Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2025 i CrossStitcher

You could stitch this design to fit an aperture card instead if you want to send a good luck card to a friend Designed by: Susan Penny Stitch count: 47 high x 44 wide Design size: 8.5x8cm (3⅜x3⅛in) Stitch time: 8 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make an… ornament Step 1 WORK using two strands of stranded cotton for the cross stitch, and one strand for the backstitch. Step 2 PLACE the stitched aida right-sides together with the blue felt. Stitch around the edge of the jar shape, sewing the two layers together, leaving two blank aida squares around the stitching, and the bottom edge open. Step 3 REDUCE the seam allowance around the edge of the stitching, then turn through to the right side.…

This month we bring you three larger kits for those wanting to progress their cross stitch skills… Country Garden and Harbour View have a finished size of 42x42cm, and Riviera is 50.5x35cm. All are fully stitched, making it a challenge to stitch, in time rather than skill, as there are no back stitches or French knots. We suggest you use a frame to secure your aida while stitching. Each kit contains white 14 count aida, stranded cotton, needle and pre-sorted thread, plus a chart and key. Country Garden – a pretty scene in a colourful garden, just right to start stitching in spring and work through until summer. Ref: GCS139 Harbour View – a beautiful courtyard with climbing shrubs and a pretty harbour view through the arch. Ref: GCS138 Riviera…

WHO An elegant woman stars in this gorgeous DMC Daffodil Dance Printed Cross Stitch Kit. Bring her stunning dress to life with colourful threads against the silhouette which is pre-printed onto the aida canvas. www.hobbycraft.co.uk WHAT Feel the joys of spring with this pretty wild primrose design with a ribbon border, available as an instantly downloadable chart. gingerandstitchco.etsy.com HOW Keep your stash stored in style with this Tulip Basket that features a new bucket shape. It is hand embroidered with a cute Tulip floral design in a palette of chalky hues. www.bohemiadesign.co.uk…

APRIL If you’d like a pack containing the Pewter Grey 14 count aida and the skeins to complete the sampler, turn to page 10, and order for £41, plus P&P Materials • Zweigart Pewter 14 count aida, ref: 3706/713; 14x14cm (5½x5½in) • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • Size 24 tapestry needle Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com How to… join our Stitch-A-Long In issue 417 we began our Mouse year monthly calender which runs from January 25 to December 25. Over the year we will be bringing you 12 seasonal designs that can be used for cards and keepsakes for birthdays or anniversaries, one for each month of the year. They can be stitched as individual designs as we have done, or if you prefer stitch them all together…

STAR LETTER House Proud I wanted to share my finished 3D gingerbread house, from the November 2023 issue. I didn’t make it using a kit; I sourced all the materials myself. I absolutely loved making this! Totally worth the effort! I enjoyed adding all the beautiful details and watching it all come together! Hayley Hynes, Canada Not only have you been resourceful using your own materials, but you’ve stitched and made up the gingerbread house perfectly – we hope you’ll have a go at more 3D projects in the future! Martin & Susan, CrossStitcher Editors Mini Make Just finished my little house from issue 418, can’t wait to start on the other in the magazine! I’ve always loved doing cross stitch and I loved doing this little house – anything with…

CrossStitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch Fine Figurines, we have a materials pack with everything you need to get you stitching right away, and have it delivered to your door! Your materials pack contains: • Zweigart 14 count aida in Blush Pink • Skeins of DMC stranded cotton • Skein of DMC Light Effects • Two gold-plated tapestry needles; size 24 and size 26 How to order: Fill in the form on page 10 or go to www.willowfabrics.com to order your project pack at the CrossStitcher reader price of £52.80, plus P&P. TURN TO PAGE 60 TO LEARN HOW TO FRAME YOUR PICTURE Materials • Zweigart Blush Pink 14 count aida; ref: 3706/4110; 50x40cm (191⁄2x16in) • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • DMC Light Effects…

Louise Saxton has a unique gift – she takes the forgotten and makes it unforgettable. From delicate scraps of vintage lace to hand-stitched linens rescued from flea markets, her art transforms discarded textiles into intricate, whimsical masterpieces. “I like to think of my work as a kind of treasure hunting,” Louise says. “But instead of jewels, I’m searching for forgotten stories stitched into fabric.” But Louise didn’t start her artistic life in textiles, “It was after years working with painting and printmaking that textiles spoke to me.” What began as a fascination became two decades of collecting, reclaiming and re-imagining discarded needlework, collated together in her recently self-published book Louise Saxton: Cut & Pinned, a book that pays homage and gives a new voice to the lives and labours of…

