Table of contents for Summer 2023 in CrossStitcher

THE KEW BOOK OF NATURE SAMPLERS TRISH BURR [Search Press] Needlework expert Trish Burr has created a set of samplers in collaboration with The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The book progresses through skill levels from beginner to intermediate to advanced and each design is exquisite in its composition, use of needlepointing and portrayal of the subject matter. From poppies to hedgehogs, there’s a wide range of UK wildlife featured in the projects included – how can you resist? POKÉMON CROSS STITCH MARIA DIAZ [David & Charles] Our very own CrossStitcher designer, Maria Diaz, has come up with over 50 Pokémon patterns for fans of Pikachu and his friends. With 20 characters from the series included, beginners can give them a go as the book starts with a how-to guide to…

Designed by: Susan Bates Stitch count: 68 high x 53 wide Design size: 12.5x10cm (5x4in) Stitch time: 6 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Double-check that you’ll be stitching in the correct position on your fabric – it’s easy to accidentally stitch the design on the back cover! Why not ring the changes by working on a different shade of aida, such as a pale yellow or green? Make a… travel journal cover Step 1 WRAP your aida fabric around the journal to check the position of the front cover and then mark the design area given on page 21 onto the fabric using pins. Make sure you have left 1.25cm (½in) at the top and bottom of the fabric for turnings, and 6cm (23/8in) on…

We asked our fans on Facebook, “Can you remember the very first cross stitch design you ever completed?” FIONA CHRISTIE A table mat I made at school when I was 9, during 'lessons of 1890' in preparation for our primary school’s centenary in 1990. I gave it to my Nana for Christmas that year, and had it returned when she passed away in 1997. It still has pride of place on my side table. GINA BUTLER The Father Christmas and his reindeer circle one you had in an issue a few years back. Was my first large cross stitch. Had it professionally framed as I was just a bit proud of it. Comes out every Christmas. GEMMA SLATER It was a DMC design when I was 12 and my Nan…

With a career that includes time spent embroidering film and television costumes, such as Series Two of Bridgerton, Hattie McGill shares her passions, and introduces her delightful dog General Major Rigby… What do you think was the first thing that captivated you about embroidery and textiles? I was a really fidgety child, so I was always doing some sort of craft. My mum has a small cross-stitch piece I made aged four, so it’s something I’ve been doing for a very long time! I always knew I would do something textiles related. My mum is a wonderful sewer, my sister trained in film costume, and my grandma (who sadly I never met) was an incredible embroiderer. So, it was inevitable really. Tell us about your time spent studying at the…

Materials White 14 count plastic aida; 15x17.5cm (6x7in) – enough for two complete hangers Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 24 tapes try needle Baker’s twine Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Designed by: Cheryl McKinnon Stitch count: 43 high x 28 wide house; 25x27 heart Design size: 7.3x5cm (3x2in) house; 4.5x5cm (1¾x2in) heart Stitch time: 9 hours (each hanger) These designs were stitched on 14 count plastic aida. You can back your hanger with felt or stitch two and sew or glue them together This housewarming gift can easily be popped in the post Make a… new home hanger Step 1 CHECK the spacing on the plastic aida before you start stitching – using the size given on page 47 you have enough to stitch two houses and two…

CrossStitcher FABRIC PACK Turn to page 17 to buy a pack with enough linen, backing fabric and string to make three hearts. Get our special pack for £3.50, plus P&P Make a… heart Step 1 WORK the cross stitch in two strands of stranded cotton over two threads of linen, and the backstitch in one strand. Step 2 HOLD the heart template from page 64 and the stitching up against a window, then pin the template to the back of the stitching. Pin the backing fabric right-sides together on the stitching. Step 3 FOLD a length of string in half and knot the ends together. Place the string between the stitching and the backing fabric, so that the folded end is inside the layers, and the knots are outside the…

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…

Picture Perfect The Louvre is home to some of the world’s most famous masterpieces, including perhaps the most well-known of all; the Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci. In collaboration with the Parisian museum, DMC have created a collection of cross stitch kits based on a selection of classic paintings. Choose from a Portrait of the Mona Lisa, which can also be bought as a bookmark kit, Redoute’s Peony Stems and The Lacemaker by Vermeer. Each kit contains pre-printed aida fabric, threads, needle and instructions. The Peony Stems and Mona Lisa are also available at needlepoint tapestry kits with pre-printed canvas to work on. www.dmc.com SOMETHING BLUE THIS PRETTY Roses Wedding sampler is available in dusty blues contrasting with accents of turquoise and golden yellow. With silver grey thread used in…

CrossStitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch Shoreline Dreams, 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 28 count Cashel linen in Opalescent Snow or Zweigart 14 count linen in Snow Glitter (Please mark the coupon with which fabric you would like to receive) Skeins of DMC stranded cotton Two gold-plated tapestry needles; size 24 and size 26 How to order: Fill in the form on page 17 or go to www.willowfabrics.com to order your project pack at the CrossStitcher reader price of £33.50 for the Cashel and £32.80 for the aida, both plus P&P. Why not use this design to make a summer cushion that's perfect for…

CrossStitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch Totally Tropical, 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 Iridescent Blue Skeins of DMC stranded cotton Two gold-plated tapestry needles; size 24 and size 26 How to order: Fill in the form on page 17 or go to www.willowfabrics.com to order your project pack at the CrossStitcher reader price of £36.40, plus P&P. Designed by: Susan Bates Stitch count: 176 high x 116 wide Design size: 32.5x22cm (12¾x8¾in) Stitch time: 75 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Stitch an individual fish and add the message Birthday Fishes’ to make an original greetings…

