Table of contents for January 2023 in CrossStitcher

IN YOUR NEXT MONTH’S E-NEWSLETTERS: ✓ BE INSPIRED BY IRRESISTIBLE CROSS-STITCHING PROJECTS. ✓ ENRICH YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH ADVICE FROM TOP DESIGNERS. Plus, much more! SCAN ME WITH YOUR CAMERA BIT.LY/CROSSIGNUP FREE DOWNLOAD…

Hello! Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE plants. Whether they’re indoors or outdoors, big or small, easy to care for or high maintenance, I adore them all. My house is filled with greenery, so much so that I’ve had to employ the help of an app to make sure they’re all getting their needs met! The indoor plant revolution has been in full swing the past few years and plants are more accessible than ever. They bring a connection with nature into our home lives that we sometimes lack. I live in a city and, while there are green spaces available, there’s also a lot of concrete and shadows. Indoor plants not only look fantastic, but as the buses and cars rush past and civilisation echoes around me, it…

Our Edinburgh house’s story… Edinburgh is our first destination – and our stone house is covered in a blanket of snow. The thick stone walls give protection against the wind and frost penetration in the bleak Scottish landscape. Golden Craigleith sandstone was used to construct the New Town of Edinburgh and although we can’t say for sure that our house was built using this material, this stone-built building is typical of the solid structures that are able to withstand the test of time, leaving us a rich, architectural heritage. How to… join our Stitch-A-Long We’re unveiling a new seasonal house in Britain from January 2023 to February 2024, when we will give you details of how to personalise your sampler. Cross Stitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch…

Materials • Zweigart Ecru 14 count aida, ref; 3706/3130; 28x40.5cm (11x16in) (to make three stockings)• Stranded cotton as listed in the key• Size 24 tapestry needle• Backing fabric; 28x40.5cm (11x16in) Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Designed by: Cheryl McKinnon Stitch time: 7 hours (each) Max. stitch count: 68 high x 37 wide (each) Max. design size: 12.5x7.5cm (43⁄4x3in) These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Your lining fabric can be any material which coordinates with the stocking designs - a red gingham would work well Make… mini cutlery holders Step 1 SEW your mini stockings using two strands for the cross stitch and one for the backstitch. Following the stitching and the guide on the chart, make a paper template for the stocking outline. Pin this on the stitching…

Light up this row of houses with a candle wrap designed to show the snowy houses glowing from the light within. The houses are stitched in silver and white on blue aida, adding beads to give extra sparkle. To allow the lights to show though the scene, the windows have been cut out before the window panes are added. So when midnight strikes on New Year’s Eve, you can herald in 2023 with great cheer! In issue 365, January 2021 we featured a beautiful candle band showing the London skyline. Simple to stitch on aida band, you can almost hear the fireworks popping over the rooftops. If you missed this issue, then simply go to www.crossstitchermag.com or pocketmags.com to order a back issue. In issue 350 of CrossStitcher we made…

Winter World Winter is the perfect time for needlework and for walking in a winter wonderland: snow-covered trees, glittering snowflakes and icy winter air-who doesn‘t start dreaming with this beautiful design? Choose your favorite fabrics of this lovely winter theme and get the design for free at www.zweigart.de/downloads. PREMIUM NEEDLEWORK FABRICS 100 % MADE IN GERMANY www.zweigart.de For stockists contact: Lakeside Needlecraft I lakesideneedlecraft.co.uk Willow Fabrics I www.willowfabrics.com Heritage Crafts I Tel: 01889 575 256 Woolwarehouse I woolwarehouse.co.uk Stitchtastic I www.stitchtastic.com…

365 CROSS-STITCH JENNIFER DARGEL [C&T Publishing] Get set for a full year of cross stitching fun! This book is a great idea, especially if your New Year resolution is to keep stitching every day in 2023. With “Motifs for every mood & every occasion,” Jennifer Dargel in 365 Cross-Stitch takes you through all the basic information you need to start stitching. Worked in a variety of sizes, you will find motifs suitable for everyone, from nature, letters, geometric and abstract designs to holiday themes. SELF-CARE CROSS-STITCH: 40 UPLIFTING & IRREVERENT PATTERNS STEPHANIE ROHR [Union Square & Co] From the author of Feminist Cross-Stitch, this new title features 40 witty patterns, with plenty of ‘snark’. This time the author focuses on “promoting a healthy, self-affirming relationship with yourself”. Designs include sentiments such as…

RRP £12.99 £10.39 The essence of this book is to keep it simple, fun, and easy to stitch. With that in mind most of the designs are sewn using only whole cross stitch, and back stitch is kept to a minimum. The patterns vary in sizes. From small quick stitch designs for tags, pincushions, key fobs, and cards, to larger, more involved designs for notebook covers, pictures, fire screens, or table cloths. A stunning collection of patterns for both new and experienced stitchers alike. RRP £16.99 £13.59 To celebrate her 30th year of stitching, this new edition of Jane Greenoff’s classic best-selling book includes brand new sampler charts, an extended stitch library and more inspirational examples of antique samplers from her collection. Jane uses her own historical samplers as the…

Designed by: Maria Diaz Stitch count: 44 high x 38 wide Design size: 8x7cm (31⁄4x23⁄4in) Stitch time: 8 hours each These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make an… aperture card Step 1 WORK using two strands of stranded cotton for the cross stitch and two strands for the 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 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, then add…

