Sommaire pour July 2019 de CrossStitcher

“My work space is made up of three areas. Firstly, my designs tend to begin as sketches at my desk and from these, designs are charted using the software on my computer to produce counted cross stitch charts of the designs. I keep the thread cones and fabric bolts in my treasured Laura Ashley cupboard and it's at the table nearby that I cut the fabric and threads. When I'm stitching, I usually sit at a table next to the window with my work in a hoop, as I like to have the materials laid out in front of me. Here I see how all the colours work together. I still use a small pair of Fiskars embroidery scissors which I have had for a very long time.” www.nia-crossstitch.com…

Hullo! The women we've covered in this series have all been inspiringin their own way, but one thing they all have in common is determination to excel. One can't mention determination and passion without mentioning this month's history-making woman, Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei. Although considered a weak and frail child, Tabei longed to climb mountains. She founded a women's climbing club in university as many male mountaineers wouldn't climb with her. The joke was on them when, at 35, she became the first woman to summit Mount Everest. After this momentous achievement, she went on to be the first woman to complete the Seven Summits - the name for a collection of the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Tabei raised expedition money recycled materials to make equipment,…

Project Inspiration We made our larkspur into a needle case, which we backed with white cotton fabric, stitching the two layers together at the edges with a sewing machine. Inside the needle case we placed a rectangle of white felt, which was stitched down the spine using a sewing machine or small running stitches Materials Zweigart White 28 count Cashel, ref: 3281/100; 13x19cm (5x7½in) Size 26 tapestry needle Backing fabric; 13x19cm (5x7½in) White felt; 8x14cm (3¼x5½) Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com THE LARKSPUR No country cottage garden would be complete without some pretty patches of larkspur plants, which can grow as high as 6ft! The Tudors came up with the name larkspur as the bloom can look like a lark’s ‘spur’ or claw. It also has symbolic meaning, representing the strong…

Cross Stitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch One Giant Leap, we have a materials pack with everything you need to get you stitching right away, and have it delivered straight to your door! Your materials pack contains: Zweigart 14 count aida in Black Skeins of DMC stranded cotton Two gold-plated tapestry needles; size 24 and size 26 How to order: Go to www.willowfabrics.com to order your project pack at the CrossStitcher reader price of £39.50 plus P&P. Designed by: Maria Diaz Stitch count: 178 high x 120 wide Design size: 32.5x22cm (12¾x8¾in) Stitch time: 52 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Wash your hands before each stitching session to avoid marking the white and light threads used for the astronaut TURN TO PAGE…

Cross Stitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch Make A Splash!, we have a materials pack with everything you need to get you stitching right away, and have it delivered straight to your door! Your materials pack contains: DMC 14 count aida in Iridescent Cream Skeins of DMC stranded cotton Two gold-plated tapestry needles; size 24 and size 26 How to order: Go to www.willowfabrics.com to order your project pack at the CrossStitcher reader price of £33 plus P&P. Designed by: Emma Congdon Stitch count: 176 high x 115 wide Design size: 32.5x21cm (12¾x8¼in) Stitch time: 45 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. How to… frame a picture Step 1 CUT a piece of white mount board to fit inside your frame. Place your…

JULIE SCOLLON It was an absolute delight to stitch these cushions for my son and his lovely wife. She looks pleased with them too:) KIMBERLY ANNE THOMPSON I’m the most proud of this Australian animal sampler. Years ago I visited Australia and bought the kit. Now the finished piece hangs in my living room in Canada. NADINE CHRYST This piece that appeared in your fabulous magazine. Stitching it helped me get through the loss of my sister. We loved to compare our work and show each other what we were making. Kath would have loved this piece that I completed. REBECCA HOLT I stitched this for my now husband a few years ago. It holds special memories for us during a slightly hard few months in our lives. EMILY GRAUPNER…

Welcome to this month’s challenge! With everyone out in their gardens over the summer months, we thought it would be fun for our designers to create a garden sign. Working on plastic aida they could only use the materials listed on the left to make and had to include a sparkling butterfly charm in the design. Take a look at their results below – we’ve featured a chart for each one so you can stitch your favourite! We hope this will inspire you to join in too – turn the page to see what our challenge will be for September – we’ve listed everything you need to take part. THE CHALLENGE One piece of plastic aida in rustic/natural Six shades of stranded cotton (shown above) Wooden butterfly charm One mystery…