Welcome to our latest project that’s designed to be a bit more challenging. Our birth flower sampler makes for a wonderful reminder of each month’s symbolic flower – giving you plenty of inspiration for personal birthday cards or gifts you can stitch using the individual motifs. Of course you can simply stitch the whole sampler to be admired all year round if you prefer! Designed by: Amanda Butler Stitch count: 244 high x 184 wide (complete design) Design size: 44x34.5cm (17⅜x13¼in) Stitch time: 94 hours (complete design) This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Thread up several needles in the main colour of the flower you’re working on before you start it YOUR COMPLETE DESIGN In this issue we are giving you the first part of our Birth…

This summery greetings card by Susan Penny is quick to stitch in your tea break, or when you get a minute to relax. The design has been stitched on Teal aida and then mounted on a recycled Kraft card and envelope from Willow Fabrics. PRIZES FOR YOUR PICS! EACH ISSUE we will be sending one lucky reader a gift of tea from CrossStitcher! This issue’s special prize is from www.victoriaeggs.com. This drum contains English Breakfast Tea to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. 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 only. Win! ISSUE…

Instant access to more than 98 issues’ of CrossStitcher, including a selection of the much-loved Cross Stitch Collection - that’s thousands of charts waiting to be stitched FREE Cross Stitch Kit when you subscribe annually!* Hundreds of interviews with cross stitch designers and business owners The latest trends, new ideas and MUCH MORE! SUBSCRIBE TODAY: bit.ly/CROSDIGITALPLUS23 SCAN ME Offer is for an annual DigitalPlus subscription, available on a UK Direct Debit or recurring card payment option for UK and overseas residents. *The Love Cross Stitch Kit is subject to availability.…

“As an artist, I often find inspiration in the natural world around me and I always have a small notepad and a pencil with me in case I get some inspiration. It's important for me not to be distracted when I start drawing, so I turn on relaxing music and dive into my magical worlds of creativity. It takes me around 8-15 hours from a first draft to a complete artwork. Drawing digitally allows me to be more experimental and flexible with my artwork. I can easily adjust and edit my work as I go, which gives me the freedom to take risks and try new things. The inspiration is always around me.” elaineserenum.com Drop us a line to crosssstitcher@warnersgroup.co.uk with images of your craft space and a few words…

Hullo! Summer is here! The days are longer, the birds sing louder, nature is full of promise and optimism. Despite this, sometimes I feel like summer passes me by and, before I know it, the chill is seeping back into my bones. Life seems to move faster and faster, but a lot of that’s because we’re pulled in so many competing directions by technology. Technology is a blessing and allows me to do a job I love! But it’s also a curse because no matter where I go, work, friends and advertisements follow me. More than that, the vast array of activities on the internet can create a real digital addiction. App notifications give us a little hit of dopamine, so it’s no wonder many of us are glued to…

Our Lapford house’s story… This charming ‘chocolate box’ cottage is typical of a central Devon house and most likely dates from the late 17th century. With walls of plastered cob built on simple rubble foundations, the finish would have been lime-wash and the doors of simple plank construction. Possibly two tiny cottages when built, upstairs would be reached by a very narrow staircase at one end, with the second bedroom accessed through the first. The thatch roof would have been straw, though almost certainly replaced with reed in the last century. Sampler chart positions We have printed the bottom of Belfast from issue 394 so you can place your house correctly. Our diagram shows its sampler placement. Take a trip around the UK with us! We’re bringing you 13 classic…

A relative newcomer to the world of cross stitching, Sarah Bunce, from Cardiff, picked up her first issue of CrossStitcher during the first covid lockdown, back in April 2020, when she had some spare time on her hands… “I’d always wanted to learn how to cross stitch, but the cost was always a significant barrier,” explains Sarah. “So, I thought I would start small, practising on the free gifts, while squirrelling away all the leftover supplies. Before long I’d moved up to bigger pieces, and each time I would save the leftover threads, slowly building up a stash. That first year every person in my family had stitched birthday presents! “I remember that very first issue I bought had the World Map in it. Mum was with me at the…

Summer’s here and that hopefully means more hours of sunshine to spend in the garden! We asked our three designers this month to come up with a sign that can be presented to a gardening friend as a gift. Our designers could only use the seven shades of stranded cotton stipulated, and incorporate an inspiring saying or phrase. Take a look at their beautiful 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 August – we’ve listed everything you need to take part. THE CHALLENGE THE RULES AMANDA BUTLER… NATURE’S GALLERY “My inspiration for this…

SIGN UP TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER FOR EVEN MORE FANTASTIC STITCHING CONTENT! TURN TO PAGE 49 TO SEE HOW! ISSUE 398 JULY 2023 On sale 13 June Inside this month ❤ Beautiful balloons: Colourful balloon fiesta landscape ❤ Pedal power: bicycle with flower basket picture ❤ Pottering around: Potting shed shelves design ❤ Bright idea: retro-style beach scene sunglasses case YOUR SUMMER BUMPER PACK! ❤ Cottage Garden scissor case kit ❤ Summer Sampler stitch-a-long Part 2 – start filling the border! Contents subject to change. Overseas gifts may vary.…