Table of contents for December 2022 in CrossStitcher

Designed by: Susan Penny Stitch count: various Design size: various Stitch time: 1½ hours (each motif) These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Please note, our key covers the thread needed for just the third eight motifs featured in this issue How to… use your calendar IN THIS ISSUE we are giving you the third and final set of eight motifs for your Advent calendar. The motifs should be stitched in the positions shown on the chart given to you in the October issue. The blue boxes show the approximate positions of the windows on the calendar – variations in the tension of the fabric and the printing may result in small changes that affect the positioning, so it is important that you check that each motif is…

WHEN YOU THINK about it, Christmas has an awful lot of ingredients. It isn’t just the list of presents to buy, remembering to order the turkey, or trimming the tree, there are so many little things too. Your children will inspect the tree decorations to check that the ornament they made at school is there, the dog will need his own stocking of treats and you must find time to read the book you like to read at this time every year (Twelve Days of Christmas for Susan). At one time or another, we all think how nice it would be to stitch all our cards… give yourself a break and just pick a few names from your list and make them one of the whimsical cards on page 31. If…

*See ‘The Key’ on page 80. Designed by: Amanda Butler Stitch count: 120 high x 90 wide Design size: 22x16.5cm (85⁄8x6½in) Stitch time: 48 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Place a white pillowcase under your work while you stitch, so you can see the holes in your navy aida more easily Materials • Zweigart Navy 14 count aida, ref: 3706/589; 33x29cm (13x11½in) • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • DMC Light Effects as listed in the key • Size 24 tapestry needle • Frame with a 22.5x17cm (8¾x6¾in) aperture • Mount board to fi t frame Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com TURN TO PAGE 44 TO LEARN HOW TO FRAME YOUR PICTURE…

Turn to page 14 or go to www.willowfabrics.com to order your display case and pegs at the CrossStitcher reader price of £17, plus P&P Make… space decorations Step 1 SEW your chosen decoration, then cut around your stitching, leaving a 1.25cm (½in) seam allowance on all sides. Cut the backing fabric to the same size. Place your stitching and the backing fabric right sides together, and pin to hold in place. Step 2 CUT a 10cm (4in) length of cord, fold in half and place the folded end inside the layers, with the cut ends just outside of the stitching line. Stitch around the edge of the decoration, leaving a gap at the bottom or on one side for turning. Step 3 TRIM the seam allowance, and then turn to…

Carlotte Clark is one of many of our readers who enjoyed over 2020 working on our Alice in Wonderland SAL. Based in Southwold, Suffolk, she was so pleased with the result that she entered it into her local crafts show, with winning results! “I completed the Alice in Wonderland SAL at the end of 2020,” recalls Charlotte. “It was so much fun and so beautiful. So, when our Village Show (The Reydon Show) returned this year after two year break due to Covid, it was a no-brainer as to what I was going to enter into the Cross Stitch Mounted category. It got lots of compliments and I came not only first in the category but won best exhibit in Handicrafts, meaning I won the Reydon Show Trophy.” Practise makes…

THE CHALLENGE • Blue 14 count perforated paper to fit your snow globe x 2 • Eight shades of stranded cotton (shown above) • Snow globe THE RULES • Create a design for a festive snow globe • The design should no larger than the pink guide line on the chart • Only the materials above can be used • Be creative as possible!  Let it snow! This challenge is worth the extra effort as once complete you'll have a unique gift or Christmas memento to treasure. We asked three designers to capture the magic of wintertime by creating a front and back for a snow globe, by stitching on perforated paper and using only the eight shades of stranded cotton stipulated. Take a look at their results below –…

Designed by: Susan Penny Stitch count: 28 high x 20 wide (each) Design size: 5x3.8cm (2x1¾in) Stitch time: 3 hours each These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. How to… stitch your tags Step 1 STITCH the design using 14 count white aida or a fabric of your choice. Use two strands of stranded cotton for the cross stitch, one for the backstitch and one for the French knots. Step 2 DOWNLOAD and print out on thin card the patterned tags you can find at the CrossStitcher Digital Downloads group on Facebook. Cut out the tags. If you wish to have patterns on both sides of each tag, you’ll need to print them out twice and glue the matching tags together. Step 3 CUT around the design, leaving…

