Table of contents for November 2018 in Cross Stitch Gold

Maria has always had a passion for needlecraft, since learning to sew as a child on her great grandmother’s ancient foot-treadled Singer machine. After art college she landed a job as a printer which led to her becoming DMC’s first in-house designer, where she worked for eight years. She is now an independent designer and lives in the Midlands with her two sons, Lincoln and Hudson. “Hang this cheery Santa portrait where everyone can see it. Children will love his twinkling eyes and sack of presents!” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count gold-flecked white evenweave over two threads of the fabric using 45 shades of cotton. Cross stitch is worked in two strands of cotton, with a few fractional stitches for Santa’s eyes. Half cross stitch is worked…

GOLD STAR BUY Festive fun No matter how many large or complex projects you take on for Christmas, it’s always worth having a few smaller kits ready to stitch as a break in between big designs. These new kits from Mouseloft’s ever-popular Stitchlets range are small but perfectly formed, and each one will take you no time at all to complete. They’ll make ideal seasonal greetings tags, cards or tree decorations. The kits cost £2.39 each (or £2.99 with card and envelope included) from www.mouseloft.co.uk Tr y 3D stitching with this cute house! PICK UP A PENGUIN Penguin Hall is a gorgeous box in the shape of a house, showing penguins decorating their home for Christmas (open the box by removing the roof). It measures around 14.8cm high and the…

Based in the West Country, Amanda is a talented watercolour artist, cross stitch designer and dressmaker. Her work is suffused with gorgeous colour combinations and a great sense of detail, and her beautiful designs regularly appear in a range of popular cross stitching magazines. “A fancy tablecloth or runner is essential for Christmas, and can be used for both Christmas dinner and festive drinks parties.” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count white evenweave over two threads of the fabric in seven shades of cotton and one of metallic thread. Cross stitch is in two strands of cotton or metallic, and backstitch is worked in one strand of cotton or metallic. There are also fractional stitches throughout the design, making it suitable for experienced stitchers. How to stitch the…

Holiday glamour Beside the Christmas tree, glowing with lights and golden baubles, this elegant lady is the epitome of grace. Her beautiful maroon gown shimmers, and her tiara and earrings twinkle like fairy lights. Invite her to join you this Christmas when you stitch the Holly kit by John Clayton, part of his Elegance collection for Heritage Crafts. The finished design measures 30.5x39.5cm (12x15½in) and the kit comes with everything you need. Visit www.hcrafts.com or call 01889 575 256 for details. We have six kits from Heritage Crafts, worth £62.50 each, to give away! See the purple box for entry details. Countryside Christmas If you love to stitch adorable furry friends enjoying the winter snow, then look no further! This Christmas Donkey kit by Bothy Threads shows a snow-covered donkey…

UK STOCKISTS COATS CRAFTS UK For stockists, visit www.makeitcoats.com CRAFT CREATIONS Visit www.craftcreations.com Call 01992 781900 DMC CREATIVE WORLD For stockists, visit www.dmc.com Call 01924 231669 LAKESIDE NEEDLECRAFT Visit www.lakesideneedlecraft.co.uk Call 0333 0501184 MADEIRA For stockists, visit www.eqsuk.com Call 0116 2710033 MILL HILL For stockists, visit www.hantex.co.uk/millhill Call 011754 820800 SEW AND SO Visit www.sewandso.co.uk Call 0800 0130150 SEW IT ALL Visit www.sewitall.com Call 01280 821777 US STOCKISTS 123 STITCH Visit www.123stitch.com Call 1-800-996-1230 ABC STITCH THERAPY Visit www.abcstitch.com Call 1-281-205-7507 ARTS CRAFTS USA Visit www.artscraftsusa.com Call 1-866-621-7779 JULIE’S X STITCH Visit www.juliesxstitch.com…

WIN! Win this kit worth £36.12 Find the correct answer to our crossword puzzle for the chance to win this beautiful Barn Owl kit by Derwentwater Designs, worth £36.12. To view the full collection of kits by Derwentwater Designs go to www.bothythreads.com, or call 01900 828844 to place an order by phone Solve the clues, then rearrange the letters in the shaded squares to spell an African river (7) ACROSS 1 Abrupt and unexpected change (10) 6 Nil (4) 8 Mischievous rabbit character created by Beatrix Potter (5) 9 Alliance of parties with a common interest (4) 10 Perforated bowl (8) 11 Afterwards (5) 12 Swedish pop group (4) 14 Bidding sale (7) 17 Ride waves on a board (4) 18 Provide with finance (4) 19 Shake with fear (7)…

