Índex per August 2021 a CrossStitcher

Make a book-loving friend’s birthday gift extra special by giving them a new book and this bookmark with it! Designed by: Susan Penny Stitch count: 30 high x 37 wide teacup; 16 high x 9 wide teabag Design size: 5.5x7cm (2¼x2¾in); 3x1.5cm (1¼x⅝in) Stitch time: 8 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make a… ‘Time For A Cuppa’ bookmark Step 1 START stitching the teacup part of your bookmark on a 10x10cm (4x4in) piece of white 14 count aida, centrally but four squares up from the bottom of your fabric, following the chart and key. Stitch the teabag in the space above the teacup. Step 2 CAREFULLY cut out your teacup and teabag, leaving two blank aida squares around the stitching. Step 3 PLACE the aida…

High flyers Feather your nest with these beautiful bird hoop designs! The kits include aida, a 7in hoop, pre-sorted DMC threads, a needle, a stitching guide and a large pattern in both black and white and full colour. Choose from four fab designs – Green Woodpecker, Hummingbird, Puffin and Rainbow Finch. www.hawthornhandmade.com POSITIVE VIBES WITH SOCIAL media adding more and more pressure for us to look amazing at all times, Sophie Crabb has designed some ‘body positivity’ kits that act to reaffirm each of us and our self-image. The kits contain 14 count aida, size 24 needle, DMC stranded cotton cut to size and pre-sorted on a card, colour chart and 'How to Cross Stitch' guide. There is also an option to include an embroidery hoop with your kit. Choose…

COTTON FRIEND SEWING YUKO KATAYAMA, KYOKO SAKAUCHI & MICHIYO ITO [Tuva Publishing] This book is packed with projects designed to be made in an instant. The projects include handy basics such as ponchos, coats, dresses and tunics, which are all super-easy to make. They are also easy to adapt with different fabrics, collars and finishes. The editors at Cotton Friend have created these ideas based on the concept “I want to make and wear them now” – in other words all of these designs can be made in a day! WILLING HANDS 2 BETSY MORGAN [Inspirations Studios] A sequel to Betsy’s highly successful first book from 2019, Willing Hands continues with 10 new projects worked in counted thread techniques using hand-dyed silk threads. Betsy’s work boxes and accessories are decorated…

Cross Stitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch Create a Buzz, 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: PLEASE NOTE: Backing fabric and cushion pad not included in this pack How to order: Fill in the form on page 17 or go to www.willowfabrics.com to order your project pack at the CrossStitcher reader price of £30, plus P&P. Designed by: Susan Bates Stitch count: 94 high x 129 wide Design size: 16x23cm (6¼x9in) Stitch time: 50 hours This design was stitched on 28 count linen over two threads of fabric. Make a… cushion Step 1 COMPLETE the stitching then cut the fabric to 40.5x40.5cm (16x16in),…

We caught up with cross stitch author Suzana Lima to chat with her about stitching in Brazil, writing cross stitch books and the importance of tidy backs! How popular is cross stitch in your home country of Brazil? In my country, much as it is here, cross stitch is an extremely widespread and appreciated craft. But I realised when I arrived here in the UK, cross stitch embroidery is treated as a hobby here, while in Brazil it is regarded as a source of income for women from low-income families, enabling them to improve their budget while they are at home with their children. What are the differences you see between the popular cross stitch designs in Brazil and in the UK? England obviously has a wealth of beautiful old…

Designed by: Maria Diaz Stitch count: 33 high x 28 wide Design size: 6.5x5cm (2½x2½in) Stitch time: 4 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make a… brooch Step 1 IRON Vilene onto the back of your finished design, and then cut your aida into a 7.5cm (3in) diameter circle with the wheelbarrow in the centre. Do the same with the felt. Step 2 STITCH your charm to the handle of the wheelbarrow. Place the felt on the back of the stitched aida, and using one strand of stranded cotton, buttonhole stitch the layers together around the edge. Sew a brooch back to the centre back of the felt, and pin to your blouse or gardening bag. You can order a gardening charm like ours from www.willowfabrics.com…

We asked our fans on Facebook, “How do you keep cool stitching in hot weather?” CAROLE HAN’R I start stitching my Christmas ornaments and decorations when it’s too hot – it feels refreshing! I usually stitch projects at least one season ahead because I like to wait for the next season to come. DANIELLE L ROWAN I have a small fan but it’s very powerful and have it aimed at my hands. Just having to wash hands more and keeping talc handy. DEBORAH JULIA WHITE A large glass of water with a good splash of fruit juice, with loads of ice. EMMA URBANSKI I sit outside under a tree in the shade, I’ve made an outdoor tray that holds all the things I’ll need so I don't have to keep…