Welcome to the second part of our giant British Isles map. The top half was featured in our Summer issue – turn to page 83 for how to order a copy if you missed it. We hope you’ve been enjoying working on part one – with so many different landmarks and details packed in, each and every area of the complete design is satisfying to stitch! Designed by: Fiona Crouch Stitch count: 260 high x 182 wide (complete map) Design size: 47x32cm (18½x12½in) Stitch time: 113 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. This is the complete key for the whole map, so you can buy all the stranded cotton colours you need for the design Materials Zweigart Ice Blue 14 count aida, ref: 3706/550; 70x55cm (28x21½in)…

Prize crossword Across 1 Excessive speed or urgency (5) 4 Disease spread by mosquitoes (7) 8 Rim of a cup (3) 9 Large quantity (9) 10 Delete (5) 12 Wooden frame for growing plants (7) 15 Trivial annoyance or criticism (6) 17 Golden-brown colouring of the skin (6) 20 Total memory loss (7) 23 Intense low-pressure weather system (5) 25 Type of whitework embroidery (9) 26 Substance that is neither liquid nor solid (3) 27 Unsteady, likely to collapse (7) 28 Feathered limbs used for flying (5) Down 1 Simple, reversible line embroidery stitch (7) 2 Reddish-brown colour of old photographs (5) 3 Escape or avoid (5) 4 --- board, material for stretching stitching (5) 5 Large serving spoon (5) 6 Curl (7) 7 Helps (in criminal activitiy) (5) 11…

WE’VE ALWAYS LIKED using cross stitch to celebrate special anniversaries. We’ve lost count of how many silver and golden anniversary designs have passed through our pages over the years. This issue we are taking time to commemorate a world – or should that be ‘out of this world’ – anniversary… It’s 50 years since man landed on the moon. We’ve been inspired by iconic pictures to create a suitable design – take your own first small steps on page 26. Down to earth once more, we’re in a summery mood. We like to share an alphabet with you every issue but this month we have an extra-special design that we think you will stitch again and again. Each letter is held in its own detailed summer scene. ‘S’ for ‘Susan’…

Summer Bikes With our beautiful bicycle design on page 74, we’ve visited Etsy to pedal towards some more twin-wheeled products… BUBBLESCRAFTSHACK This Bicycle Grosgrain Ribbons featuring classic, colourful cycles is perfect for cards or sewing projects, and has a nice summery vibe. LEMONTREEFABRICS There’s something so cute about this delicious Fun Bikes: Timeless Treasures cotton fabric which couldbe used to line your projects. LYNNGIRLDESIGNS What could be more fun for summer that one of these fab Bicycle Felties to embellish a card or bag, and in hot pink too!…

FREE SPIRIT STITCHING DEBRA VALENCIA [Leisure Arts] Covering cross stitch, embroidery and the art of needlework in general, Free Spirit Stitching is inspired by an informal Boho-style look, with paisleys, florals and hand-drawn fonts galore. Projects include a Love Nest Wall Hanging, Paisley Heart Pillow, Summer Tote Bag, Chic & Cozy Clutch and many more. The projects range in skill level from beginner to intermediate, so anyone can give these beautiful designs a try. WHITEWORK EMBROIDERY AYAKO OTSUKA [Search Press] Accomplished embroiderer Ayako Otsuka shows how whitework embroidery (white thread on white fabric) is renowned for its beauty. With 30 delicate and exquisite projects to try, Ayako gives this ancient form of embroidery a modern twist with a sampler, tea cosy, teddy bear cushion and a table runner among others…

Cross Stitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch Going Coastal, we have a materials pack with everything you need to get you stitching right away, and have it delivered straight to your door! Your materials pack contains: Zweigart 28 count Cashel in Confederate Grey Skeins of DMC stranded cotton Two gold-plated tapestry needles; size 24 and size 26 How to order: Go to www.willowfabrics.com to order your project pack at the CrossStitcher reader price of £42 plus P&P. Designed by: Maria Diaz Stitch count: 176 high x 108 wide Design size: 30.5x19cm (12x7½in) Stitch time: 76 hours This design was stitched on 28 count linen working over two threads of fabric. The use of half cross stitch for shading at the base helps to add depth and texture…

