Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2025 i The World of Cross Stitching

ON SALE NOW! JUST £9.99* inc free UK P&P WHAT’S INSIDE! ✘ 132 pages of cross stitch inspiration ✘ Cards, cushions, gifts, pictures & much more ✘ Speedy designs you can finish in an evening Order your copy today! ORDER ONLINE www.ourmediashop.com/ultimatecrossstitchbirds25 OR CALL 03330 162 138+ and quote ‘Ultimate Cross Stitch Birds 2025’ +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). Lines open weekdays 9am to 5pm for orders and enquiries. Overseas please call +44 (0)1604 973 746. Price. EUR price £11.99, ROW price £12.99. All prices include P&P. Please allow up to 28 days for delivery. Offer subject to availability.…

Sarah Paterson is a data officer from Cambridge Most recent fave WOXS design? The ‘Red Panda Cards’ from issue 355 (Feb 2025). I love animals, and these are one of my favourites. Who’s your favourite cross stitch designer? Joan Elliott, I have been stitching her designs for years so have grown up with her. Have you gotten anyone you know into stitching? I’m the youngest in my family and my whole family stitches. I often talk to customers about my designs and encourage them to start stitching. What has been the best compliment you’ve received? Over 10 years ago I stitched Tom Daley holding his camera which is an iconic moment in the Olympics. I sent him the finished piece and he loved it. Emma Severn is a dental practice…

Bounding with high energy, this Jack Russell terrier is excited to be in the great outdoors, sprinting in the direction of some well-deserved treats for being too cute… For any canine-lover, this exclusive piece by Wrendale Designs is sure to delight as you bring the illustrative quality of Hannah Dale’s artwork to life with your needle and assortment of threads. Subtle shading is used throughout to recreate the painterly effect. There are 27 shades that change frequently, so follow the chart and key accurately to ensure correct stitching. For a whimsical touch, we used Bothy Threads’* exclusive ‘Brown Speckle Aida’, however if you want to get creative, you can create a bespoke piece of fabric by flicking fabric paint onto white aida before stitching, leaving it to dry fully before…

Sunshine, trips to the seaside, and the feel of the heat, there are so many things to do in the summer and Margaret Sherry’s summery cat is the perfect opportunity to enjoy stitching in the outdoors, preferably on a sandy beach! Second in the seasonal series, this fluffy cat is wearing bright red shades and sporting a strawberry ice cream to keep cool. There are 20 different colours used for this piece, all stitched on ice blue fabric to contrast the white stitches in the fur and to give a more fluffy, tactile appearance. Mounted in a hoop for ease of display, we painted it in a sunshine yellow colour to not only match the season but to complement the vibrant scarlet sunglasses. While it’s still too early to think…

Bring the game of chess to life with stitches so that any checkerboard champion will appreciate the sentiment that went into making these cards. Lisa Reakes’ newest design will be the perfect way to celebrate a master strategist’s love for the game. You can turn the six colourful and pun-tastic charts into cards for plenty of occasions – Father’s Day, anniversaries, birthdays or just to amuse chess aficionados. If you’re a beginner, look for the designs that are more simple to stitch – ‘Happy Father’s Day’ and ‘Perfect Mate’. For more of a challenge, ‘Checkmate’ and the chess board design have a lot of fractionals, so you may find it easier to work these on evenweave to avoid having to pierce holes in the aida. These have been designed to…

Season of the stitch Q Could you tell me if you included other seasonal floral panels by Amanda Gregory? I have saved the patterns for the spring and winter hangings from my magazines but think I might have missed the other seasons. Alexandra, via email A Fiona: These pretty floral panels unfortunately weren’t made into a complete season series in our magazine, however Amanda Gregory* has designed autumn and summer versions of these Rion-inspired patterns available in her Etsy shop, costing £5.40 each for PDF digital downloads. If you’re after more seasonal series, you may also like Amanda’s beautiful floral wreaths, which include all four seasons. You’ll find winter in issue 338 (Nov 2023), spring in 343 (Mar 2024), summer in 347 (July 2024) and autumn in 350 (Oct 2024), all available…

