Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2020 i The World of Cross Stitching

Hope you’re enjoying springtime stitching – the fresh long hours of daylight are much more inspiring! I can’t wait to get stuck into this month’s projects – starting with the intricate blackwork hummingbird by Debbie Harding (p56). I love the selection of rainbow threads used and if you’ve not tried blackwork before, this is the perfect introductory project. If you’re thinking ahead to summer then you’ll enjoy Helz Cuppleditch’s playful puppy, Pepper, lounging in a beach ring (p68) or Jenny Van De Wiele’s bright wildflower hoops on page 84. This May marks the 75th anniversary of VE Day and you can commemorate one of the most memorable days in history with a celebratory scene by Lesley Teare (p38). I wish I’d had Durene Jones’ sweet cake topper designs (p74) for…

Princess Mouse key Make way for Her Royal Highness, Princess of Furry Tales. Dressed in an elegant blue ballgown and a golden crown, Lizzie is quite the vision. To add an extra regal sparkle, why not stitch with metallic thread to really make Lizzie shine? Missed a chart? ISSUE 292 Here comes hardworking Monty with a lawnmower, ready to tackle the garden. ISSUE 291 Lizzie has been very busy in the garden harvesting colourful spring blooms. ISSUE 290 Lovely Flossie, in her fancy green party outfit, is ready to dance and have a good time! For back issues, call ☎ 03330 162 137 or visit http://bit.ly/1NwX3Rv…

Sometimes you see a finished cross stitch design that takes your breath away and immediately deserves to shoot to the top of your ‘Must Stitch’ list. We think that this spectacular tiger portrait is just such a design. The personality and natural beauty of the big cat shines out of the finished piece – we can almost feel the tiger’s intense gaze upon us from amid his stitched jungle surroundings! It’s hard to believe that so much detail has been captured with so little backstitch. The design is worked almost entirely in full cross stitch, with backstitch only added for the striped beast’s whiskers and to mark out the top of his head, ears and muzzle. It will be a real treat to see this proud and powerful tiger coming…

THE WORLD OF Cross Stiching PICK OF THE MONTH Mag-nificent! A BIG PLUS Sometimes travellers bring home a magnet as a souvenir, but why not make your own with ‘USA Magnets Cross Stitch Kit’ (SR-307) or ‘England Magnets Cross Stitch Kit’ (SR-305)? We have no doubt that you’ll be attracted to these quirky kits from Past Impressions*, each themed kit containing four iconic designs, sized approx. 6x9cm (2 x3 in). Cross stitchers will love the ‘Needlework Magnets Cross Stitch Kit’ (SR-339), with its colourful sewing-themed designs. You’ll find more fun motifs on the Past Impressions website. Each kit contains plastic canvas, stranded cottons, chart, magnets, felt, needle and easy-to-follow instructions. Definitely worthy to hang on the fridge! CITY OF WATER Visit one of Italy’s most picturesque cities, all without having…

Fiona Baker Our Technical Editor Fiona is ready to solve any stitching dilemma and answer all your technique questions Heather Nugent Heather is our talented Charting Editor and is on hand to help you transform your stitching into finished items Hannah Erskine A lifelong stitcher, our Charting Assistant Hannah can answer any chart or stitching related questions Jenny Barton Design pro Jenny has been creating projects for us for years and is ready to take on your design challenges Hannah Fletcher All set to hunt down those elusive charts and products, Hannah’s here to find shopping answers that you need Afghan blanket for baby Q I was wondering if you could tell me where I could get a plain afghan blanket from. I get your magazine regularly and love it.…

Anna Griesacker: I love SALs! I find some online and some through magazines. Shopping for the fabric and floss is part of the excitement. I like to choose my own fabrics and I typically stay with the pattern’s recommended colours. Kelly Wells: My advice is to join a Facebook group, as half the fun is chatting about it and seeing everyone’s creation and their take on it if they change colours. Shannie Dilworth: The best thing I suggest is to have fun and do it at your own pace, but always remember to show off your progress! Karen Gavin: I only found out about them recently – I googled SAL and found a site with a lot listed. So I looked at this year’s and chose two – one I…

Delicate butterflies BEADED BEAUTY MONARCH BUTTERFLY This counted glass bead kit, worked on perforated paper, depicts a Monarch butterfly in realistic detail. Threads and beads bring the insect to life, while a Mill Hill topaz treasure in the wing tips adds captivating shimmer. The petite beads are tiny, so you might find a bead nabber handy. This pretty little kit is available from Hawkins Hobbies*. Stitch count: 49 wide by 26 high, 7x5.5cm (2 x2 in) on 14-count perforated paper GORGEOUS GIFT BUTTERFLY BOOKMARKS If you ever need a gift in a hurry, these bookmarks from Durene Jones* are ideal. The butterfly at the top is designed to peek out of the top of the book, making a pretty feature. There are 12 designs on this downloadable chart, as each bookmark…