Walking on the beach you are sure to find lots of lovely shiny things! We wanted to capture that magic in your stitching… Our oyster catcher is a project for the more experienced stitcher. The small parts can be tricky to assemble, but with its long orange legs and beak, and a shiny sequin for its eye, it will look great displayed with your beach finds. Our pretty shell pincushion is made with satin thread and sequins. Finally, make our sequined fish, perfect for hanging from a door knob or picture frame. MAKE A… SHELL PINCUSHION Your 3D shell can be easily converted into a wrist pincushion. Step 1 COMPLETE the stitching then use sewing cotton to attach the sequins where you’d like them. With your sequin placed on the…

If you prefer, you can use a small amount of fabric glue to attach the roof to the hut Materials Zweigart White 32 count Belfast, ref: 3609/0100; 25.5x28cm (10x11in) DMC Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 26 tapestry needle Teal felt; 10x7cm (4x2¾in) x 2 pieces Cardboard Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Designed by: Cheryl McKinnon Stitch count: 51 high x 36 wide, gable ends; 33 high x 36 wide, front and back Design size: 8x6cm (3¼x23⁄8in); 5x6cm (2x 23⁄8in) Stitch time: 19 hours This design was stitched on 32 count linen, working over two threads of fabric. Make a… beach hut Step 1 NOTE that you will need to stitch two beach hut sides and two gable ends. Leave at least 4cm (1½in) between each section. Use two…

Giveaways open 18 June – 15 July 2019 STITCHING PRIZES FOR YOU! Favourite poem kits Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If’ is one of the nation’s favourite verses, now available as a kit from Lifetime Samplers. The kit includes Zweigart fabric, DMC thread (pre-sorted) and full instructions and the stitches used are only whole cross stitch and backstitch – so no fiddly half stitches. For a personal touch a completion slip adds your name and date to the back of your work. The design is available on 14 count aida or 27 count evenweave and measures 38x24cm and costs £26.50 (or £7.95 for the pattern only) from www.lifetimesamplers.co.uk. We have three aida kits to give away. Enter by post to the address below, labelling your entry ‘KIPLING GIVEAWAY XST346’. By The Sea kits…

MORE TO EXPLORE… Our flamingos project is taken from Rico’s chart book no. 165, Travel The World. In the book you’ll also find heaps of holiday-themed designs for your bathroom. On two new terry cloth colours – Beach and Ocean – there are lots of stylish motifs to try. For stockists visit www.rico-design.de. Designed by: Rico Design Stitch count: 46 high x 280 wide Design size: 9x51cm (3½x20in) Stitch time: 22 hours This design was stitched on a 14 count aida panel. Stitching your… towel band Step 1 NOTE that this design will fit a Rico hand towel with a 14 count aida panel set into the bottom of the towel. If you wish to use a different sized towel, then you may need to stitch just part of the…

TURN TO PAGE 42 TO LEARN HOW TO FRAME YOUR PICTURE Designed by: Durene Jones Stitch count: 59 high x 60 wide Design size: 10.5x10.5cm (4¼x4¼in) Stitch time: 76 hours This design was stitched on 28 count evenweave over two threads of fabric Materials Zw eigart Antique White 28 count Brittney, ref: 3270/101; 30.5x30. 5cm (12x12in) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 26 tapestry needle Frame with a 15x15cm (6x6in) aperture Mount board to fit frame Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com You could stitch on a pale blue fabric if you prefer as this shade forms the background sky…

FAIRYTALE FAVOURITES: LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD FAIRYTALE STITCH-A-LONG Welcome to the seventh part of our 2019 stitch-a-long. Shannon Wasilieff has created a special ‘Fairytale Favourites’ SAL. In this issue we give you Little Red Riding Hood, who fits into the first position on the third row of your stitched grid. Designed by: Shannon Wasilieff Stitch count: 42 high x 28 wide Design size: 7.5x5cm (3x2in) Stitch time: 4 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric THE KEY ALL THE symbols that appear on the chart are listed in the key with their corresponding thread codes beside them. The key also tells you the different stitches used in the design. The closest column of thread codes listed next to the chart symbols is the thread brand that’s used…

Marine Dream Oh we do like to be beside the seaside! With all the beach-inspired stitching in this issue, we know you’re going to love Jan Constantine’s new Marine collection. The perfect complement to your own hand-stitched homestyle projects, the range includes a Marine Wallhanging, appliquéd and hand embroidered with sea creatures, fishes and seaweed, using French knots, chain stitch and blanket stitch on cream motifs. There are also several cushions to choose from sporting seaside motifs such as a lobster or crab – and none will look out of place next to your own handmade creations. www.janconstantine.com HELLO BABY! RICO’S NEW chart book, Hello Baby (No. 167) includes 33 cross stitch patterns, made on their new terry colours and on classical white. The book includes step-by-step instructions with charts…