If you don’t have any toy stuffing you can recycle pairs of old tights for stuffing instead by cutting them into scraps Designed by: Maria Diaz Max. stitch count: 68 high x 36 wide Max. design size: 12x6cm (4¾x2½in) Stitch time: 5 hours (each) These designs were stitched on 28 count linen over two threads of fabric. Materials For each doll Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Fill your doll with dried lavender instead of stuffing and keep her in a clothes drawer Make a… doll Step 1 COMPLETE the stitching. Place each doll front face-down on a piece of Cashel, or if you prefer, backing fabric. Pin the layers together. Step 2 NOTE you will be able to see the edge of the cross stitch, so using…

Welcome to this month’s designer challenge! This time we’re keeping cool in the heat by asking our three designers to come up with an underwater-themed card. They were asked to stitch it on pale blue aida and also to incorporate a sweet seahorse charm somewhere in their design. Last but not least, they were limited to seven specific shades of stranded cotton. Read on to see our designers’ ingenious results! If you’d like to take on our next challenge, turn to page 75 for details of the challenge for our October issue! THE CHALLENGE THE RULES AMANDA BUTLER… SECRET SEAHORSE “Seahorses are very popular so when I was asked to do this project I was inspired immediately by the sea weed as…

GRIMMS’ FAIRY TALES SAL This is the seventh part of this year’s stitch-a-long design. Over the year we will be bringing you 12 Fairy Tales. In this issue we give you Rapunzel. We have greyed out the border from the first part of the design in the February issue. The grid lines are correct for the complete design, but the centre marks indicate the centre of just this motif. Designed by: Amanda Butler Stitch count: 34 high x 25 wide (character only) Design size: 6.5x4.5cm (2⅝x1¾in) Stitch time: 3 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…

Stitching your… Summer SAL Step 1 STITCH the final postcard to the right of the Greek Island already stitched, leaving two blank squares between each strip. Once you have worked the three postcard designs, and leaving two aida squares between each of the postcards, the finished size will be 67 high x 79 wide. Use two strands for the cross stitch, with the sky worked in half cross stitch using two strands. The backstitch and French knots are both worked in one strand. Step 2 STITCH three mini black buttons in the centres of the large poppies. Once all the stitching is complete, fold in the edges of the fabric or fray them. We used a 21cm magnetic frame which we cut down to 15.5cm (6in) to fit the top…

“My workspace is just a corner in the room. It is tiny but there is enough space to do most of the things! I love my desk because it is next to the window so that I can have nice natural light for photo shooting and stitching. Also, I can look out of the window when my eyes feel tired! As the space is packed, it’s great to have some good shelves so that I can put different materials in an organised way. When you have too many threads, it is easier to find the right one out by using boxes to keep different kinds of thread shades.” redbeardesign.etsy.com Drop us a line to crosssstitcher@warnersgroup.co.uk with images of your craft space and a few words about it and our favourites…

Take advantage of our exclusive offers to UK readers* and receive special discount prices… SEWING GIFT SET This issue we have a pretty sewing set in an Antique Silver colour on offer. This superior quality set is made by Hemline and contains all the items needed to fill your sewing basket. A great gift for a sewing friend or why not treat yourself? Each set contains pair of ornate 9.5cm (3¾in) sharp tip embroidery scissors with scrolling floral handles 150cm (60in) magnetic back retractable tape measure heart pendant thread cutter non-slip metal thimble three sewing needles in a glass tube, all packed in an attractive gift box. So why not get rid of that broken tape measure and blunt scissors and treat yourself to this fantastic looking set? MORE OFFERS…

New Zealand stitcher Cherry Parker is also a designer, so the last 18 months provided her with a unique opportunity to get creating new designs and finishing long-neglected WIPs… Cherry has found the unusual times we’ve been living in both helpful and a hinderance when it comes to the stitching scene in Auckland. “I have begun to feature stitching shops in my monthly newsletter and with the lockdowns and our border closure, they have certainly missed the tourists,” she says. “On the other hand, after our initial lockdown many people picked up crafts such as cross stitch, crochet and knitting and the shops have seen an upsurge in new stitchers. The down side is that the supplies coming from the Northern hemisphere are delayed because of the outbreaks of Covid…