CALL THE HOTLINE TODAY ☎ 03330 162 137† ✘ Issue 358, May 2025 Dance among the anemones with Jenny Barton’s garden fairy and take a dip in a hot spring with two cute capybaras. Decorate your dressing table with a delicate bluebell set and travel to the rainforest with a cockatiel silhouette bursting with colour. Enjoy the fun of the fair with a set of carnival cards and walk alongside Maria Diaz’s stunning seaside promenade, ready for summer. Your gift: Margaret Sherry card kits ✘ Issue 357, Apr Puffin bookmark kit, Whimsical Easter gonk, painterly kingfisher, colourful tote bags, bespoke wedding calligraphy, daffodil canvases and grandma’s sweet pantry ✘ Issue 354, Jan Floral rose pouch, Entwined dragons in a heart, frosty winter sampler, tasty cheeseboard ABC, stunning asymmetrical hoop and…

Thanks to the liveliness of our letters page, we receive lots of emails (and some handwritten letters) where you wonderful readers share your latest makes. It’s fab to see what you’ve been stitching and how the pieces are often tied to family occasions and events, as well as celebrating friends and hobbies or looking after your own wellbeing. Please keep getting in touch, it’s always lovely to hear from you – and if you prefer to send in your thoughts by post, do include a phone number and address so we can follow up with you. What an incredible array of projects we have for you! Take on bigger stitches with Emma Congdon’s jigsaw heart, Wrendale Designs’ Jack Russell and Margaret Sherry’s summer kitty (the second in our seasonal SAL).…

Mouthwateringly tangy, sweet and tasty, long gone are the days of dog-earing your latest reads when you have these tropical bookmarks. Stitch juicy citrus fruits and tropical treats, where you can almost taste these fruits on your tongue. What we love about Durene’s set of six designs is that you can make the full set multiple times to keep your place in novels, cookbooks, magazines and more. They make a great addition when you are gifting books for family and friends, too! This collection is quick-to-stitch, so the perfect place for a beginner to start, especially if they haven’t worked with perforated paper before. And as they’re vivid in colour, it’s also a great opportunity to get the kids interested in craft as you work with them to make a…

Q Not only do I love stitching, I’m part of an orchestra and play the flute. It’s very hard to find any designs for a flute, we always seem to be forgotten. I would love to make them into keychains to go on our cases. Katy Q, via email A Jenny: I hope this is what you’re looking for, Katy! This woodwind wonder is going to be amazing affixed to your cases – you can back the aida with felt and turn it into a keyring that way! Flute key STITCH COUNT 30 high x 30 wide DESIGN AREA 14 HPI (28-count evenweave) – 5.5x5.5cm (2¼x2¼in) 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.…

ISSUE 360 ON SALE 14 MAY EXCLUSIVE Taking in the sights of the sea Enjoy an exclusive seaside-themed All Our Yesterdays by Faye Whittaker PLUS MUCH MORE ✘ Spotty ladybird alphabet, designed by Fiona Baker ✘ Enjoy hiking, wilderness and outdoor motifs with our next Design Library ✘ ‘A Year of Joy’ SAL – part 7 ✘ Your cross stitching queries answered by our experts ✘ Your stories, inspiration & letters… plus much more SUNFLOWER CARD KIT! FUN WEEKEND STITCH Included with your issue is a brightly coloured sunflower card kit by Durene Jones to celebrate World Friendship Day in July. Stitch and share this radiant design with loved ones! Your gift includes: • Printed card and plain envelope • 21 strands of cotton threads • 14-count aida • Chart…

HANNAH DALE Hannah is the talented illustrator behind Wrendale Designs, beautiful wildlife imagery that works brilliantly in cross stitch! See her doggy on p10. HEATHER NUGENT Heather Nugent’s Pride Design Library (p39) is to celebrate those part of the LGBTQ+ community and her rainbow minimakes will brighten anyone’s day. EMMA CONGDON We set Emma quite the challenge with a floral jigsaw heart (p20), but we know how our readers love a puzzle. You can even stitch it complete, too! STITCHING HELP! Don’t forget to send all your stitchy questions and design requests in to us! Email us at: theworldofxstitching@ourmedia.co.uk Write to: Ask the Experts, The World of Cross Stitching, Our Media Ltd, Eagle House, Bristol BS1 4ST Send in queries via social media: www.facebook.com/theworldofcrossstitching www.instagram.com/worldofcrossstitching We will try and answer…