Extract a section of the design, including one swimmer, to fit an aperture card, for a keen swimmer’s birthday! Designed by: Emma Congdon Stitch count: 90 high x 109 wide Design size: 16.5x20cm (6½x8in) Stitch time: 38 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. *See ‘The Key’ on page 79. Materials • Zweigart Pink 14 count aida, ref: 3706/4110; 24x28cm (9½x11in) • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • Size 24 tapestry needle • Backing fabric – a stiff fabric like velvet; 24x28cm (9½x11in) • Iron on Vilene; 24x28cm (9½x11in) x 2 • 4 buttons Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Make a… tray Step 1 IRON Vilene onto the back of your finished stitching. Repeat with the backing fabric – it will help to give the tray…

THE CHALLENGE • White 14 count aida • 8 shades of DMC stranded cotton (shown above) • Aperture card THE RULES • Create an Easter card with a greeting • The design must be no larger than 48 x 38 stitches • Only the materials above can be used • Be creative as possible! April means the arrival of Easter, and celebrating by sending cards to friends and family makes for some fun mini projects. We’ve asked three designers this month to come up with a design for a modern card that included an Easter greeting. They could only use the materials listed on the left, and the eight shades of stranded cotton we chose for them. Take a look at their results below – we’ve featured a pattern for…

Easter Treats Treat yourself to some pretty fabrics and buttons with Tilda’s Creating Memories Spring range. The Spring and Easter Pastels colourway is a sweet collection of yellows, pinks and greens with a hint of teal – with wonderfully welcoming colours for Spring and Easter projects. Perfect for backing cushions, bunting and much more! Free patterns are available on tildasworld.com. WADDLE THIS WAY… YOU’LL GO quackers for this new needleminder! Keep your needle safe and secure Jemima Puddle-Duck herself of Peter Rabbit fame. Attach it to your cross stitch or embroidery work with the strong magnet and pop your needle on when you’re not stitching. It’s also a fab gift for any fan of Beatrix Potter! www.notonthehighstreet.com/thecraftykitcompany CITY BREAK CELEBRATE THE unique horizons of the capital city of the UK…

Hullo! Moving house is one of life’s great upheavals. It’s a poignant combination of excitement for the future and a tinge of sadness for what’s left behind. I’m currently in the process of moving to a significantly smaller space, and I’m realising how much stuff I’ve accumulated! Some are important and meaningful… others not so much. Now that I’m having to make decisions about what stays and what goes, it’s got me thinking about what really makes a home. A home isn’t the sum of its things. It’s the laughter that fills a room, the meals shared with loved ones, and treasured moments that make a place home. As I sort through my stuff, I’m reliving precious memories that are a large part of what makes leaving bittersweet. For a…

Designed by: Durene Jones Stitch count: 19 high x 19 wide (each) Design size: 3.5x3.5cm (1⅜x1⅜in) Stitch time: 11⁄2 hours each These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Materials For each design: • Sampedro White 14 count aida; 5x5cm (2x2in) • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • DMC Light Effects as listed in the key • Size 24 tapestry needle • Circular mini frame with a 3.5x3.5cm (1⅜x1⅜in) aperture Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Make a… mini hoop Step 1 STITCH your chosen cat design using two strands for the cross stitch, and one for the backstitch. The large cat eyes are stitched using glow-in-the-dark Light Effects using two strands. Step 2 CUT out the stitched circle close to the stitching, then use Fray Check or fabric…

We asked our fans on Facebook, “In which order do you most often prefer to complete a cross stitch pattern?" KATHY TRISTAN I start in the middle, always! I work out from there, usually downward. If it’s a more involved pattern (like a Christmas stocking) I will work in grids (10x10) to help keep my place. I will complete one colour in that grid before moving to another colour. I do not grid as it is time-consuming and it doesn’t prevent mistakes. Using my iPad to follow and mark off patterns has been a game changer for me and I find I can catch mistakes sooner. LIZ DRAPER Start in the middle with that colour, then go where the neighbouring colour takes me. Doesn’t work so well on the single-colour…

Stitch count: 42 high x 32 wide (each) Design size: 8x8cm (3⅛x3⅛in) Stitch time: 6 hours each These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Materials For each egg cosy: • DMC White Sparkly 14 count aida; 15x15cm (6x6in) x 1 • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • Size 24 tapestry needle • Backing fabric; 15x15cm (6x6in) x 1 • Lining fabric; 15x15cm (6x6in) x 2 • Iron on Vilene; 15x15cm (6x6in) x 4  Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com We worked on white sparkly aida but you could switch it up for pale blue or green if you prefer! Make an… egg cosy Step 1 IRON Vilene onto the back of your stitched aida. Repeat with the backing and lining fabric. Using the template below, cut out an…