Designed by: Durene Jones Max. stitch count: 55 high x 39 wide Max. design size: 10.5x7.5cm (4¼x3in) Stitch time: 10 hours each These designs were stitched on 25 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 two for the half cross stitch. 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…

For August we have a real treat for wildlife lovers, particularly bird watchers! Our portrait of a wren perched on a tree stump is filled with fabulous details. From the country cottage in the background to the wildflowers in the foreground, once stitched and hung it’s sure to a be a talking point for any visitors who see it. Or maybe you’ll stitch it as a gift for a bird-loving friend? Have fun deciding! Designed by: Amanda Butler Stitch count: 172 high x 120 wide Design size: 31x21.5cm (12¼x8½in) Stitch time: 46 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Materials Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com…

Our cover star this issue is a beautiful bee. I wanted to create a smaller wearable bee to celebrate this amazing creature. I also wanted to add a technique that would stretch your skills, so as well as cross stitching on 32 count Belfast, the long stitch wings will add an extra challenge. If you have never stitched on 32 count before, then this is a good introduction, as the bee’s body has just 22 cross stitches! The materials we used for this project are all available from www.willowfabrics.com We would like to see how you got on making your ring, so please send your pics to: crossstitcher@warnersgroup.co.uk, and you may even get your picture published in a future issue of CrossStitcher! How to… stitch your bumble bee Step 1…

Hullo! I don’t know about you, but I love love. Not just the love felt for other people, but the love felt for our passions, the love felt when a moment is perfect, or the love felt for ourselves. It’s that last one that many of us struggle with, but there’s no time like the present to cultivate a better relationship with ourselves. Luckily, this month's floriology bloom is the absolutely stunning tulip, representative of endless love. And if there is anyone we should offer endless love to, it’s ourselves! Rather than being egocentric or arrogant, a strong sense of self-love is vital to our being able to flourish. When you fully love yourself, you appreciate your worth, you recognise what you deserve, and you respect yourself by being able…

A DIFFERENT ROOM FOR EV ERY MONTH OF THE YEAR! How to… display your stitching WE used a house shaped wooden box frame, which we painted with a grey emulsion match pot and then made a cardboard triangle to fill in the front. The roof and front were then covered in tile paper, normally used for train modelling – both the box and paper are available from online craft and modelling shops. Designed by: Zoë Patching Stitch count: 52 high x 62 wide Design size: 9.5x11cm (3¾x4¼in) Stitch time: 6 hours This design was stitched on 28 count linen over two threads of fabric. Materials Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com “Creating a warm welcome, whether for special guests or just for you and your family, will make…

Materials Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Designed by: Cheryl McKinnon Stitch count: 50 high x 71 wide Design size: 9x13cm (3½x5⅛in) Stitch time: 7 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Giving a house warming present? Stitch just the central house to make a cute gift tag! Make a… new home card Step 1 COMPLETE the stitching, then trim the fabric, leaving a border of unstitched aida squares around the outside of the design. Check the design sits nicely on your card front, if not remove some more aida. Step 2 FRAY the outer edge of aida, removing three aida squares – tease the threads out one at a time so that they come away neatly. Step 3 APPLY double-sided tape to the back…

Designed by: Jane Prutton Stitch count: 35 high x 42 wide (each) Design size: 6.5x7.5cm (2⅝x3in) Stitch time: 5 hours (each) These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric Materials For each keyring Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Make a… keyring Step 1 TRIM the stitching so that you have three blank squares around the design. Fray the final row of stitches on all sides. You can have a picture on either side of the keyring or just on the front with a felt backing. Step 2 NOTE that if you are having two designs, you need to place the aida rectangles either end of the felt strip. Cut around the aida, leaving a 4cm (1½in) wide strip between the aida rectangles. If you…

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK Designed by: Susan Bates Stitch count: 120 high x 90 wide Design size: 22x16.5cm (8¾x6½in) Stitch time: 31 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Materials Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com If you missed our Highlands scene in issue 372, head to www.hobbies-and-crafts.co.uk to order a back issue or digital copy How to… frame a picture Step 1 CUT a piece of white mount board to fit inside your frame. Place your design centrally over the mount board and pin the fabric around the board to secure, starting at the centre of each side and working outwards. Step 2 PIN around the entire perimeter and check you are happy with the positioning of your design, then turn over to…