Table of contents for March 2026 in CrossStitcher

Below are my top 5 essentials when I’m cross stitching or creating designs for artmishkacrossstitch.com Q-SNAPS I am a firm Q-snaps girl. I like that they do not leave the deep crease marks that can be left by traditional hoops. I’d recommend using the same brand for all your Q-snaps, because that will allow you to combine different sizes to create a custom frame for your project, since the pieces are interchangeable. DMC BINDER When I choose a color palette for a new design, I never trust the computer screen and always use the real floss as a reference. That’s why it is very important for me to keep threads organised and easily accessible. I use DMC binders, which are specifically designed for holding the Stitch Bows. I keep them…

THE 2026 STITCHER’S ALMANAC: A 12-MONTH PLANNER AND JOURNAL FOR CROSS STITCH, EMBROIDERY, AND KNITTING PROJECTS STITCHING CABIN [Stitching Cabin] It’s not too late in the year to grab The 2026 Stitcher’s Almanac – a journal for cross stitch and embroidery enthusiasts, combining planning, reflection, and inspiration. With over 100 pages, it features monthly calendars, progress logs, expense tracking, and sections for goals, finishes and reflections. Suitable for all skill levels, it will kick-start your organisation and creativity in 2026. Reflection prompts and note pages turn it into a keepsake, too. TILLY AND THE BUTTONS: LEARN TO SEW: ESSENTIAL SKILLS TO START MAKING CLOTHES TILLY WALNES [Quadrille Publishing] Learn to Sew is a fabulous paperback for aspiring sewists who want to create garments with confidence. Ideal for newbies and seasoned stitchers alike, acclaimed…

Designed by: Maria Diaz Max. stitch count: 38 high x 25 wide Max. design size: 7.5x4.5cm (3x13⁄4in) Stitch time: 5 hours each These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make a… patched card Step 1 WORK all the cross stitch in two strands of stranded cotton, and the backstitch in one strand. Step 2 CUT around the stitching, and depending on the size of your card, leave between six and eight blank threads of fabric outside the design on all sides. Fray one of these threads – by carefully teasing it out from the aida, and peeling it away. Step 3 USE double-sided tape to carefully attach the stitching to the centre front of the card. Use a thread shade for the hair that matches your Mum’s! Materials For…

Designed by: Emma Congdon Stitch count: 60 high x 60 wide (each)  Design size: 11x8cm (41⁄4x31⁄4in)  Stitch time: 22 hours (complete dog) This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. If you are short on time, you could stitch the front of the dogs only and leave the backs as blank aida Materials • Sampedro White 14 count aida; 18x16cm (7x61\4in)x2• Stranded cotton as listed in the key• Size 24 tapestry needle• Toy stuffing• Circle of blue felt; 6cm (2 3⁄8in) diameter• Circle of cardboard; 6cm (2 3⁄8in) diameter Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Make a… Staffordshire dog pincushion Step 1 CHOOSE which dog you would like to stitch, either Pins or Needles, then stitch onto the aida, using two strands for the cross stitch and one for the backstitch. You…

There is a particular kind of delight that arrives when a design carries so much character that it almost feels animated on the fabric, as though a stitched expression might shift if you linger long enough. Fine Frog Stitching lives in that space, drawing the eye with bold colour, clever detail, and a playful humour that gives each piece a vivid presence. At the centre of this creative world is Steph Matthiesen Avilés, whose work grows from writing instincts, artistic experimentation, and an attentive approach to the unexpected. Her characters have become favourites among stitchers for the beauty they hold and the surprises threaded through them. Her style grows from her deep sense of magic as an artistic principle. “The definition of my designs as ‘magical art for cross stitchers’…

Having called Edinburgh home for nearly 36 years, Karen Parkinson’s journey into cross stitch will resonate with many, as her passion for stitching was born out of unusual times… “I tried a number of crafts during Covid lockdown,” Karen recalls, “finally settling on cross stitch as one which I could manage with my poor eyesight (painting by numbers was fun, but my results were not impressive).” She explains that while her first foray into needlework came as a child with a tapestry kit – still a work in progress – cross stitch won her heart. “I have only used counted patterns – I get worried with a printed one that I’m not interpreting it correctly, whereas with counted patterns, if I grid, each stitch has its own mapped place. That…