Continue your artistic journey with this month’s second part of our new challenging project. Part two of a set of tiles inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement, this desgn is worked in three sections in total. Our unique tiles capture the beauty of nature, featuring intricate patterns of animals and leafy motifs. You will work on them using shades of green thread to create your very own nature-themed masterpiece! Materials • Sampedro White 14 count aida; 60x50cm (23½x19½in) • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • Size 24 tapestry needle • Frame with a 47x36cm (18½x14¼in) aperture • Mount board to fit frame Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Designed by: Amanda Butler Stitch count: 238 high x 178 wide (complete design) Design size: 43x32.5cm (17x12¾in) Stitch time: 181 hours…

THE ESSENTIAL KIT YOU’LL NEED TO START STITCHING FABRICS  Aida is the ideal choice for cross stitch beginners – it is a block-weave fabric, which is divided into squares with a grid of holes. Each cross stitch is worked over one square. Aida comes in a range of sizes which are called counts. So 14 count means that there are 14 squares to the inch and this will make 14 cross stitches. Aida also comes in 16, 18 and 20 count. The larger the number, the more stitches to the inch and so the smaller the design will stitch up. Evenweave is a woven grid of threads in a finer count. Each stitch is usually worked over two threads, so a 28 count evenweave with each stitch worked over two…

Here’s our five favourite things when creating designs for www.historicalsamplercompany.co.uk SIESTA AND NURGE HOOPS We like to use a hoop whilst stitching as it keeps the tension correct on the material. We use an 8in hoop from Siesta Frames on all of our designs and then move it around the fabric as we go. We also like to use Nurge Hoops (below) as these keep the fabric very tight. At the end of a stitching session we release the hoop so that it does not leave any crease marks on the fabric and thread. NEEDLEMINDERS We love needleminders as they’re perfect for keeping your needles safe while stitching. The strong magnet on the their back allows your needle to stay in a safe place while not in use. We have a…

Read on to find out our favourite new books for stitchers this month… EMBROIDERY MADE EASY: AWESOME ANIMALS STEPHANIE CARSWELL [David & Charles] Stitchers will know Stephanie Carswell from her popular Hawthorn Handmade designs. With her new book, you can discover the joy of embroidery, featuring 12 animal designs perfect for beginners and experienced stitchers alike. Each design comes with tear-out, heat-activated transfers for transferring patterns onto fabric. The booklet is beginner-friendly, offering stitch guides, colour photos and thread keys. Animals include a Cat, Hedgehog and Alpaca. SEWING MACHINE PROJECTS FOR CHILDREN ANGELA PRESSLEY [CICO Books] This guide encourages children to machine-sew their own fantastic toys, accessories, decorations and gifts. Angela Pressley has created 30 projects, from adorable mama and baby stingray toys to a charming sausage dog complete with a tiny…

Designed by: Susan Bates Max. stitch count: 43 high x 33 wide Max.design size: 8x7cm (3¼x2¾in) Stitch time: 6 hours each These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Arrange all four designs together to make a cute mini Easter sampler instead! Materials For each card • DMC White Sparkly 14 count aida; 15x11cm (6x4¼in) • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • Size 24 tapestry needle • Card blank, with a 10x8cm (4x3¼in) rectangular aperture Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Make an… aperture card Step 1 WORK using two strands of stranded cotton for the cross stitch, and one strand for the backstitch and French knots as indicated on the chart. Step 2 TRIM the stitched fabric to fit your card, with the design centrally placed behind the card’s…

CrossStitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch Stately Serenity, we have a materials pack with everything you need to get you stitching right away, and have it delivered to your door! Your materials pack contains: • Zweigart 14 count aida in Platinum • Skeins of DMC stranded cotton • Two gold-plated tapestry needles; size 24 and size 26 How to order: Fill in the form on page 10 or go to www.willowfabrics.com to order your project pack at the CrossStitcher reader price of £24.60, plus P&P. *See ‘The Key’ on page 79. Designed by: Faye Walsh Stitch count: 180 high x 120 wide Design size: 31x21cm (12¼x8¼in) Stitch time: 40 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Pick out a section to stitch as a…

Wendy Rowe, who lives in Wednesbury, West Midlands, has been cross stitching for 25 years. She was delighted when her wedding gift became an important part of her son’s wedding reception… “When my son came to us and told us he was planning on getting married in July 2024, I knew I had to stitch a wedding picture for them,” recalls Wendy, who was at pains to make her design tailored to the happy couple. “I went through all the charts trying to find one that I thought would be suitable and they would like. It was not an easy task to work out the kind of décor they already have in the house. I did start one that had bride and groom teddy bears under an arch. As I…