Innehållsförteckning för December 2023 från CrossStitcher

Designed by: Susan Penny Stitch count: 21 high x 18 wide Design size: 4x3.5cm (1½x1⅜in) Stitch time: 2 hours (each) This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. You can download and print your tags from the CrossStitcher Digital Downloads Facebook group page Make a… gift tag Step 1 STITCH the designs onto a 13x10cm (5⅛x4¼in) piece of white 14 count aida fabric following the chart, and using two strands for the cross stitch and one for the backstitch and French knots. Step 2 DOWNLOAD (see tip) then cut out each stitched tag design, leaving two blank aida squares around the stitching. Fray the outer aida block on all sides of each tag – use your needle to carefully tease the threads out before removing them. Step 3 USE…

RRP £4.99 £3.99 What's Inside? Emulate Michael Powell’s Distinctive Style Explore the artistry of renowned cross-stitch designer Michael Powell and learn how to recreate his distinctive style with every stitch. Capture the essence of Christmas like never before! Perfect for Gifting Craft personalized Christmas cards and charming samplers that make unforgettable gifts for your friends and family. Diverse Designs Dive into a world of endless possibilities with designs that range from festive candle arrangements, capturing the warm glow of the season, to vintage winter street scenes that transport you to a bygone era. Easy-to-Follow Stitching Guides No matter your skill level, each design comes with an easy-to-follow stitching guide that ensures your creations are nothing short of spectacular. GET YOUR COPY! bit.ly/CROS20XMAS This product is subject to availability and priced…

These Festive Christmas Packs are just right for getting your Christmas stitching off to a sparkling start, and add a personal touch to your festive stitching. Each of the four boxes available contain: a lovely selection of DMC thread and goodies: ★ 8 DMC Shiny Light Effects ★ 2 DMC Twinkling Satins ★ 1 DMC Christmas Coloris ★ 1 DMC Sparkly Etoile PLUS, each box contains beads, bells or sequins, ribbon and a flexi hoop! The DMC threads included in your box are all six stranded, divisible and can be used for all types of embroidery and cross stitch… DMC Light Effects will add glamour, shine and glitz to your stitching. DMC Satin is silky soft and this elegant thread will make your work shimmer. DMC Coloris is made up…

Designed by: Amanda Butler Stitch count: 48 high x 38 wide Design size: 9x7cm (3½x2¾in) Stitch time: 6 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 one and two strands for the backstitch. Add the pearl beads using white stranded cotton. 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…

Cross Stitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch our Triangular Cushion, 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: • Zweigart 14 count aida in Snow Glitter• Skeins of DMC stranded cotton• Red backing fabric• Gold-plated tapestry needles; size 24 and size 26• Bells, ribbon poinsettia and ribbon PLEASE NOTE: Toy stuffing is not included in this pack How to order: Fill in the form on page 15 or go to www.willowfabrics.com to order your project pack at the CrossStitcher reader price of £23.50, plus P&P. Designed by: Emma Congdon Stitch count: 172 high x 121 wide Design size: 32x21.5cm (12½x8⅜in) Stitch time: 45 hours This design was stitched…

Make a… coaster Step 1 STITCH your design in the centre of your aida fabric, using two strands for the cross stitch and one for the backstitch. Step 2 CUT carefully around the design, leaving five blank aida squares outside of the stitching. Cut your white felt backing to the same size as your stitching. Step 3 PLACE the stitched aida, with the stitching facing outwards, on top of the felt. Pin, then stitch around the edge of the aida, three squares in from the edge of the fabric, using a machine or making a row of backstitches to hold the two layers together. Step 4 FRAY the edges by removing the outer aida block on all sides of the stitching, using a pin to ease the threads away. Add…