Designed by: Susan Penny Stitch count: 33 high x 41 wide Design size: 6x7.5cm (23⁄8x3in) Stitch time: 5 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make a… perfume bottle decoration Step 1 WORK the roses design using two strands of stranded cotton for the cross stitch in the centre of your aida. Step 2 COMPLETE the cross stitch, then cut around your stitching, leaving four blank aida squares on all sides of the design. Step 3 NOTE that part of the assembly is quite tricky, so follow the steps very carefully. Download and print out the illustrated aperture mount, with backing, onto thin card. Carefully cut out all the different elements; perfume bottle-shaped backing card, perfume bottle aperture front and Aida Fleur label. Use a craft knife…

We asked our fans on Facebook, “What has been your most frustrating stitching moment?” JULIE COOPER Mine is when my cat runs off with a full skein of thread in his mouth. He must think that they are new toys for him to play with. CAITLIN ALICE Realising halfway through a section that you have miscounted…. Right at the very beginning! LIZ DRAPER Stitching for 3 days straight to finish a project, only to realise you’ve used an Anchor thread instead of a DMC, and now it just looks weird. SHIRLEY CASLICK Very early in my stitching life, I was doing a beautiful vase of flowers. And got about 1⁄4 way through and found I didn’t have enough Aida. Never even touched another flower for about 20 years! SALLY JOELLE…

Designed by: Cheryl McKinnon Stitch count: 51 high x 52 wide Design size: 10x10cm (4x4in) Stitch time: 10 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Mother’s Day in the UK falls on 15 March in 2026, with Easter Sunday on 5 April this year Materials • Zweigart Sky Glitter 14 count aida, ref: 3706/5169; 23x23cm (9x9in)• Stranded cotton as listed in the key• Size 24 tapestry needle• Wooden embroidery hoop; 12.5cm (5in) diameter Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com TURN TO PAGE 39 TO LEARN HOW TO MOUNT YOUR WORK IN A HOOP…

Fancy tripping through the tulips? Well, now you can, with our beautiful field of blooms, complete with windmills in the background. There’s a lot of dense stitching here, so take your time as you enjoy bringing it to life. Areas such as the background trees will come together quickly, as they are whole stitches only, with no backstitching to worry about. A floral scene that’s rewarding to complete! Designed by: Jenny Barton Stitch count: 180 high x 120 wide Design size: 32x21.5cm (121⁄2x81⁄2in) Stitch time: 95 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. TURN TO PAGE 63 TO LEARN HOW TO FRAME YOUR PICTURE Materials • Fabric Flair Colourful Skies 14 count aida; 50x45cm (19x18in)• Stranded cotton as listed in the key• Size 24 tapestry needle• Frame…

LITTLE LIBRARY SAL The seventh book in our library is Mary Poppins, written by PL Travers in 1934. The heroine of the novel is a sensible who live at 17 Cherry Tree Lane in London. When their nanny leaves, her replacement arrives with the east wind, and although vain, irritable and stern, Mary Poppins takes the children on a series of magical abilities like sliding up the bannister, and using her umbrella as a parachute, to capture the imagination of readers. Travers wrote seven more books about Mary Poppins, but the original remains a children’s of the Disney adaptation in 1964. Start stitching the top left-hand corner of The Secret Garden, which was in issue 426, September 2025, 17.5cm (7in) down from the top-left corner of the fabric, and 10cm (4in)…

Spring Elegance Tilda’s new Songbird collection, inspired by Venice and Art Nouveau, features hand-drawn patterns and soft pastel hues – perfect for spring cross stitch projects. These fabrics make beautiful backgrounds or borders for samplers and cushions. The motifs, such as dragonflies and florals, can add an elegant touch to your projects, and the coordinating buttons make for charming embellishments – use them to accent framed designs, decorate pillows, or personalise bags and purses. With this beautiful springtime collection, your cross stitch creations gain a romantic, whimsical flair that’s ideal for gifts, too. For stockists, visit www.tildafabrics.com.…

Hullo! When I moved into my current apartment, one small box felt heavier than the rest. It held the last of my gardening tools, pared back from years of tending big, productive gardens. Those gardens shaped my days for so long that getting rid of things I didn’t need at my new place left me with a sense of loss. The new place has its own charm, and I have ornamental plants to tend to, but I miss wandering outside with my morning coffee, checking what had grown overnight, and harvesting delicious treasures on my way back inside. Without a garden or a balcony, I’ve spent months wondering how to bring gardening into this new space without messing up the carpet. I joined a local community garden, but it’s not…