Avid stitcher and swimmer, Tracey McRobbie, shows us how determination can win you gold! For 50 years, cross stitching has been Tracey McRobbie’s life and passion. At the age of eight, Tracey was gifted her first crewel embroidery kit. From there her love and passion for stitching grew from Petit Point and needlepoint to cross stitch as a young adult. Tracey loves gifting her finished stitching. She tells us: “All of my projects given to friends and family are something unique and personal. So much joy fills my heart to see their faces and then to see my handiwork hanging in their homes.” Tracey has a stitching buddy in her granddaughter, Heidi. “At the age of seven, Heidi showed an interest in cross stitching from seeing all my pictures on…

A gorgeous cake is usually the centrepiece of any wedding. Take this tasty tradition to the next level by making the happy couple into sweet stitchy figures to stand at the centre of the top tier. So, instead of picking a present from a registry list, you can gift them something personal that they’ll cherish forever. Durene has created a collection of faces and costumes to choose from. With a variety of hair lengths, styles and colours, as well as options for glasses, head pieces and facial hair, you’ll find just what you need to create an exact match. You’ll be amazed at the detail that has gone into each outfit – three unique suit styles (a fitted suit, an elegant tailcoat and even a Scottish-style suit with a tartan…

£25 worth of stitching gifts Get your spring projects off to a super start with this bumper collection of stitching goodies, worth a whopping £25! You'll also get a magazine packed with charts, all for just £10.99. Spring stitching doesn't get better than this! Find inspiration for cards and gifts as well as beautiful makes for your home. There are heaps of gorgeous projects for stitchers of every skill level. You’ll get all this: ✓ Over 100m quality stranded cotton ✓ 28x28cm of 14-count aida ✓ 1 size 24 tapestry needle ✓ 3 shaped felt frames for decorations ✓ 3 luxury spring ribbons ✓ 15 wooden ladybirds, mini pompoms and seed beads ✓ 3 plain cards & 3 aperture cards with 6 matching envelopes ✓ Giant fold-out chart ✓ PLUS a…

Order your copy today! Order now! You’ll be itching to get your paws on this gorgeous collection of animal designs! With 160 charts to choose from, you’ll find just the thing to stitch for all your spring occasions. There’s something for every skill level, too! Get stitching: • Over 100 quick and easy motifs • Two must-stitch alphabets • Gorgeous gifts • Beautiful home decorations • 15 cute and stylish card designs • Stitch for all occasions Order your copy today! CALL 03330 162 138 and quote ‘Favourites Animal Friends 2020’ ONLINE www.buysubscriptions.com/craftspecial 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 tari). Lines open weekdays…

Loop start With both ends of a strand threaded, bring your needle up (1), leaving a loop at the back. Work the first arm of your stitch (2) & secure it by passing your needle through the loop. Backstitch Add detail and definition. Bring your needle up at (1) & down at (2), come up again at (3), then back down at (1) & so on, to direct each stitch ‘back’ towards the line of the growing backstitch. Cross stitch Bring your needle up at the bottom left corner (1) & down in the top right (2) for the first ‘arm’ of your stitch. Work the second arm, coming up in the bottom right (3) & going down in the top left (4). French knots Easy with practice – come…

Quarter The chart shows which corner has the fractional. Bring the needle up in that corner and down in the centre of the square, halfway across the diagonal (diagram 1). Three-quarters Work a quarter stitch, then a half stitch across the other diagonal arm of the square as in diagram 2. Like quarters, three-quarter stitches can face any direction. Two symbols When two symbols share a square, work a fractional in each colour. Decide on the quarter stitch for the background colour, then a three-quarters stitch for the main one (diagram 3). Back-to-back For a stronger outline, work a three-quarter stitch in each colour, stitching them back-to-back (diagram 4). Make sure that the two half stitch arms lie neatly parallel to each other.…

Afghan – a woollen blanket with areas inset for cross stitching, often used for baby designs Aida band – a narrow strip of aida, available in varying widths, & finished with a decorative edge Aperture – a hole through which a design is seen in cards & frames Backstitch – used to add detail & definition. See how to stitch it in our diagram above! Beading needle – a longer, finer needle than a tapestry needle, used for adding seed beads to a design Counted stitches – embroidery stitches worked on counted, or evenly woven, fabrics like aida & evenweave. Cross stitch is the most basic counted stitch Floss – USA term for stranded cotton Fractional stitches – made from either a quarter or three-quarters of a cross stitch, these…