Just like cross stitching, jigsaw puzzles are a fabulous way to unwind and the finished piece is a beautiful work to behold! The wonderful sense of achievement from a completed puzzle (or stitch!) can’t be underestimated either. We wanted to celebrate jigsaw puzzles and those who love this mindful hobby with a stunning heart design. There are lots of lovely colours in Emma’s stitch, so be sure to sort them all before you begin. Backstitch is used to add detail to the flowers as well as define the jigsaw shapes, so refer to the chart for precise placement. We worked the heart on evenweave fabric to make the fractionals easier to stitch and to create a softer finish in the unstitched areas. Another useful piece of advice is to be…

39 VIBRANT IDEAS Show your support for the LGBTQ+ community with mini makes designed by Heather Nugent ✘ 39 quick-and-easy motifs ✘ Heather Nugent’s design inspiration ✘ Stitches for every skill level ✘ Helpful tips and advice ✘ Unique celebratory ideas for Pride Month SLICE OF LIFE Celebrate the most important occasions with a simple and sweet card (9). We used the alphabet (29, 30) to stitch a bespoke message underneath for the recipient. EVERYONE’S INVITED Take a Pride party to the next level by attaching a stitched motif (we chose 10) to your invitations, or onto a poster. Affix using acid-free double-sided tape. MANE ATTRACTION Let them know they’re as amazing and magical as a unicorn with a patch (21) to dress up any party bag and more. Fray…

APERTURE CARDS This classic option helps make your work look neat and professional, with the card acting as a frame around your stitching. You’ll want to think about the size and shape of aperture to ensure the design fits inside comfortably. Keep an eye out for tri-fold card blanks as these have an extra flap to fold behind the fabric to secure the design in place, and to help hide the reverse of your stitching. If you’re struggling to find the perfect aperture card, you can also make your own using a standard single-fold card. 1 Measure the card aperture and cut out the stitching with a minimum 1cm (½in) border all around. If the design is to be placed off-centre in the aperture, then keep this in mind before…

Hello all, and here we are now halfway through the year. It’s lovely to see this SAL is taking shape – how is yours going? There’s nothing better in the month of June than strawberry picking with the sweltering sunshine bringing joy to our faces, alongside the fluttering friends that pass us by. What are your favourite activities to do in the summer? I find it to be the perfect opportunity for some outdoor stitching! We love seeing your photos of how your SAL is turning our, especially with some of you customising the colours to suit your home décor! Keep sharing your photos with us via email or on our social media channels! Guide to stitching your Stitch-A-Long (SAL) • The key and Shopping List include the thread colours,…

CHOOSE YOUR ESSENTIALS… Start with these must-have items FABRICS Most stitchers start off using aida – a block-weave fabric, which is divided into squares by a grid of holes, making it an ideal fabric for beginners. Each cross stitch is worked over one square. Or you may prefer evenweave, which is also woven in a grid but in a finer count. Each cross stitch is usually worked over two threads of the fabric (shown below), making it the equivalent size to stitching on aida (eg. 28-count evenweave would produce the same size finish as 14-count aida). Fractional stitches are easier to work on evenweave, as there’s a central hole spare so you don’t need to split a block as you do for aida. THREADS You’ll need stranded cotton – this…

Thread colours are arranged in shade ‘families’ – these are groups of colours that create a gradient of shading. It helps to look at a shade card for the full palette when making colour comparisons (available from DMC and Anchor) as these are arranged within the shade families already. You can swap threads likefor-like to equivalent shades of another family, ie. light, medium and dark. You may want to change the hue of an entire pattern, or use up threads already in your stash to save money. You can also alter skin tones to create different ethnicities. We’ve included some examples of skin shade families below, but feel free to experiment with your own. You’ll need to select alternatives for mid-tones, highlights and shadows, depending on how many shades are…