Table of contents for March 2016 in Cross Stitch Gold

If you’re anything like me, nothing gives you more pleasure than giving your lovingly stitched pieces away to your nearest and dearest, and in this issue we have plenty of gorgeous gift ideas to inspire you this spring. Turn to page 20 now to find Nia Rhind’s stunning wedding sampler, guaranteed to delight a special couple, while the elegant lace cards with pretty roses and feminine accessories (p60) will be perfect to say thank you, happy birthday, or just to show you care. The honeysuckle cushion on page 12 will be a truly enthralling project to work your needle through, and if you’d like to brighten your home with more soft furnishings, you’ll find our favourite cushion kits reviewed on page 50. I love seeing all the beautiful things you’ve…

Just for me I ve been stitching for years now, but always for other people. I love Japanese designs so when my daughter brought me the 100th issue of Gold, I saw this beautiful geisha and I decided I would stitch something for myself for once. It took a while, working on other projects in between, but I’m delighted with the result! I used to think I wouldn’t have patience for cross stitch but I have proved myself wrong! There are so many designs I see and want to do but it´s impossible to stitch them all! Janice Verdejo, Tenerife Sarah: It sounds like you’ve been so generous with your stitching, Janice – you certainly deserve to keep this beautiful geisha all to yourself! Feeling inspired I treated myself to…

A fine fabric Evenweave is a must when stitching a cushion, especially when there is so much blank space around the stitching and lots of it is on show. It has a softer finish, making it a better match for soft furnishing fabric. Defining colours There are seven shades of backstitch in my design. Some areas call for a darker outline to make them stand out, such as the stems worked in three strands, but I’ve used one strand for the rest. I like to try and replicate the colours in nature as closely as possible, while still making the project enjoyable to stitch.…

Keeping it interesting Personally, I find densely stitched designs can test my patience, and much prefer designs that incorporate lots of small motifs and lettering, with some white space in between. This is definitely a piece that you can pick up and put down easily. Just choose a motif and off you go! Punchy pink I’ve used rose pink as a sort of accent colour in this design – the bright pink shade helps to balance out all the other softer colours in the sampler, and gives the overall design a bit of punch.…

THE EXPERTS JO BENNER Jo is an experienced stitcher and crafter, who writes for several cross stitch magazines. She can help with chart queries and stitching know-how, as well as product questions. FIONA BAKER Fiona is the Technical Editor for Cross Stitch Gold and our sister magazines. She is a talented cross stitch designer, too, and can answer any of your stitching queries. SARAH TREVOR Sarah has worked on cross stitching and craft magazines for over six years. She’s an avid stitcher, and is ready and raring to help you with any of your craft or cross stitch dilemmas. BUNDLE OF JOY Q My niece is expecting a baby but doesn’t know the sex. I’d like to stitch a sampler and fill the name in when I know what it…

Let there be light If you need maximum light for complex stitching projects, look no further than Daylight’s Task Lamp XL. Powered with 84 Daylight LEDs, you’ll see all the finer details, contrast and true colours in your work. There’s an even spread of light from the 58cm (22 in) wide shade, while the multi-position head also allows you to direct the light where it’s needed. To buy or find stockists, log on to www.daylightcompany.com or call 020 89641200. We have two lamps to win, worth £150 each. The text keyword is GOLD128LAMP. See the blue box below for entry details. Home sweet home If you’re feeling inspired by our cushion kit reviews on page 50, you’ll put this prize to good use! From Bergère de France’s embroidery range, the…

Ethnic jewel INDIAN PAISLEY SWIRL (C150212), Enchanted Needle, £26 What’s in the kit Colour symbol chart 14-count white aida DMC stranded cotton Tapestry and beading needles Beads and sequins Size of finished design 22x22cm (8 x8 in) Stitching this kit You can tell in an instant that this kit has been put together with love. It’s all been carefully packaged up by hand, inside a reusable wallet, which is great for carrying your threads and chart around in. Wendy Burdis, the designer at Enchanted Needle, says she was inspired by Indian sari fabric when creating the design, which is bold, with an almost seamless transition from turquoise at the edges to lime green at the heart. The cushion is worked on aida and completely covered in whole cross stitches and…