DEBBIE HARDING New designer Debbie has created a vibrant project of a beautiful hummingbird in a fancy blackwork pattern that you’ll work up in no time (p56)! LESLEY TEARE Lesley has created a jubilant street scene to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day (p38). Create an heirloom piece to mark this historical day. HEATHER NUGENT Brighten a loved one’s day with one of Heather’s cute ocean character cards complete with motivational sayings to raise a smile (p26).…

TOP TIP These cards are perfect to make up and keep on hand in case a birthday or special event sneaks up on you Inside your kit… To help you sort your threads, here is a list of the colours and number of lengths inside your free kit: White x 3 Dark red x 1 Red x 1 Brown x 2 Yellow x 3 Blue x 4 Light blue x 2 Light pink x 3 Pink x 3 Light yellow x 2 Grey x 3 Total: 27 lengths Cute Cupcakes key Quick to stitch & send! Factbox Approx3-4hourseach Crossstitchfractionals backstitch Advancedbeginner…

ANGELA POOLE, DESIGNER Colour confusion Q I’m stitching the fairy card kit from issue 282 (July 2019) for my granddaughter’s birthday, however I’m having difficulty in matching some colours to the symbols. The peaches and light blue look exactly the same to me. I enjoy making these small cards, could you give me any tips for sorting the colours, please? Mrs P Naylor, via email A Angela: I so enjoyed designing this pretty fairy, and you’re right there are a few colours that are quite similar in order to get the shading effects. There are 17 lengths in total: one of each colour, plus an extra blue, light blue and light peach, so this differential may help in identifying them. Try looking at them in natural daylight, as fluorescent lights…

Millions took to the streets to celebrate the end of World War II, singing and dancing the night away. Here we see that the whole neighbourhood has come out to party for VE Day. The scene is made complete with red, white and blue bunting, flags waving about and, of course, a cup of tea – even the pets have joined in with the festivities! Commemorate this historic day with Lesley’s jolly street scene. It’s a sizable project that’ll be satisfying to stitch, right down to the French knot button details and subtle backstitch in one strand. Fabric Flair’s Cloud Summer Sky evenweave is the perfect fabric choice, as the happy blue sky is just as uplifting as this cheery lot! Such a monumental stitch deserves to be displayed where…

When it comes to blackwork, we’re accustomed to seeing intricate black backstitch, with perhaps some occasional gold or red highlights within the pattern. But this happy hummingbird breaks the mould to showcase 15 different shades of stranded cotton, including one iridescent fuchsia metallic thread. These combine to create a vivid portrait flashing with colour, exactly as if light were being reflected off a hovering hummingbird’s feathers. If you have not stitched blackwork before, you are in for a nice surprise. Blackwork designs are essentially worked entirely in backstitch – albeit quite fancy backstitch. This makes it faster to complete than a cross stitch design of the same size. So, you can up the scale of your stitching without having to increase your WIP time. We’ve displayed the finished stitching in…

No.1 pet PET OF THE MONTH Fun facts about cavapoos • A cross-breed between a cavalier King Charles spaniel and a poodle, a cavapoo is also referred to as a cavoodle. • Julia Gillard, former Australian Prime Minister, received a cavapoo called Reuben for her 50th birthday. • A clever cavapoo by the name of Rocco can sneeze on command. • American singer-songwriter, Katy Perry, has an adorable cavapoo called Butters. Design my pet! Q Hi! I subscribe to The World of Cross Stitching magazine and would love to see a cavapoo as Pet of the Month. We have a one-year-old cavapoo, Winnie, and can’t seem to find any patterns of a cavapoo anywhere. Here is a photo of Winnie for you to see why there should be a pattern of…

Margaret Sherry exclusive! Celebrate another year older and wiser with this jolly cat and tasty cake – make a wish! PLUS MUCH MORE • Final part of the Historical Sampler Company SAL • Grab a cuppa and enjoy our best of British Design Library • Roll up your sleeves and stitch our handy toolbox ABC • Our experts answer your cross stitching queries • Your stories, inspiration & letters… plus much more BIRTHDAY CARD KIT! It’s not a party without balloons, presents and, of course, a card! Send to someone special. Your card kit includes: • 14-count white aida • 22 lengths of stranded cotton • Colour chart & key • Pretty illustrated card • Envelope GIFT 1 GIFT 2 PLUS… You’ll fall in love with this sweet summer cottage, complete with…

Terri Galvin is an operations manager from North Carolina, USA Why do you love cross stitch? I use it as a stress reliever as well as a creative outlet. It’s a very calming activity. I also really enjoy the sense of completion when I finish a project. How’d you get into stitching? When I was 18 years old, a friend introduced me to it. I tried it and I was hooked! I gave it up for several years but came back to it about five years ago – I am addicted again! Fave WOXS design? My favourite design so far is the gingerbread ‘Advent Calendar’ by Fiona Baker in issue 286 (Nov 2019). I hope to start it soon so it’s ready for next Christmas. I adore the little gingerbread…

