Indice dei contenuti per March 2016 in CrossStitcher

Stitch count: 35 high x 38 wide Design size: 6.5x7cm(2½x2¾in) Stitch time: 4 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Stitch count: 103 high x 85 wide Design size: 19x16cm(7½x6¾in) Stitch time: 17 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Materials Zweigart 14 count white aida, ref: 3706/100, 33x25.5cm (13x10in) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 24 tapestry needle Butterfly charm For stockist details see page 84 Make a… Mother’s Day card Step 1 STITCH your basket and flowers using two strands of stranded cotton for the cross stitch, one strand for the backstitch and one for the French knots. Step 2 THREAD your needle with pink ribbon. Starting in the bottom left-hand corner of the design, two squares outside…

Genevieve Brading of Floss & Mischief designed our beautiful fish picture on page 66 and she gave us a peek at the work in progress… “The hardest part of this design was pinning down its layout. It went through several compositions, before we agreed on a vintage species poster feel,” she says. “I love the Delftware blue and white colour palette – it’s so timeless. My other half is an angler, so he was thrilled that I was persuaded to design some fish!” www.flossandmischief.com…

"I decided to set a challenge to give away a free cross stitch design every week for a year" Hello again dear readers, How’s 2016 shaping up for you so far? I’m writing this on Christmas Eve, so I can only guess what’s gone on between now and the future where you live. Hopefully they’ll have cracked flying cars, and if anyone has any useful lottery numbers, drop me an email! I thought I’d share a story about a thing I did last year. I turned 40 and in a mad panic to stay fit I decided to set a challenge to give away a free cross stitch design project every week for a year. 52 patterns, mostly new designs, and given away for free as downloads. It seemed like…

Dimensions Golden Puppy kit “Would you like to take a nap with me?” this puppy seems to ask. Stitched on 18 count ivory aida, this adorable design is a combination of cross stitch and half cross stitch. The kit comes with aida, stranded cotton, needle, chart and full instructions. The finished size is 18x13cm, ref: 55497, RRP £14.50. You can visit www.sewandso.co.uk for more details. We have one kit to give away. Enter by post to the address below, labelling your entry ‘GOLDEN PUPPY KIT GIVEAWAY 302’. Mini Cross Stitch Book Join Michael Powell in his quirky world of cross stitch. This lovely little book contains twenty gorgeous designs in Michael’s distinctive and popular style, ranging from colourful daisies to mini landscapes. The book is published by Search Press, RRP…

I made Durene Jones’ design (issue 288) for my granddaughter, who wanted the exact same picture on her birthday cake! Yula Oliel, Israel I’ve finished the beautiful owls from issue 300 and have had them both framed. Thank you for these patterns, I’ve really enjoyed them! Leanne O’Neill, by Facebook Issue 299 of my new subscription arrived before Christmas. I whipped up one of the festive jumpers as a card for my cousin! Ingrid Morgan, Australia Here’s the card I made using the kit from issue 300. I will be sending it to my mum as a thank-you card for my Christmas presents. Christine Bilyard, by email I made these from issue 294 for my in-laws in July. I took the red initial on the back from CrossStitcher April 2009!…

These are perfect projects for using up any left-over thread ends in your stash! Max. stitch count: 71 high x 71 wide Design size: 13x13cm (5¼x5¼in) Stitch time: 18 hours each These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Materials For each cushion Zweigart 14 count white aida, ref: 3706/100, 18x18cm (7x7in) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 24 tapestry needle Cotton fabric for the cushion front & back, 30.5x30.5cm (12x12in) x 2 pieces Toy stuffing or 25.5x25.5cm (10x10in) cushion pad Make a… cushion Step 1 TURN under the edges of your stitched aida, leaving three blank aida squares outside the stitching. Press, and then pin, the aida in the centre of one piece of cotton fabric. Machine stitch around the edge of the design, following…

To make a basket wrap, cut a length of cotton fabric long enough to tie around your basket. Fray the edge of your stitched aida and then sew it onto the centre front of the fabric wrap Max. stitch count: 50 high x 85 wide Max. design size: 7x15cm (2¾x6in) Stitch time: various These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. MATERIALS Padded animals Zweigart 14 count white aida, ref: 3706/100, 12.5x 10cm (5x4in) Felt for backing Toy stuffing Basket wrap Zweigart 14 count white aida, ref: 3706/100, 9x17.5cm (3½x7in) Cotton fabric For both Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 24 tapestry needle For stockist details see page 84 Make a… padded animal Step 1 PLACE your stitched aida fabric and felt right sides together.…