“To make your card extra special, use an elegant italic script for the greeting inside”Sarah Trevor, Editor Meet the designer Durene Jones Durene worked as a graphic designer before venturing into cross stitch, and loves to create intricate designs like these As a young child, I always dreamed of having my own dressing table, filled with perfume bottles and pretty trinkets, so I was delighted to be asked to create this set of flowery and feminine greetings. Stitched on grey evenweave in shades of white, pink, cream and green, the cards have a refined look, with added lustre from shiny Satin thread and opal seed beads. I‘ve used pink rose motifs to tie the four designs together, so they make a cohesive set as well as standing out individually. I…

Meet the designer Lesley Teare Lesley is an experienced and talented cross stitch designer who lives and works in Suffolk I’ve created many geisha designs throughout my career, but it’s a theme I never tire of, and there’s always another idea in my head that I just have to get down on paper! The central design is circular, and in Japanese design circular shapes are a symbol of intuition and inspiration, which are both important qualities to have as a stitcher! Set within a square, the four corners add a sense of symmetry to the piece, helping to bring balance. I loved the whole process of designing this chart, but I particularly enjoyed creating the detail in this lovely lady’s hair, with tiny flowers to mirror the larger ones in…

Sew stylish! Proving that storage doesn’t have to be purely functional, this pretty coral sewing box is packed with stylish features, from the dotty interior and coordinating handle to the smooth rounded corners. It costs £30.50 and measures 16x23x11cm (6x9x4 in), which is just enough room for all the essentials – needles and scissors in the removable tray, threads and aida pieces in the larger section underneath, and pins in the handy pincushion under the lid. This is just the kind of elegant accessory we’d expect from the chic French company, Bergere de France, and would make a really special gift. Visit www.bergeredefrance.co.uk  to buy Easter treat If you’re looking for a stitchy Easter gift for a loved one (or yourself!) that doesn’t cost the earth, this cute…

Meet the designer Carol Thornton Carol loves to paint her designs in watercolour, before converting them into stitches Holidaying in your home country – otherwise known as a ‘staycation’ – is becoming more and more popular, and it’s easy to see why! The UK is a small island, so we’re lucky that we’re never far from the sea, and there are so many pretty coastal towns and villages that deserve a visit. I love Cornwall and Devon in the south west, as well as the rugged coastline of Northumberland, but this design definitely has more of a sunny southern feel to it. I imagined I was staying at a B&B and watching the view from my window as I painted this scene. Blue skies, azure water, bobbing boats, cobbled streets…

Meet the designer Rhona Norrie Rhona is an experienced stitcher and designer who is always drawing, and began her career as a greeting card artist My morning always starts by having a cuppa – in fact, tea features regularly in my day! It’s a lovely ritual, and one that I’m sure many readers will share, so I hope everyone will enjoy my design with its upbeat motto and pretty china cups. I’ve added a wide border to this piece, complete with stripes and ditsy floral motifs, so there’s lots of detail to keep your fingers busy as you drink endless cups of tea! The finished piece looks great as a hanging for the kitchen, and will make a fun display to greet you each morning as you pop the kettle…

Meet the designer Amanda Gregory Amanda is a talented watercolour artist, cross stitch designer and dressmaker, based in the West Country Cat lovers are sure to recognise this typical moggie behaviour – somehow, cats always manage to find the sunniest patch of grass for their naps! I often look out of the window to see my own cat snuggled down under the pot plants, and I wish I could go out and join her in the sunshine. Recently, I decided to capture the moment in a sketch, which then turned into a watercolour and then into a cross stitch design. And here it is! I hope you enjoy stitching the different elements of this scene – the soft shaded fur of the grey pussycat, the fresh green grass, warm terracotta…

Meet the designer Maria Diaz Maria is a respected freelance designer who draws much of her inspiration from nature, books and art galleries Like most stitchers, I feel an affinity with lots of crafts, including sewing – and so it was great fun to combine all those familiar sewing notions and materials together in one sampler. There’s an old Singer sewing machine – a stalwart piece of kit for any seamstress – as well as threads, needles, scissors, tape measures and more, each one an achievable motif to work on. I’ve used quite dark, muted shades to give this piece an antique feel, and the raw linen evenweave also adds to this effect. Whether you’re a beginner sewer embarking on your first project, or you have lots of experience, I…