DECKCHAIR STRIPES WE’RE HEADED to the beach to see if those bold and bright deckchairs can inspire a few projects this summer… WHO Bothy Threads stock this jolly holiday of a design–Deckchair Fun contains 14 count Blue Zweigartaida, pre-sorted stranded cottons, needle, stitch diagram and instructions and uses full crossstitches, backstitch and a few French knots. www.bothythreads.com WHAT Back a summer cushion with a true deckchair style fabric such as this Deckchair Canvas Ascot in extremely durable cotton canvas featuring a range of lively multi-coloured stripes. www.ianmankin.co.uk HOW Trim your seaside makes with this 10mm Deckchair Stripe Ribbon, available in a choice of colour ways. www.etsy.com/uk/shop/smartasa…

Designed by: Durene Jones Max. stitch count: 52 high x 38 wide Max. design size: 9x6.5cm (3½x2½in) Stitch time: 6 hours each These designs were stitched on 28 count evenweave over two threads of fabric. Make an… aperture card Step 1 WORK using two strands of stranded cotton for the cross stitch and one strand for the backstitch. Step 2 TRIM the stitched fabric to fit your card, with the design centrally placed behind the card’s aperture. Step 3 ATTACH double-sided tape to the inside of the card around the edge of the aperture. Step 4 PLACE the stitching on the table right-side up, and then place the card on top, pressing down firmly on the tape. Step 5 CHECK which flap will fold onto the back of the stitching,…

Pro Tip Top designers share their favourite stitching tips “Keep stock of your thread stash” “I have created a spreadsheet on my computer to track which threads I have, so when I start a new project I just check that to see if I have it ‘in stock’. I find it so much more efficient than having to look through my organisers to see if I have a particular thread.” FIRST PAST THE POST! Suzy Butler was the first to send us a pic of one of her finished kits from issue 345 – she wins a selection of DMC stranded cotton skeins in 20 colours of her choice from Willow Fabrics. The first person to stitch and send us a pic of their seagull card from this issue to…

Designed by: Emma Congdon Stitch count: 55 high x 28 wide (one half melon) Design size: 10x5cm (4x2in) Stitch time: 4 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make a… melon needle case Step 1 STITCH the melon using two strands of stranded cotton, flipping the chart at the red line to stitch the other half of the melon – this will give you a complete circle. Step 2 CUT away some of the aida around the stitching, creating a circle, leaving 1.25cm (½in) of unstitched aida around the design. Step 3 FOLD over the unstitched aida at the edges onto the wrong side of the stitching, leaving one unstitched fabric square showing at the front – you may have to make ‘V’ shaped snips in the…

Designed by: Jenny Barton Stitch count: 63 high x 112 wide Design size: 11.5x19cm (4½x7½in) Stitch time: 8 hours This design was stitched on 28 count linen over two threads of fabric. Make a… make-up bag Step 1 NOTE that the front and back of the purse are made from one piece of fabric which is folded along the bottom edge. Start stitching 2.5cm (1in) down from the top of the fabric, and midway between the sides – your stitching will then be on the front of the bag. Step 2 COMPLETE the stitching, then trim the fabric down on both sides, leaving 1.25cm (½in) of unstitched fabric either side of the stitching. The top and bottom edges do not need to be trimmed. Fold the fabric in half widthways,…

THE ESSENTIAL KIT YOU’LL NEED TO START STITCHING NEEDLES For basic stitching you’ll need a tapestry needle that has a blunt tip and large eye. Use a size 24 needle for most aidas, and a size 26 for evenweaves and linens. Use a sharp embroidery needle for finer details such as backstitch and French knots. EMBROIDERY SCISSORS Embroidery scissors are an absolute must-have. Keep yours sharp by only using them to cut threads. STRANDED COTTON Embroidery thread is also called stranded cotton. Each thread length is made up of six strands of cotton twisted together. The chart key will tell you how many strands you’ll need to stitch with. HOOPS AND FRAMES Though not absolutely essential, we do recommend using an embroidery hoop or frame to keep an even stitching…