Designed by: Emma Congdon Stitch count: 180 high x 120 wide Design size: 33.5x22cm (131⁄4x85⁄8in) Stitch time: 92 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. If you hate French knots, you can simply replace them with seed beads of the same colour TURN TO PAGE 63 TO LEARN HOW TO FRAME YOUR PICTURE Materials • Sampedro White 14 count aida; 50x40cm (191⁄2x153⁄4in)• Stranded cotton as listed in the key• Size 24 tapestry needle• Frame with a 36.5x25cm (141⁄4x93⁄4in) aperture• Mount board to fit frame Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com CrossStitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch Sow Pretty, we have a materials pack with everything you need to get you stitching right away, and have it delivered to your door! Your materials pack contains: • Sampedro 14…

Designed by: Maria Diaz Stitch count: 135 high x 138 wide Design size: 26x26cm (101⁄4x101⁄4in) Stitch time: 85 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. With a lot of blank fabric showing, it’s even more essential that you wash your hands before you start each stitching session Materials • DMC Morning Dew 14 count aida; ref: 222/747; 50x50cm (191⁄2x191⁄2in)• Stranded cotton as listed in the key• Size 24 tapestry needle• Backing fabric; 43x43cm (17x17in)• Cushion pad; 40.5x40.5cm (16x16in) Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Make a… cushion Step 1 COMPLETE the stitching, then cut the fabric to 43x43cm (17x17in), the same size as your backing fabric, with the design in the centre. Step 2 PLACE the cushion front right-sides together with the backing fabric. Pin, then machine stitch around the edge,…

You could choose a pale blue or pale yellow aida to stitch on, if you prefer Materials • Zweigart Celadon Green 14 count aida; ref: 3706/611; 46x46cm (18x18in)• Stranded cotton as listed in the key• Size 24 tapestry needle• Wooden embroidery hoop; 25.5cm (10in) diameter Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Designed by: Jane Prutton Stitch count: 115 high x 85 wide Design size: 21.5x16cm (81⁄2x63⁄8in) Stitch time: 34 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. How to… frame your work in a hoop Step 1 TRIM your stitching and a fabric piece into a circle slightly larger than your hoop. Place the inside hoop beneath the two pieces and the outer hoop on top. Centre and press over your work. Pull taut and tighten the screw. Step 2 TURN…

Designed by: Emma Congdon Stitch count: 53 high x 53 wide (top and bottom) Design size: 10x10cm (4x4in) Stitch time: 28 hours This design would also be perfect as an alternative to a traditional doily for a side table – simply hem it all around and back with cotton fabric How to… stitch and assemble your biscornu Step 1 COMPLETE all the stitching for the top of the biscornu following the chart with the strawberries, and working in the centre of the aida. Use two strands for the cross stitch, and two strands for the backstitch border line on both the top and bottom. Step 2 STITCH the bottom of the biscornu in the same way as for the top, using the bee chart. The top and bottom designs are…

Designed by: Cheryl McKinnon Stitch count: 140 high x 140 wide Design size: 25.5x25.5cm (10x10in) Stitch time: 50 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Pick out individual motifs for cards and tags – such as the central pot of flowers for a Mother’s Day card Materials • Sampedro White 14 count aida; 50x50cm (191⁄2x191⁄2in)• Stranded cotton as listed in the key• Size 24 tapestry needle• Frame with a 30.5x30.5cm (12x12in) aperture• Mount board to fit frame Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com A frame with a natural wood finish will work perfectly with this softly shaded design, making it a quick and easy option How to… frame a picture Step 1 CUT a piece of white mount board to fit inside your frame. Place your design centrally over…

March is a great time for planning gardens – whether you’re sowing veg or flowers. So, we asked our designers to create an aida band bookmark that could be used while garden planning or reading gardening books. They also had to stick to only the seven shades of stranded cotton we selected for them. Check out their pretty results below – we’ve included a pattern for each design so you can stitch your favourite! We hope this inspires you to join in as well – turn the page to discover our challenge for the May issue! THE CHALLENGE • 14 count white aida band – 2in wide • Seven shades of stranded cotton (shown above) THE RULES • Create a bookmark for a gardener • Each design should be no…

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…