Table of contents for December 2018 in Cross Stitch Gold

Meet the designer Carol Thornton 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. “I love designing wintry scenes – a liberal scattering of snow can make any house or landscape look totally magical!” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 14-count white aida in 25 shades of cotton. Cross stitch is in two strands of cotton and there are also some fractional stitches for extra detail. The small amount of backstitch is worked in one strand of cotton. This large project is best suited to experienced stitchers. How to stitch the design 1 Find the…

Purrfect project Rosina Wachtmeister’s vibrant new Five Cats design is a satisfying stitch, creating a lovely picture in the artist’s iconic style. Measuring 28x19cm (11x7 in) when finished, the design is worked in whole stitches and backstitch and although it’s dense, it’s straightforward to complete. You’ll receive everything you need to stitch the project when you buy this kit, from fabric and a needle to stranded cottons and sparkling metallic thread. The Five Cats kit costs £29.99 from Bothy Threads. Visit www.bothythreads.com or call 01900 828844 A SWEET TWEET It may still be winter time, but you can bring a breath of fresh spring air into your home with these pretty bird cushions! Worked in chunky cross stitch for a fast finish, Spring Tweet I and Spring Tweet II both…

Meet the designer Lesley Teare 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. “If you’re interested in the practice of mindfulness, I think this calming Japanese scene would make the perfect project.” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count white evenweave over two threads of the fabric using 27 shades of cotton. Cross stitch is in two strands of cotton, with fractional stitches also in two strands for extra detail. The backstitch is worked in one strand…

Meet the designer Fiona Baker 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. “Wherever you decide to welcome in the new year, the most important thing is having fun and looking ahead to the future. I’m looking forward to another fantastic year of stitching!” Stitcher’s guide These designs are worked on 28-count navy evenweave over two threads of the fabric in 18 shades of cotton and 10 of metallic thread. Cross stitch is in two strands of cotton or metallic thread. Backstitch is in one or two strands of cotton or metallic thread. There is…

Win! Win these kits from Bothy Threads Find the correct answer to our Intermediate puzzle for the chance to win this beautiful Barn Owl kit, or solve the Difficult puzzle to win the lovely Wild Hare kit, each worth £36.12. Visit www.bothythreads.com for the full collection of Derwentwater Designs kits, or call 01900 828844 to order by phone Intermediate Difficult How to enter: Fill in a grid so that every row, column, and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1-9. Once you’ve completed either of the grids, send the three numbers in the coloured squares on a postcard to the address below, for your chance to win either a Barn Owl kit or Wild Hare kit from Bothy Threads, worth £36.12! Send your answers, name and address on a postcard to:…

Pearly queen This is my beautiful Mermaid of the Pearls by Mirabilia. I changed some of the beads to give her even more pearls, and worked one strand over one thread of the fabric for her skin. I think she is very beautiful.  Coral Dowling, Australia Zeena: She certainly is, Coral – what a majestic mermaid. The more pearls the better, in my opinion! Furry friends I hadn’t been stitching too long when I tackled this project, as I love rabbits and have had them as pets since I was eight years old. It was my first project on linen, too, and is not without mistakes, but you can’t tell and I’m so proud of it. It still looks as fresh today as when I stitched it some 25 years…

Meet the designer Jenny Barton 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! “These owls are quite challenging due to the palette of dark greys and blues, so working in natural daylight is a must for this project.” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 14-count white aida in 22 shades of cotton. Cross stitch is in both one and two strands, with some fractional stitches for the owls’ features. The backstitch definition is worked in one strand of cotton,…

£254 in prizes to win! Sweet blossoms With its bright mornings, pretty blooms and glorious nature, spring can’t come soon enough! And Lucie Heaton has captured the season perfectly with her Spring Wren Wreath chart, worth £4.80, featuring a wren perching on a wreath of dainty flowers. It’s just the thing to get you ready for spring! The design measures 17.5x17.5cm (6 x6 in), and we’ve got 52 copies of this PDF chart to give away. To find out more about this downloadable PDF chart and see more of Lucie’s designs, visit www.lucieheaton.com today. We have 52 Spring Wren Wreath PDF charts worth £4.80 each to give away! See the purple box for entry details £260 in prizes to win! Heart and home All you need is love… and cross…

Meet the designer Jenny Barton 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! “I have become really interested in penwork, and this bold floral design is inspired by a piece I drew recently – I hope you like it!” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count white evenweave over two threads of the fabric in three shades of cotton and one of metallic thread. Cross stitch is in two strands of cotton or metallic, and there are also lots…

Meet the designer Durene Jones 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. “A shelf full of cuddly toys – what better way to welcome a new arrival? These friendly faces will become part of baby’s memories as they grow older.” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count white evenweave over two threads of the fabric in 27 shades of cotton. Cross stitch is in two strands of cotton and there are also some fractional stitches for extra detail. The backstitch is worked in one, two and three strands of cotton, while French knots are added in two…

We’re giving you another chance to take advantage of this great offer…subscribe today and you can choose between these two Christmas treats! Stock up your stash with DMC’s Prestige box including 35 thread skeins in a gorgeous array of colours, or choose OttLite’s craft lamp, complete with flexible neck and touch sensitive button so you can stitch at any time of day. PLUS you’ll save 20% on the shop price! Cross Stitch Gold is the ultimate magazine for the experienced stitcher. Don't delay – subscribe today! Zeena, Editor, Cross Stitch Gold In every issue of Gold: 8 CHALLENGING STITCHING PROJECTS THE WORLD’S BEST DESIGNERS EXPERT STITCHING ADVICE AND TIPS…

Meet the designer Shannon Wasilieff Canadian designer Shannon has always been passionate about creative pursuits, but it was when she started designing cross stitch that she truly found her calling. Her talent is evident in her beautiful designs, and her great eye for colour and detail helps to make her unique creations into true masterpieces like this one. “I decided to really go to town with the embellishments on this moon princess, with beads in two different sizes and sparkly sequins, too!” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count cashel linen over two threads of the fabric in 28 shades of cotton and two of metallic thread. Cross stitch is in two strands of cotton or metallic, and backstitch is in one strand of cotton and two of metallic.…

Meet the designer Amanda Gregory 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. “The bright yellows in this design will really lift your room – and your mood – throughout the dark winter months!” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count navy evenweave over two threads of the fabric in 27 shades of cotton. Cross stitch is in three strands of cotton for better coverage of the fabric, while backstitch and French knots are both worked in one strand. There are also fractional stitches for extra detail, making this project best suited to…

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TECHNICAL EDITOR 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,…