15 EXCLUSIVE SPARKLY DESIGNS! Your sparkling selection… In this section we have designs for the following uses: ★ Christmas Tea – cake band, napkins and invitation ★ Christmas Table – Nutcracker characters to decorate crackers ★ Christmas Tree – six Scandi-style bauble decorations Stitching these charts using the metallic threads listed in the key will add a wonderful shine and glitz to your Christmas stitching. Stitch your poinsettia motif once or repeat it around the cake band Designed by: Maria Diaz Stitch time: 3 hours; 1 hour; 5½ hours Stitch count: 21 high x 54 wide, cake band; 18 high x 18 wide, napkin; 47 high x 32 wide, invitation Design size: 3.5x9cm (1⅜x3½in); 3.5x3.5cm (1⅜x1⅜in); 9x6cm (3½x2⅜in) These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric and 14 count…

We do too! Embark on a world of inspiration, cross stitching creations and save money too with this fantastic subscription offer… What can the team at CrossStitcher do for you? ✓ Develop your technique with our imaginative tutorials✓ Use our simple step-by-step instructions to make thoughtful gifts for your friends and family✓ Enjoy a unique and complete stitching gift with every issue So what are you waiting for? Take advantage of this fantastic deal today and make sure you never miss an issue of the best cross stitching magazine! Bit.ly/CROSFlourish Do you live outside the UK? We have lots of great offers for you too! Bit.ly/CROSSUBOFFERS T&Cs Apply: Half price offer available via UK Direct Debit only. Start your CrossStitcher print magazine subscription today and pay just £33.00 (more than…

Winter Wonderland Stitch A Longs take many forms and Caterpillar Cross Stitch currently have a Christmas Wonderland one available – which you can jump into and join today! This is a 6-part, mystery cross stitch-a-long project where thousands of stitchers across the globe unite and stitch one pattern piece for 12 weeks in total. Join part-way through and you’ll still receive all previous patterns – there’s absolutely no pressure to keep up with any set dates. The full kit contains instructions, colour and black and white PDF digital charts (to download), finest DMC stranded cotton, Grey Zweigart fabric, DMC needle and pre-sorted caterpillar thread holder. You can choose to add the Hot Chocolate needle minder too! Patterns are released between 25 September to 29 November – visit the website for…

Hullo! The end of the year is here again! I swear, it comes back around quicker and quicker each year – anyone else find that? While this is often a celebratory time, gathering with family and friends and spreading good cheer, for some it’s not always an easy time. Perhaps you lost a loved one this year and there’s a space in your heart they used to fill. Perhaps family is complicated for you or absent entirely. If this time of year is difficult, you don’t need to force it; it’s a time for celebration and togetherness, but there’s nothing saying who you have to spend that time with. Spend it with your family, your friends, your cat, yourself – whoever you want! Remember, if you haven’t got the best…

Our Rivington house’s story… Until the 19th century Rivington was a rural village built around what is now the village green. Its inhabitants were employed in agriculture on local farms, hand loom weaving in their homes, working in the quarries or the small scale coal mines nearby. Probably built in the 1850s, our house is a typical village home, constructed with local stone under a slate roof. Construction of reservoirs for Liverpool Corporation in mid-19th century led to a decrease in the population when farms were cleared, the valley flooded and property in the west of the village demolished. William Lever bought the Rivington Hall estate at the turn of the 20th century and used his wealth to renovate the old barns and create the park still standing today. Sampler…

Recycle an old cereal box or two to give yourself a supply of cardboard for this project Designed by: Cheryl McKinnon Stitch count: 51 high x 38 wide room back; 51 high x 28 wide room sides; 29 high x 78 wide room base; 41 high x 44 wide bed cover Design size: 9.5x 6.5cm (3¾x 2½in) room back; 9.5x 5cm (3¾x2in) room sides; 5.5x 14cm (2⅛x5½in) room base; 8x8cm (3⅛x 3⅛in) bed cover Stitch time: 29 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make the… scene Step 1 STITCH the parts of the Christmas bedroom scene – the three back pieces, the floor and the bed cover onto the aida, using two strands for the cross stitch and one for the backstitch. Space well apart so…

