Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2015 i Cross Stitch Collection

If there’s one thing most stitchers I know and myself have in common, it’s that we all long for a sewing room all to ourselves. No more cutting out fabric at the kitchen table, or rummaging for stash in the hallway cupboard (okay, so maybe that’s just me!) – no, a room that’s just for us. I am now lucky enough to have a craft room but it’s nothing like as delicious as the dreamy den Maria Diaz has created for us this month! I know you’ll find it an especially fun project to indulge in! As usual the rest of this issue is packed with treats from our favourite designers – there’s a whole host of ideas and projects to see you through summer and beyond. And it’s here…

Meet the designer... Lesley Teare “This beautiful selection of flowers includes poppies, sunflowers, dahlias, cosmos and daisies to mention a few, and with the addition of a beautiful Red Admiral butterfly fluttering in the corner of the design, I hope it will be a pleasure to stitch. The glorious colours of this bouquet will brighten any room and will be especially good to look at as the night’s draw in and autumn approaches. I really do love gardening and l like to grow plenty of annuals for bedding out each year. This spring I had a new cold frame which made it easier for growing on the seedlings and I now have pink cosmos, rudbeckia and sunflowers that make a lovely colourful display in my garden.” Bright, bold and in…

Stitcher, traveller, illustrator and textile designer, Teresa Lim, is pushing the boundaries of craft, fusing her three passions; illustrations, embroidery and surface pattern design, to create her unique style. And when she found herself without her camera on holiday, she reached for her stitching stash. This small (and arguably quirky) move led her to creating her next body of work. “It started out when I was on holiday in Perth”, she tells us. “There was a beautiful sunset but my phone ran out of battery, so I couldn't snap a photo to remember the scene. I was gutted but then I remembered that I did have my craft supplies on me, so I thought I should just try to stitch the scene as quickly as possible before the sun went…

Meet the designer… Maria Diaz “This is the sort of sewing room that one dreams of. All pretty fabrics, shelves full of cute jars filled with lovely coordinating buttons and bows – all that’s missing are Cinderella’s mice. Yes, since having children this is very much a fairy tale! Although I’m lucky enough to have a wonderful studio/office, I’ve lost the ability to keep it tidy, let alone picture-book pretty. So this is me indulging in a little fantasy. In my studio, alongside my Singer sewing machine I have my son’s drum kit, suitcases and a box of old photos – but I can dream. I do hope you have better luck with your secret sewing space. Happy stitching!” Even if you’ve already got a place to sew at home,…

Willow Fabrics are your one-stop shop for top brands like Zweigart, Anchor and Kreinik, with a constantly updated range of products and offers. Call Willow Fabrics on 0800 0567811 or visit www.willowfabrics.com to sample the huge range of quality materials available. What’s happening on Facebook? We asked… what are your favourite kinds of designs to stitch? “I prefer not to do backstitching if I can help it but I like to mix designs to make my own.” Claire Murray “Pretty much anything. I will admit the one thing I will not stitch is a project that is just flowers. To me that is not challenging enough. But to each their own... lol.” Sumer Scoggins “I like big designs, pictures, definitely not small cutsie stuff.” Anna Draganska “Larger, artistic pictures always…

ANN’S ORCHARD  www.annsorchard.co.uk 01342 311545 For contemporary and traditional bead and needlework kits, plus handmade frames to display them in BARNYARNS  www.barnyarns.co.uk 0176 569 0069 For Anchor, DMC and Madeira threads and all kinds of haberdashery supplies COTTON PATCH  www.cottonpatch.co.uk 0121 702 2840 For fabrics, books, wadding, notions, accessories and haberdashery CRAFT LAMPS  www.craftlamps.co.uk 01373 454448 Stocking a fantastic array of craft lamps including desk, floor and magnifying lamps, including DaylightTM lamps DKH CREATIONS  www.dkhcreations.co.uk For cross stitch kits, threads, aida and essential accessories DP SOFTWARE  www.dpsoftware.com 01454 612598 Software for creating charts for cross stitch and tapestry E-FRAME  www.eframe.co.uk Bespoke and ready-made picture frames and mounts for displaying your stitching HOBBYCRAFT  www.hobbycraft.co.uk 0845 051 6599 For cardstock, paper, paint, glue and general crafting supplies JOHN JAMES NEEDLES  www.jjneedles.com 0152…