Hello! After years of not being able to be close to each other, I’m certainly enjoying being able to spend the festive season close to those I care about. Funny how those little touches, the in-person smiles, the big hugs are so sorely missed when they’re gone. Humans are such social creatures and, while the past few years were difficult in many ways, they’ve certainly left me so much more appreciative of what, and who, I have in my life. Humans have become so digitally connected in the past few decades – even more so in the past few years. While so many amazing benefits have come from this (I would never have connected with all you lovely people without technology!), I’ve certainly felt that digital closeness has created some…

Designed by: Durene Jones Max. stitch count: 47 high x 38 wide Max. design size: 9x7cm (3½x2¾in) Stitch time: 6 hours each These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. *See ‘The Key’ on page 80. Make an… aperture card Step 1 WORK using two strands of stranded cotton for the cross stitch and half cross stitch, two strands for the backstitched eyes, and one strand for the remaining backstitch as marked on the chart. Step 2 TRIM the stitched fabric to fit your card, with the design centrally placed behind the card’s aperture. Step 3 Backstitch 2 strands 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…

Materials For each cracker • DMC Iridescent Blue 14 count aida; 5x15cm (2x6in) • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • DMC Light Effects as listed in the key • Size 24 tapestry needle • Cracker blank; 25.5cm (10in) long Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Designed by: Amanda Butler Stitch count: 16 high x 23 wide (each) Design size: 3x4.5cm (1¼x1¾in) Stitch time: 1 hour each These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Cracker blanks with hats, snaps and jokes are available from Willow Fabrics, please turn to page 14 to order Make a… Christmas cracker Step 1 COMPLETE the stitching, then remove one aida block from both long edges to fray the aida. Step 2 MAKE up your cracker, adding contents like a hat, snap, joke and…

12 EXCLUSIVE XMAS DESIGNS! Designed by: Cheryl McKinnon Max. stitch count: 39 high x 39 wide Max. design size: 7.5x7.5cm (3x3in) Stitch time: 6 hours each These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Materials For each hoop • DMC Iridescent White 14 count aida; 18x18cm (7x7in) • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • Size 24 tapestry needle • Wooden embroidery hoop; 10cm (4in) diameter Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com We used DMC Iridescent White 14 count aida for all the 12 Days of Christmas designs, mounting them in 10cm (4in) wooden embroidery hoops, which we painted with an emulsion paint match pot 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS A special pack containing 12 10cm (4in) wooden embroidery hoops, 12 pieces of 14 count DMC Iridescent White aida, and the…

IN YOUR NEXT MONTH’S E-NEWSLETTERS: ✓ DOWNLOAD THE NEXT FREE CROSS STITCH CHART AS PART OF OUR SEASONAL SAL COURTESY OF SUSAN PENNY. ✓ CONTINUE TO DELVE INTO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF CROSS STITCH WITH WINTER INSPIRATION! Plus, much more! SCAN ME WITH YOUR CAMERA BIT.LY/CROSSIGNUP FREE DOWNLOAD…

RRP £23.50 £21.50 When it’s cold outside, there’s nothing better than sweetening your time with a cup of tea and a new cross stitch project. The bundle consists of a cross stitch booklet, containing twelve winter themed cross stitch designs, plus one premium quality pre-cut 28ct Cashel fabric and one premium quality pre-cut 14ct aida from Zweigart. Shop now: bit.ly/WINTERCS SCAN MEWITH YOUR CAMERA *This product is subject to availability and priced correctly at the time of publication. Geographic restrictions may apply.…

“I am lucky to have a nice craft corner for my work. It’s not huge but it’s calm and bright. I am able to concentrate and work in this corner for hours. Since I design mini masterpieces, my work is hugely inspired by art. I always find myself going through my books that I collected from various museums before I start a design. I start with 40-45 colours and I eliminate some of them during test stitching. So I have complete set of DMC colours as well as their catalogue in my stash. I can easily find the colour I need.” www.crossstitchobsession.com www.crossstitchobsession.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 could be featured in a future…

CUTE DOGS TO NEEDLE FELT GAI BUTTON [Search Press] Needle felting is a fun, easy to learn, technique that will help you branch out into three-dimensional needlecraft. Using different wools, silks and fibres, and just three needles, with this book you can make six realistic-looking dog breeds, including labradors, pugs and poodles. Techniques are explained clearly with step-by-step instructions, along with handy tips. Each dog also has its template included. Pawfect for cute Christmas gifts! THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ROSE MINUSCULE LAURENCE BONNET [Search Press] Another dimensional stitching book – here you get the unique opportunity to sew the bodies and outfits of the colourful ‘Rainbow Club Friends’, including Robinson and Oscar the lions, Theo the bear and Remy the dog. All the projects enjoy full step-by-step instructions, plus patterns at actual…