Desperately seeking A couple of years ago I made up a soft counting book for an infant from a cross stitch magazine. My best friend’s first grandchild (and his parents) who live in Germany were delighted with it. I am about to become a great aunt at the end of March and thought I would make up this book pattern again. I always keep my patterns, however we had a water leak at home last year and some were damaged, including this one. I was wondering if anyone may remember this pattern and have this issue and would be willing to send it to me, or just the pages containing the chart. I would be happy to pay any postage costs. Thank you in advance for your help. Denise Atherton…

SPRING IS A WONDERFUL TIME of year – the days are longer, the weather is warmer and there is a promise of good things to come all around us. A lot of us are gardeners as well as stitchers, and it can be a difficult time of year to get the balance between tackling the weeds in your borders and the cross stitch indoors that’s crying out to be finished! As flowers feature largely in this issue, you might just be tempted to abandon your gardening altogether and stitch your way right through spring instead. Well, we’ve a whole ‘garden’ of designs to choose from, including our wonderful cuckoo clock, spring flower garland, terrarium and fun bunch of 3D flowers. Plus, with Mothers’s day on 6 March, our free gift…

BLUETOPAZSTITCHERY  Sing your heart out with this cute bluebird and musical note cross stitch pattern. Perfect to make and send to a music loving friend. FIDDLESTICKSAU Fall in love with this retro tattoo-style cross stitch design from Oz’s Fiddlesticks. It uses whole stitches only for a super-quick finish. CLEVER FIG STUDIOS Create a cosy corner for you to stitch in with this gorgeous cushion featuring a hand-painted watercolour bluebird print.…

Instead of stitching the clock hands, replace them with a clock movement to transform your picture into a working clock Stitch count: 120 high x 90 wide Design size: 21x16.5cm(8¼x6½in) Stitch time: 35 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Materials Zweigart 14 count white aida, ref: 3706/100, 33x30cm (13x12in) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 24 tapestry needle Frame with a 25x21cm (9¾x8¼in) aperture Mount board  For stockist details see page 84 TURN TO PAGE 69 TO LEARN HOW TO FRAME YOUR PICTURE…

We thought we’d try something a little bit different this month and include three types of fastenings featuring mini cross stitch designs – to see just how versatile they can be. Our sweet hanging heart features a cross stitched bird taking centre stage and our feathered friend is edged with a hot pink zip. Next, try our pretty covered button, used here to fasten a notebook with a wrapped silk ribbon. Our final design includes a trio of stylised flowers with bold Dorset button flower heads. Template Enlarge your template by 200% MAKE… DORSET BUTTON FLOWERS Use this traditional technique to make bright, bespoke buttons Step 1 BEGIN by cutting a 2m length of stranded cotton and then knot the thread to one end of the brass ring. Now work…

The glass effect is created by working the cross stitch in just one strand of stranded cotton, with the rest of the cross stitch in two strands Stitch count: 88 high x 82 wide Design size: 16x15cm (6¼x6in) Stitch time: 23 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Materials Zweigart 14 count white aida, ref: 3706/100, 34x28cm (13½x11in) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 24 tapestry needle Frame with a 23x19cm (9x7½in) aperture Mount board to fit frame TURN TO PAGE 69 TO LEARN HOW TO FRAME YOUR PICTURE…

It’s easy to make a smaller picture by selecting just some of the fish to stitch, such as those in the centre of the design Stitch count: 143 high x 100 wide Design size: 26.5x18cm (10½x7¼in) Stitch time: 37 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Materials Picture Zweigart 14 count ice blue aida, ref: 3706/550, 38x30cm (15x12in) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 24 tapestry needle Small button for eye Frame with a 30x25cm (12x9¾in) aperture Mount board 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…

TOOLS OF THE TRADE 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 for stitchers and can be picked up for just a few pounds. Keep yours sharp by only using them to cut threads – that way a decent pair should last you a lifetime. STRANDED COTTON Embroidery thread is also commonly referred to as stranded cotton. Each thread length is made up of six strands of cotton twisted together. The chart key will indicate how many strands you’ll need to stitch your…