Subtle colours I knew I wanted to keep the colour scheme of these cards fairly simple, to ensure they looked very ladylike and elegant. Once I’d chosen the grey fabric, the rest of the colours were fairly obvious – pretty pinks for the roses, soft green for the leaves, crisp white for the lace borders, and pale creamy shades for much of the other detail. The backstitch colours are slightly darker to create contrast. Clean and tidy Because lots of pale threads have been used in these designs, I’d recommend washing and drying your stitching before you mount it in a card. Not only will this brighten the stitches, it will also freshen up the fabric and help to get rid of any creases that may have been made from…

My inspiration If you’re interested in Japanese art and design, you’ll often find interesting ceramics in museums. I love the V&A in London, and find their exhibitions simply awe-inspiring. The perfect spot Sometimes you stitch a design and then find you have nowhere to put it – you can’t quite find the right spot for it in your home. I find that Eastern designs work very well in my home office, as they bring a sense of calm as I’m working, and I love to look at them if I’m having a creative block.…

Meet the designer Nia Rhind Nia lives in Wales with her family. She loves creating personalised samplers and designs for special occasions I really enjoy a good wedding – it’s a chance to celebrate with family and friends, and a great opportunity to show your love in stitches. This sampler is bright, fun, and full of lovely little details, including the personal details of the bride and groom. I’ve chosen traditional wedding imagery such as horseshoes, lovebirds and wedding rings, but the style of design and the addition of stylised lettering helps to give them a more modern feel. Just like making a showstopping wedding cake, this design will require time, care and attention, but the finished result will be more than worth it. It’s also perfect as a special…

A favourite haunt One of my favourite things to do at the seaside is to eat fish and chips – an English tradition! Whether they’re from the chip shop or the local pub, somehow they just taste better by the sea. We usually go to a lovely old pub called the Ship Inn on our holidays, so I had to include a pub with this name in my design! You’re so square Square designs like this one are really versatile – they’re ideal as framed pictures, canvases or cushions, so you can decide how you want to finish your work. If you’re making a cushion, I always think a fabric border looks nice, as it acts in the same way as a mount in a frame. Choose a colour that…

Keep it neat When you’re working lettering on a design, it’s so important to work each letter individually, without trailing your threads across at the back. As you can see here, there are no blue threads visible through the fabric, and the whole effect is much neater. It’s worth taking the extra time to make sure you get it right. Craft addict I don’t often stitch my own designs, but there’s a friend of mine who I think will like this one a lot, so I might just stitch it for her! I tend to stitch in the evenings, and I often have two or three cross stitch projects on the go at the same time. I recently started to crochet, too, and I’m always excited about trying new crafts.…

Time to shop I’ve recently opened up an online shop (www.etsy.com/shop/AmandaGCrossStitch) selling some of my charts as downloads. I did want to call it Amanda Gregory Cross Stitch, but I couldn’t use my full name as it was already being used by someone else, so that is why I am Amanda G! Cosy cushion You could easily turn this piece into a cushion instead of having it framed. There’s a lot of pink in it, so it makes a good choice for a little girl who loves cats, and you can use pink or purple backing fabric to finish the look.…

Pins and needles When I’m stitching for long periods or I lose myself in a project, I sometimes get pins and needles in my arms and legs, which can be horrible – and cause unnecessary delays. To prevent this, I try to pause frequently to get up and stretch, wriggle and move about. It really seems to work! A hint of sparkle To lift the colour scheme and add a bit of interest to this design, I’ve used some light gold metallic thread in certain areas. You really don’t need a lot to get the effect – just a little bit here and there. I love it when a design calls for metallics, but you have to be careful you aren’t just adding them for the sake of it.…

How to read our charts All our charts are printed in both colour and symbols. Each square on a cross stitch chart contains a symbol, and each symbol corresponds with one stitch. The key that accompanies the chart tells you what thread colour each symbol corresponds to, and how many strands to use for each cross stitch, backstitch or French knot. It also gives you the design's dimensions – you'll need these to cut your fabric to size. The thread numbers listed in the first column of the key refer to the brand that we've used to stitch the design. Conversion numbers for two other brands are given, but they're not always exact equivalents. Avoid mixing more than one brand in the same design. Sometimes you'll need more than one…