Get in touch Email: zeena@cross-stitching.com Write to: Zeena Moolla, Cross Stitch Gold magazine, 2nd Floor, Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol BS1 3BN Join us at: facebook.com/crossstitchgold Tweet us: @CrossStitchGold Special memories My grandmother passed away, leaving behind six children, 18 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren! She really was the head of the family and we all adored her. My dad is the youngest of her children, so for his birthday I stitched this picture of my nan and grandad for him. To say he was over the moon with it is an understatement. I hope you like it, too. Clare Eastwood, Watford Zeena: I can see the family resemblance in this picture, Clare. What a special gift for your dad and a lovely piece of stitching to treasure. Fairy magic…

Fiona has always had a passion for art and design from an early age, and loves the creativity in her role as Technical Editor for Cross Stitch Gold, as well as our sister magazines Cross Stitch Crazy and The World of Cross Stitching. “I adore robins and their association with Christmas. I recently came across a saying: ‘When robins appear, loved ones are near.’ It’s a lovely sentiment for Christmas time, when our friends and family are very much in our thoughts.” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count ice blue evenweave over two threads of the fabric in 29 shades of cotton. Cross stitch is in two strands of cotton and there are also some fractional stitches for extra detail. The intricate backstitch definition is worked in one…

THE EXPERTS JO BENNER Jo is an experienced stitcher and knitter, who writes for several craft magazines. She’s on hand to 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. HEATHER NUGENT Heather is the Charting Editor for Cross Stitch Gold and our sister magazines. With a passion for stitching and sewing, she is here to help with charting and making-up questions. Christmas collection Q I love stitching for Christmas so I want to invest in a good book with lots of projects to keep me going over the next few years. I’m especially looking for…

Lesley is an experienced cross stitch designer with a degree in Printed and Woven Textiles, and many years of design experience. She creates designs for a wide range of stitching magazines, and has a range of cross stitch books to her name, too. Lesley lives and works in rural Suffolk, where she enjoys gardening and country walks with her labrador. “For these four designs, I’ve chosen traditional nativity scenes and given them a modern twist with cute characters.” Stitcher’s guide These designs are worked on 14-count light blue aida in 25 shades of stranded cotton. Cross stitch is in two strands of cotton, with a few fractional stitches for extra detail. The backstitch and French knots are both worked in one strand of cotton. These cards could be tackled by…

Maria has always had a passion for needlecraft, since learning to sew as a child on her great grandmother’s ancient foot-treadled Singer machine. After art college she landed a job as a printer which led to her becoming DMC’s first in-house designer, where she worked for eight years. She is now an independent designer and lives in the Midlands with her two sons, Lincoln and Hudson. “I wanted to create a cosy, heartwarming scene, brought to life with rich colours and touches of gold for a classic festive feel.” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count cream linen in 42 shades of cotton and two of metallic thread. Cross stitch is in two strands of cotton or metallic thread, and backstitch is in one strand of cotton or metallic.…

Jenny has been passionate about the creative arts since she was a small child, and went on to study graphic design at university. Soon after, she landed a job as a needlework designer for DMC Creative World, and became a freelance designer a couple of years later. She loves being able to work with cross stitch every day! “With its cheeky sense of humour, this Christmas hanging is right up my street. I love the idea of a human pyramid in Santa’s workshop!” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count white evenweave over two threads of the fabric in 22 shades of cotton, and one of metallic thread. Cross stitch is in two strands of cotton or metallic thread, and half cross stitch is worked in two strands of…

Prolific designer Durene Jones creates cross stitch charts for a range of stitching magazines. Her work is well loved for its modern and colourful tone, but she is a versatile designer and can turn her hand to any theme. “I love singing Christmas carols as it gets me into the festive spirit! Inspired by a joyful Christmas tune that everyone knows and loves, this sampler was such a fun piece to work on.” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count black linen over two threads of the fabric, using 24 shades of cotton and two of metallic thread. Cross stitch is in three strands of cotton or metallic thread. The backstitch is worked in both one and two strands of cotton, and two strands of metallic. French knots add…

Watercolour artist Carol sketches and paints her gorgeous works of art before turning them into cross stitch designs. She creates charts for various magazines and has attracted legions of fans who love her distinctive style of artwork, which translates beautifully into cross stitch. “Lying happily on his Persian rug, this cat is really enjoying the comforts of a warm and cosy home. I hope you’ll find a nice spot for him on your favourite chair!” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count cream evenweave over two threads of the fabric in 27 shades of cotton. Cross stitch is in two strands of cotton, and the backstitch is worked in one strand. There are also fractional stitches throughout the design, making it suitable for experienced stitchers. How to stitch the…

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 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, to help you 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. Conversions 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 skein of a certain colour, but there…