Order your copy today Stitching treasures inspired by the East Only £9.99 inc p&p Discover a world of beautiful designs with this extra-special compilation of charts inspired by the decorative art and traditions of Japan, China and beyond. With their timeless appeal, these highly decorative designs are a must-stitch for avid cross stitchers. Frame ornate pictures and create sublime centrepieces for your home, give gifts of good luck to friends and family and stitch portraits of gorgeous geishas. From stunning kimonos, golden pagodas and fabulous fans you’ll find these and more in this unmissable collector’s issue of Ultimate Cross Stitch East Asia. Inside this issue: Stitch geishas in sumptuous kimonos Classic blue and white willow patterns Elegant fans with intricate cross stitch detail Cherry blossom designs, plus enchanting dragonflies, parasols…

The rain clouds have been and gone, and now that the sun is out, it’s time for flowers to start blooming! Buzzing bees have already started dancing from flower to flower to celebrate the arrival of spring. Right at the heart of this Stitch-A-Long sings the sunny sentiment ‘April showers bring May flowers’ which just radiates positive vibes and encourages you to look on the bright side. When you start stitching this springtime sampler, you’ll be amazed at what beautiful details can be created using only whole cross stitch – fab for those new to samplers or looking for a relaxing, mindful stitch. This is part 2 of the special SAL designed by the Historical Sampler Company especially for The World of Cross Stitching readers. You’ll find the third and…

Q Hi, I’m looking for a chart of a Morris Minor car. Can Jenny design one for me, please? Tina Bailey, via Facebook A Jenny: What a great choice of car to stitch, Tina – a British classic! Green was a popular colour for this model, and it actually came in many different shades of green including sage, almond, romaine, British racing and Connaught. You could easily swap in three shades of a different colour if you prefer. Morris Minor key 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.…

I saw a lovely pattern of a Highland cow being stitched by a lady on Facebook. I’m not sure what issue it is from, but was wondering if I can still buy a copy? Lucy Stubbington, via email Heather: These Highland cows are just adorable, aren’t they? You can find this cute twosome designed by Amanda Gregory in The World of Cross Stitching issue 286 (Nov 2019). Check out Buy Subscriptions* to see physical copy availability, or download this issue digitally via our app. Q When should we receive subscription copies in the US? I know it’s a while after the UK, but I wondered if there was a timescale so I know when to expect it. Valerie Watkinson, via Facebook Hannah: Subscription deliveries in the US usually occur between 6-8 weeks…

LEARN… RIBBED SPIDER WEB AND LAZY DAISY This series has been designed by me especially for those of you who are keen to learn new stitches and treat yourself to a fun monthly challenge. The designs will cover a variety of styles and themes each issue and every pattern is small enough that it can be stitched over a weekend or in between larger projects, as well as finished in a manner of your choice, exercising your creativity! Although they may look intricate, my patterns are simple to follow, and I’ll give you clear step-by-step tutorials for the special stitches where needed. I do recommend practising the new stitches on a piece of scrap fabric before you start your main design. I hope you enjoy learning these new techniques! Pink…

Man’s best buddy Say howdy to ‘Buddy. Armed and Dangerous’ (J-7172) in his cowboy hat and neckerchief! At 20.5x27cm (8x10 in), experienced stitchers will enjoy working on this vigilant pup. The kit from PANNA* (22.72, approx. £19.23), includes 16-count black aida, pre-sorted threads, a needle, chart and instructions. Feline cheeky Peeping between the petals, this naughty kitten has found his way to the bottom of a flower pot. You can get your paws on ‘Magic Needle Flower Kitten Cross Stitch Kit’ from LoveCrafts* for £7.45. It measures 12x12cm (6x6in) and makes an ideal gift for anyone who is cat crazy. Beginner bunny For £2.90 you can nab this cute little ‘Rabbit Cross Stitch’ from Ringcat*. Sized at 3.5x5.5cm (1 x2 in) when stitched on 14-count aida, and using just seven…

Complete your collection with back issues of your favourite stitchy mag CALL THE HOTLINE TODAY ☎ 03330 162 137 • Issue 292 Hop into spring with our April issue. Our cover star is the sweet Peter Rabbit in a scene that’s perfect for Easter. You’ll also find a stunning design of Notre Dame Cathedral in its former glory, jolly jungle cards for a new baby, a handy armchair pincushion, Art Nouveau motifs and part 1 of our spring Stitch-A-Long. YOUR EXCLUSIVE GIFT: Durene Jones chart book and three silver charm embellishments • Issue 291 New baby card kit, pretty Flower Fairies design, sparkly koi, pansy table runner, spring sampler, Mother’s Day cards, stylish retro purses, vintage car, spring cleaning Design Library • Issue 288 Santa tree decorations, Margaret Sherry Xmas…

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…