Pro Tip Top designers share their favourite stitching tips “Stitchable shapes are perfect for kids” “These wooden stitchable shapes are great for kids because they are the perfect size for their hands. They can stitch onto something nice and sturdy without needing a hoop and they are really easy to unpick if you go wrong or fancy changing up the colours! They will quickly have a pretty ornament to hang up with pride.” FIRST PAST THE POST! Julie Weaver was the first to send us a pic of her festive frames from issue 389 – 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 picture of one of their finished dog gift…

Christmas is fast approaching and that means making our wish lists and checking them twice! We all have that kit or pattern that we’re desperately hoping will show up under the Christmas tree, but there are so many other ways for you to incorporate the cross-stitch spirit into your holidays! KATCH SKINNER BEYOND MEASURE GIFT IDEA: Ceramic Pincushions and Thimbles What inspired the creation of your thimbles and of ceramic pincushions with Beyond Measure? My little cups and thimbles are inspired by amazing ceramic mugs with feet on that my auntie had when I was little. These always fascinated me; that idea of taking something from the mundane and giving it a narrative is a starting point for a lot of my work. My cups have been used for many…

Each month we publish a new letter and number set based on a theme, designed for you to cut out and keep for when you need it We love coming up with new themes for our letter libraries, especially at Christmas! There’s been a trend for winter cabins in the craft world, so we asked Fiona Crouch to create a whole alphabet of them. Perfect for cards and gift tags with a personal touch, our cosy cabins look so pretty with their fairy lights! Our Christmas Cabin alphabet letters were mounted in a card, flexi-hoop and a fabric-bound wooden hoop. Each was stitched on DMC Iridescent Blue 14 count aida, and each letter is approximately 30 high x 30 wide. The design size for each letter is approximately 6x6cm (2¼x2¼in),…

SUBSCRIBE FOR JUST £29.99 A YEAR! That’s only 8p a day! This ‘all you can stitch’ subscription means you can search through over 7 years’ worth of CrossStitcher magazines! LOOK WHAT YOU’RE MISSING OUT ON… Discover EVEN MORE winter inspiration and charts! Winter Hare by Amanda Butler, Cross Stitch Collection, CrossStitcher, January 2017 Winter Welcome by Permin, CrossStitcher, December 2015 ENRICH YOUR KNOWLEDGE with advice from top designers… Learn how to make a tassel to add to your cross stitch projects in the CrossStitcher, February 2022 issue! Create a pretty pansy brooch using beading in the CrossStitcher, May 2021 issue! Get to know artisan stitchers through EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS! Ruth Craig interview from CrossStitcher, January 2016. Amy Burt interview from CrossStitcher, June 2021. SUBSCRIBE TODAY: bit.ly/CROSLEARNMORE SCAN MEWITH YOUR CAMERA *Offer is for an annual DigitalPlus…

Welcome to a new two-part project – a glorious Christmas tree scene based on The Nutracker. Take your stitching to the next level with lots of techniques to try your hand at, from metallics to beading – even the French kots in this design are sometimes worked using metallic threads! You just need to decide whether to keep it or give as a gift once you’ve completed it! Stitching your… Nutcracker scene Step 1 START stitching with your fabric turned portrait. Part one of the design which is in this issue, is the top section, and you should be stitched above the centre line on the fabric – fold your fabric in half to find the centre point. Step 2 USE two strands for the cross stitch, one for the backstitch,…

Welcome to our 2022 Stitch-A-Long! Amanda Butler has created an amazing ‘Dream Destinations; Around the World in 365 days’ SAL – and we’ll be unveiling a new city around the world each month. This month we give you our DREAM DESTINATIONS SAL Amsterdam is the tenth destination of this year’s Stitch-A-Long design. Over the year we will be bringing you 12 destinations. We have greyed out the border which appeared in the March 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: 50 high x 50 wide Design size: 9.5x9.5cm (3¾x3¾in) Stitch time: 12 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. THE CHART EACH square on the chart represents…