cross stitch for the shadows in the background. Finished in a natural wooden frame so the intricate stitching details of this design really shine, stitch this cheeky kitty for yourself as a fun holiday…

Typography lovers, rejoice! If you like stitching phrases then you’ll love these three wall hangings by Jenny. Based around classic Christmas lyrics matched with bold patterning, they’re stitched with three strands of thread so the colours really stand out against the navy blue aida. All three of the designs use DMC’s Étoile thread, which has a special sparkle. You stitch with it in the same way that you would normal stranded cotton, and the finished result subtly shimmers and twinkles like the star of its name, making it the ideal addition to a Yuletide design. The good news is that if you don’t have DMC Étoile threads in your stash, or prefer a solid colour finish, their thread numbers match DMC’s regular thread skeins so they can be easily replaced.…

JAN’S GOT IT COVERED Jan O’Neill has raised £100,000 for the Accord Hospice in Paisley in Scotland by making cushion covers – and she doesn’t intend to stop! Award winner Jan sews for a few hours every day and has notched up 31,000 cushion covers. Quality material, donated by fabric companies, are all sourced by Jan who sells the covers for £3 each in the hospice shop, where she volunteers. If you have any fabric to donate, please get in touch. MORE: To help Jan, phone Accord Hospice on 0141 581 2000 or email info@accord.org.uk WHERE AM I? Hello! I am on a small ship travelling on the world’s 12th longest river. It travels through six countries, its estimated length is 4,350km and its source is the Lasagongma Spring. The…

Q Hello, I’d like a small mobile phone motif but have struggled to find one. The idea behind it is to have a modern smartphone outline with space left for a text message where you could stitch ‘boy/girl’ and then the birth details. Just an update on the old-fashioned dummy and pram that everyone used to do. Thank you for your help. Susan Moore, via email A Jenny: What a fun idea, Susan. Here’s a modern baby sampler fit for the 21st century. Hope you like it! Please note: Jenny can only fit in fairly small designs and for copyright reasons she is unable to chart logos, or characters from films and TV. Smartphone key Cross stitch in two strands Backstitch in one strand STITCH COUNT 29 high x 16…

Fun facts about rehoming cats Cats Protection rehomed over 44,000 cats and kittens in 2018. Kittens require extra care, so you might want to think about adopting an adult cat – they’re usually house trained and tend to be calmer. There are more cats in the South East of England than anywhere else in the UK, with 1,400 kitties. According to an RSPCA poll, the top five popular names for cats are: Molly, Felix, Smudge, Sooty & Tigger. Design my pet! Q Hi there! This picture is of the new kitten I have adopted from Cats Protection. His name is Rum Tum Tugger, like from the musical Cats. I was wondering if it would please be possible for Durene to create a chart on the Pet of the Month feature…

There’s something so enduring about a Victorian Christmas, and this delightful set of cards by Meg Evershed of The Nutmeg Company captures everything we love about this period of history. A beautifully decorated sitting room, sleigh rides in the snow, carol singing by lamplight… all the ingredients you need for 19th century festivities! Meg is well known for her clever 3D designs, and these six festive cards are a great example of the way she creates beautiful scenes with depth and detail! Stitched on perforated paper, these projects are rich in embellishments – use metallic threads, seed beads and a star-shaped sequin to make your cards really sparkle! Before you start stitching, turn to page 64 for instructions on reading the charts and we show you how to make your…

From cooking to crafting, decorating to gift buying, Simply Christmas is packed with ideas and inspiration to make sure you have a very happy holiday season! GET YOUR COPY TODAY! Only £5.99 (plus p&p) CALL 03330 162 138 and quote ‘SIMPLY XMAS 19 PRINT1’ ONLINE www.buysubscriptions.com/SimplyChristmas19 UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). Outside of free call packages call charges from mobile phones will cost between 3p and 55p per minute. Lines are open Mon to Fri 8am-6pm and Sat 9am-1pm. Overseas please call +44 (0)1604 973 746. *Prices including postage are £6.99 for UK residents, £7.99 for Europe and £8.99 for Rest…

PRIZES worth £1,022! PRIZES WORTH £274 Stacks of fun The latest design from Karen Tye Bentley, ‘Snowy Stack’, has oodles of folky festive spirit. It combines full cross stitches, some fractionals, backstitch, lazy daisy stitches and French knots – perfect for intermediate stitchers. The kit is available from Bothy Threads* and contains 14-count pale blue Zweigart aida, pre-sorted stranded cottons, woolly Lana thread, Perlé thread, needles, beads, sequins, a stitch diagram and instructions. The finished stitch measures 29x22cm (11 1/2x8 1/2in) and we have ten to give away! TO ENTER Visit our website www.cross-stitching.com or label a postcard ‘Bothy Threads giveaway (WOXS 288)’ PRIZES WORTH £250 Loved up Whether it’s cute and colourful Christmas cards and decorations you’re after, or perhaps you’re looking for a flamingo, beetle or unicorn motif,…

ISSUE 289 ON SALE 29 NOV PLUS MUCH MORE Fun and bright kid’s building blocks ABC and number set Go green with our ecofriendly Design Library Make modern New Year’s Eve party decorations Your cross stitching queries answered by our experts Your stories, inspiration & letters… plus much more Whimsical winter view This beautiful sunset scene on Winter Hill Farm is designed by talented artist Michael Powell in his magical signature style HERBERT HEDGEHOG BIRTHDAY CARD KIT! It’s party time! Find everything you need to send birthday wishes to a loved one inside this cute Herbert Hedgehog card kit. Stitch it up in an evening. Your party time card kit includes: 14-count aida 17 lengths of stranded cotton Colour chart Tapestry needle Illustrated card Envelope TO SUBSCRIBE ☎ 3330 162…