Welcome to the second part of our Christmas tree scene based on The Nutcracker. Enjoy plenty of techniques, such as stitching with metallics and beading to give your design its magnificent sparkle! Then follow our guide to hanging the completed project as a wall hanging. The perfect way to add a festive touch to your home decor. PART 2 Stitching your… Nutcracker scene Step 1 START stitching with your fabric turned portrait. Part one of the design which was in our December issue 390, is the top section, and should be stitched above the centre line on the fabric – fold your fabric in half to find the centre point. Part two in this issue, should be stitched below part one. Step 2 USE two strands for the cross stitch, one…

Prize crossword Across 1 Mediterranean island (5) 8 Dark brown, unrefined sugar (9) 9 Underwater missile (7) 10 In The ---Midwinter, festive carol (5) 11 Geek (4) 12 City on the Seine (5) 17 ---Pan, popular pantomime (5) 18 Luxurious yarn (4) 22 Ice house (5) 23 Snobbish (5-2) 24 Embroidery with white thread (9) 25 Put off, discourage (5) Down 1 Type of gloves (7) 2 Collection of books (7) 3 Traffic light colour (5) 4 Norway’s capital (4) 5 Double running stitch (7) 6 Person who parks cars at a hotel (5) 7 Spirit used in a Martini (5) 13 Top card (3) 14 ---Meaden, Dragons’ Den star (7) 15 Expel (4,3) 16 Captain (7) 19 Twelfth ---, time to take Christmas decorations down (5) 20 Blaze of light…

ROALD DAHL ONCE said, “If I had my way, I would remove January from the calendar altogether and have an extra July instead.” It is certainly a month that divides opinion. Some see it as bleak after the sparkle and busyness of the celebrations, while others are pleased to regard it as a fresh start. Division is something we had to think very hard about when we were planning this issue. The weird world of publishing dictates that while this magazine might have the title of ‘January’, it is sent out into the world in December – well before Christmas! It’s a tricky thing to pull off, but we very much hope we have balanced the last-minute festive makes with the fresh projects to put on your list for 2023. In…

“Since we’ve moved the business into a studio, I’ve now got a lovely bright, spacious desk area, some shelves where I keep inspiration, completed projects and a few useful tools and some drawers where I keep my stash. It’s where I do all my designing, so my floss box and colour card are always at hand. It’s probably quite minimalist as craft rooms go, but that’s what helps me, both in design and crafting – having nothing else to distract me. It doubles as my office, but it’s nice and easy to switch between keyboard and crafting equipment.” stitchfinity.com instagram.com/stitchfinity 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 issue!…

Materials For each bookmark • Zweigart White 14 count aida, ref: 3706/100; 20x10cm (8x4in)• Stranded cotton as listed in the key• Size 24 tapestry needle• Cotton backing fabric; 20x10cm (8x4in)• Baker’s twine or ribbon • Button x 1 Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Designed by: Maria Diaz Max. stitch count: 82 high x 29 wide (each) Max. design size: 14.5x5.5cm(53⁄4x21⁄4in) Stitch time: 10 hours (each) These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make a… bookmark Step 1 STITCH the bookmark design onto aida, using two strands of stranded cotton for the cross stitch and one for the backstitch. Step 2 COMPLETE the stitching, then place the stitching right-sides together with the cotton fabric. Pin the layers together then stitch around three sides of the design, three aida squares outside the…

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK Stitch count: 60 high x 60 wide Design size: 11x11cm (4¼x4¼in) Stitch time: 26 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make a… biscornu Step 1 COMPLETE all the stitching for the top of the biscornu following the chart and working in the centre of the aida. Use two strands for the cross stitch and one for the backstitch. Step 2 STITCH the bottom of the biscornu in the same way as for the top. Either repeat the design, or stitch just the outer backstitch line for a speedier finish. Step 3 TRIM both fabric pieces, leaving a 1.25cm (1⁄2in) seam allowance. Fold the seam allowance to the reverse, so the outer teal backstitch line is on the edge of both fabrics. Press…

Pro Tip Top designers share their favourite stitching tips “Steam iron your work between stitching sessions” “When you remove your hoop after stitching, you can see the crease mark where the hoop has been on the fabric. I like to have the fabric nice and flat before I place it into the hoop when I go back to my stitching again, so I always iron the reverse of the fabric with a steam iron to remove all the crease marks and flatten the fabric ready for my next stitching session. This also gives you the opportunity to take a look at the stitched piece and see your progress, leaving you with a nice fresh piece of stitching, ready for next time.” FIRST PAST THE POST! Kim Simmonds was the first…

THE CHALLENGE • White 14 count aida fabric • Seven shades of stranded cotton (shown above) • Bird charm THE RULES • Create a design for a post Christmas thank you card • The design should be no larger than 50 x 40 stitches • Only the materials above can be used • Be creative as possible! After Christmas comes thank yous, so we asked three designers to come up with a thank you card design that featured the seven shades of stranded cotton stipulated. They also had to incorporate a bird charm in their design too. The idea is that the card can be used to say thank you for Christmas presents, or at any time throughout the year. Take a look at their results below – we’ve featured…

DREAM DESTINATIONS: SYDNEY DREAM DESTINATIONS SAL Sydney is the eleventh 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 a single cross stitch. Start from the centre of the design and your fabric. The centre of our charts are indicated by arrows at the designs’ edges. To find your fabric’s centre, fold it in half…