HOPE, MAKE, HEAL MAYA PAGÁN DONENFELD [Roost Books] Find renewal and restoration in this thoughtful craft book, which uses stitching in a meaningful way. There are a variety of projects to make as well as inspiring ideas to muse over. EMBROIDERED HOME KELLY FLETCHER [Kyle Books] Give your home a new look with this modern collection of stitching projects. With themes as diverse as Coastal, Contemporary, Country, Floral, Vintage and Festive, there’s a project to suit every style. CROSS STITCH TO CALM LEAH LINTZ [Interweave] This pretty book draws on cross stitch’s calming properties with 40 simple projects to help you de-stress. Motifs range from on-trend stag heads to birds and trees.…

Create a bunch’ of flowers by using string or ribbon to tie them together Max. stitch count: 58 high x 30 wide Max. design size: 10x5cm(4x2in) Stitch time: 2 hours each These designs were stitched on 28 count evenweave over two threads of the fabric. Materials Zweigart 28 count white Brittney evenweave, ref: 3270/100: 17.5x12.5cm (7x5in) x 2 pieces Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 26 tapestry needle Toy stuffing  For stockist details see page 84 Make a… flower Step 1 PLACE your Brittney backing fabric face down on the table. On top of this place your stitched flower, face up. Machine stitch roughly around the flower, following the edge of the stitching, starting at the bottom and leaving one side of the stem open for stuffing. Step…

Readers of CrossStitcher may already be fans of ceramicist and illustrator Eleonor Boström, whose quirky dog pin cushions were featured in our news pages in issue 296. Handmade from porcelain, each cheeky canine chap is created by Eleonor in her studio in sunny San Francisco and they are sure to inspire creative stitchers. Eleonor tells us about her life in making so far… Tell us about yourself – have you always been creative? I’m a 30-year-old Swede living in San Francisco, working as a ceramicist. I have liked drawing since I was young and as a child I wanted to be a illustrator. I think that’s why I like to draw so much on my ceramics – combining the two art forms feels just right to me. I studied Ceramics…

Stitch count: 176 high x 148 wide Design size: 24x28cm (9½x11in) Stitch time: 53 hours This design was stitched on 32 count linen over two threads of the fabric. Materials Sampler Zweigart 32 count lavender Belfast linen, ref: 3609/558, 38x46cm (15x18in) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 26 tapestry needle Frame with a 28x33cm (11x13in) aperture Mount board to fit frame  For stockist details see page 84 You’ll find it helps to use graph paper to plan the position of the name and date on the sampler and the initials on the heart Stitch count: 30 high x 34 wide Design size: 7x4.5cm (2¾x1¾in) Stitch time: 4 hours This design was stitched on 32 count linen over two threads of the fabric. Materials Heart Zweigart 32 count lavender…

Stitch time: 100 hours These designs were stitched on 28 count evenweave over two threads of the fabric. Materials Zweigart 28 count white Brittney evenweave, ref: 3270/100, 35.5x44cm (14x17½in) x 2 for the inside and outside of the doll’s house; 63x20cm (25x8in) for the doll, cupcake, cooker, bath, bedspread & door Cotton fabric for the roof, 43x15in (17x6in) x 2 pieces Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 26 tapestry needle Cotton tape for bag handles, 2.5x30.5cm (1x12in) x 2 strips Felt backing for the doll and cupcake Velcro dots How to… stitch your doll’s house design Step 1 TAKE one of your 35.5x44cm (14x17½in) pieces of Brittney evenweave fabric and fold it both ways to find the centre. Next, stitch a row of running stitches in one…

Not keen on French knots? Stitch a gold bead on the bag and hair slide instead Max. stitch count: 44 high x 93 wide Design size: 8x17cm (3¼x6¾in) Stitch time: 8 hours This design were stitched on 28 count evenweave over two threads of the fabric. For a quicker stitch, Clouds Spring Sky is also available as 14 count aida Materials Fabric Flair 28 count Cloud Spring Sky evenweave, ref: E 28/11, 28x33cm (11x13in) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 26 tapestry needle Scraps of cotton fabric for the skirts Frame with a 19x24cm (7½x9½in) aperture Mount board to fit frame TURN TO PAGE 69 TO LEARN HOW TO FRAME YOUR PICTURE How to… make the skirts Step 1 CUT a 1.5x5cm (½x2in) rectangle of cotton…