Enter a world of joyful kawaii whimsy as CrossStitcher sits down with Japanese designer Kyoko Maruoka to discuss Japanese cross-stitch, end of year traditions, and the release of her beautiful new book, Happy Days Cross Stitch… How did you fall in love with cross stitch? Have you always been interested in arts and crafts? My family ran a small factory that sewed T-shirts, so I grew up surrounded by rolls of fabric, threads, and various types of sewing machines. I enjoyed making stuffed animals and sewing my own bags, but I didn’t like helping in the family sewing factory. So, I went to college and, after graduation, got a job at a shipping company. The trigger for starting cross stitch was being asked by my sister to create a birth…

Welcome to our latest project that’s a bit more challenging. We published the first part of our Christmas Town design in issue 402 – now you can complete the central section, before finishing it as a wall hanging for your home with part 3 in issue 404. Enjoy beads, blending, sparkling threads, half stitches, French knots and backstitch in this large scale festive design. YOUR COMPLETE CHRISTMAS TOWN SCENE In this issue we are giving you the second part of our Christmas Town design – the middle section. Next issue (issue 404) we will publish the right of the chart. Use our wall hanging instructions once all your stitching from all three issues is complete. Never miss an issue! Check out our latest subscription offer on page 4. If you’d…

Welcome to our 2023 Stitch-A-Long! Fiona Crouch has created an amazing ‘Landmarks of Great Britain and Ireland’ SAL – and we have unveiled four famous, and also some not so famous landmarks each issue, over the last nine issues. This month we give you your final four landmarks… We hope you have enjoyed stitching your Landmark SAL, which can either be framed or made into a hanging picture by turning in the outer edges, adding tabs to the top and hanging from a pole. NEXT ISSUE… We will be starting our new Mandala meets Mindfulness SAL. An explosion of colour, it’s packed with some great sayings to motivate and inspire! LANDMARKS SAL In this issue we are giving you: Whitby Abbey, York Minster, Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and London Zoo. The…

These cute reindeer have been made into brooches to wear on your favourite Christmas jumper. Stitched on Ecru 18 count aida and mounted in a cute wooden reindeer brooch from Willow Fabrics (turn to page 15 to order), they make a lovely seasonal gift for yourself or friends! PRIZES FOR YOUR PICS! EACH ISSUE we will be sending one lucky reader a gift of tea from CrossStitcher! This issue’s prize is New English Tea’s breakfast and afternoon Festive tea selection, perfect for sharing with your loved ones. For a chance to win, email us a picture of yourself stitching in your tea break, or where you like to stitch when taking a tea break. Send to crossstitcher@warnersgroup.co.uk with TEA BREAK as the subject. The competition is open to UK residents…

IT’S QUITE A THOUGHT that what we make today may be treasured long into the future. When we commissioned the Christmas stocking for our cover (page 18), we couldn’t help recalling a Christmas with our eldest children. A family friend cross stitched a simple stocking for each of our little ones and added their names. They’re adults now but have kept those stockings and still hang them on the fireplace at Christmas. We are enchanted by the 3D Christmas Eve scene on page 34 and hope you are too. As parents we know that the magic is sometimes hard to find when you are wrapping things late into the night. One year we had to rush our dog to the vet late on Christmas Eve as he had helped himself…

QUICK AND EASY CHRISTMAS CRAFTS VARIOUS [Search Press] Cross stitch is just one of many crafting techniques featured in this compilation from Search Press. With 100 quick and easy makes for the festive season, there’s something for every skill level. Projects include embroidered snowflake bunting, papercut cards, knitted Santa and Rudolph finger puppets, crocheted stars and a sugar snowman. This title is a revised edition of Quick and Easy Christmas, 2020, updated with 50 new projects. SEWING FOR CHRISTMAS VARIOUS [Search Press] If you’ve ever wondered how you might put some of our festive alphabet letters to good use, then this is the book for you! There are 30 sewing projects ranging from tree decorations, tiny advent calendar stockings, a garland, table runners, a wreath, a Scandi pillow and hanging…

Cross Stitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch our Christmas Stocking, 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: • DMC 14 count aida in White Iridescent• Skeins of DMC stranded cotton• Skein of DMC Light Effects• Gold-plated tapestry needles; size 24 and size 26• Luxury fur trim• Backing fabric in Red• Ribbon, Red How to order: Fill in the form on page 15 or go to www.willowfabrics.com to order your project pack at the CrossStitcher reader price of £43, plus P&P. Materials • DMC White Iridescent 14 count aida; 50x36cm (19½x14in) • Red cotton backing fabric; 50x36cm (19½x14in) • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • DMC…

JULIE MOORE My mom started cross-stitching when she was pregnant with me, so I like to joke that I’ve been cross-stitching since I was in utero! I liked to watch my mom stitch when I was little and she would let me help on some stitches. I started working on my own projects and haven’t stopped since! I can’t remember a time I didn’t stitch. RONA GOODALL Instantly. I taught myself things using the kits on the front of magazines. I haven’t stopped since. HANNAH PONTING I’d always wanted to learn but never had a chance. When I got pregnant I bought a kit and thought ‘now’s my chance’. I was hooked, that large first project taught me so much! KERRILYN ELIZABETH My mum taught me when I was six…

OWN IT! ✓ Indulge in your ‘stitching passion wherever you are.✓ Enjoy the flexibility and convenience, access all your easy to follow, high resolution projects from any of your devices.✓ Can’t wait to get started with your next stitching project? Don’t worry, you’ll have early access straight to your devices before the magazine even hits the shops. SCAN ME! Take a look at all the great offers we have waiting for you… bit.ly/CROSPM Don’t let the cold wintery months get you down, dive into a stitcher’s paradise with ENDLESS STITCHING DELIGHTS: Explore a universe of cross-stitch designs, from elegant florals to charming animals – discover your cross-stitch haven! MASTER YOUR CRAFT: Elevate your skills with expert tips, step-by-step tutorials, and insider secrets. Create stunning masterpieces with the guidance of seasoned…

Designed by: Cheryl McKinnon Stitch count: 110 high x 80 wide Design size: 20x14.5cm (8x5¾in) Stitch time: 33 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. You can easily shorten or lengthen the tape handles to make a shoulder or hand-held bag. Turn to page 15 to order your fabric and handles pack for just £3.85 plus P&P Make a… tote bag Step 1 TO stitch the design, fold your fabric to create a bag shape. From the fold at the bottom of the bag, count up 28 aida squares, and leave these rows blank. On the next row, start cross stitching the word New York, which should be centrally placed between the left and right-hand edges of the fabric. The rest of the design can be centred…

Designed by: Susan Penny Stitch count: 28 high x 46 wide lid; 44 high x 16 wide elf Design size: 5x8.5cm (2x3⅜in) lid; 8.3x3cm (3⅛x1¼in) elf Stitch time: 20 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. You can send for a materials pack for just £3.60, containing a mint tin, 14 count aida, backing fabric, felt and a gold star. Turn to page 15 to order Make an… elf tin Step 1 STITCH your elf and the Christmas scene, using two strands for the cross stitch and one strand for the backstitch and French knots. Space the two parts on the fabric, to allow for a seam allowance on all sides. Step 2 CUT around the scene that fits in the lid of the box, leaving approx.…

Here’s an extra idea for sending season’s greetings this year. We asked our three designers this month to come up with a cute Christmas card. Our designers could only use the seven shades of stranded cotton stipulated, and had to include in their design a sweet little gingerbread man button. Take a look at their fab results below – we’ve featured a chart for each one so you can stitch your favourite! We hope this will inspire you to join in too – turn the page to see what our challenge will be for February – we’ve listed everything you need to take part. THE CHALLENGE • 14 count white aida fabric• 7 shades of DMC stranded cotton (shown above)• Gingerbread button (16x14mm) THE RULES • Create a design for…

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…