Getting started Try these three ways to get going, then choose the one that suits you best  Loop start When stitching with two threads Cut a single thread that’s twice as long as you need, and thread both ends through your needle. Come up through the fabric and make a half stitch, then pass the needle through the loop that’s formed at the back to secure it. Loose end start When stitching with any number of threads Bring your needle up through the fabric, leaving a little piece of thread at the back. Hold this thread underneath the area to be stitched so that you will secure it with your first few cross stitches. Waste knot start When stitching with any number of threads Knot the end of the thread…

Drawing with stitches We love a stunning craft book, so when Layer, Paint and Stitch appeared in the Collection office, we all wanted a look! Written by textile artist Wendy Dolan and published by Search Press (www.searchpress.com), the book is crammed with gorgeous ideas and imagery. Wendy told us the concept for the book came from the Creative Embroidery workshops she teaches. “Experimenting with different materials, threads and stitches broadens the creative experience” she enthuses. “I love walking and exploring. Landscapes, windows, doorways, carvings and crumbly weathered walls all offer wonderful inspiration, she explains. She enjoys cross stitch, straight stitch, seeding and “varying the effects by changing the type, weight and thickness of the threads” Wendy also creates spectacular results on her sewing machine with just straight stitch, zigzag and…

Here at Cross Stitch Collection, we love growing herbs – they’re easy to cultivate, smell divine and are a dream come true for keen cooks. So we naturally adore this pretty trio of herb pots picture from Permin. Featuring three of our favourite herbs; sage, chives and lavender we think it makes the perfect picture to stitch for our kitchen wall –›we’re sure you can think of a corner of your home where it would fit nicely too! Our stitcher, Aileen Allardyce, says, “This would be the perfect project for anyone new to stitching on linen as there are no fractional stitches to worry about and it’s very straightforward to complete." If you’d like to go for a slightly different look, then the herb pots would stitch up well on…

Welcome to the second part of our pair of serene scenes from Anchor. Last month we featured an oriental pagoda with peonies – see page 48 for details of how to get hold of the issue if you missed it. This month we head to central Asia for a silhouette of a traditional Indian temple, framed by a branch of beautiful orchids. As with its companion picture, this design shows how varying your stitches can be very effective. Working half stitches softens the background and keeps the building in silhouette while the orchids are much more detailed, with plenty of shades of pink used for a realistic look. Organise your threads on to a sorter before you start so you can then simply concentrate on enjoying every stitch. The pale…

DAINTY MAKES We've come to the final pincushion in Sheena Rogers' series of designs based on birth flowers and stones. We hope you've enjoyed stitching them us much as we've loved seeing what new creation Sheena has come up with each month! Here, Sheena has combined September's two birth flowers, the morning glory and aster in a bright and cheerful design. These flowers seem natural companions when it comes to their meanings; with the morning glory said to symbolise powerful love and the aster representing affection! Sheena has also added a sapphire border. As September's birth stone, sapphire is well known for its deep blue colour, but did you also know that in the Middle Ages the gem was believed to protect those close to you? You will need... 14HPI…

My printer’s tray includes just a border motif and I make no excuses for it! The strawberry border is still my favourite sampler border with antique gold acorns coming a close second. I am not sure why I like these particular designs so much but I was thrilled to buy a sampler featuring this border. The story behind it is a little bit of a mystery as we do not know exactly when this sampler was stitched but we know that the stitcher Christina was born in 1816. I suspect that the mythical bird in the foreground was taken from a hand-painted Berlin chart or something similar. I have adapted Christina’s border and this is the one I like to use when needing a strawberry border. Take a look at…

Meet the designer... Durene Jones “I've always liked kingfishers, probably because they are brightly coloured and stand out from their surroundings, other birds and animals. For this design I started by doing with a lot of research. I'd decided the kingfisher should be surrounded by other elements, so I had to look up river plants, as well as the insects and even the fish, to make sure that they were right. The trickiest part was getting the kingfisher's eye and beak just right! I also spent lots of time choosing the right blue tones of thread to show off his feathers. I hope you'll enjoy the whole chart – although it looks like a complex design, it's straightforward to stitch, so should be an enjoyable, stress-free project.” Nature lovers are…

Pop the perfect card in the post to a friend and make their day! A card sent through the post is always more special than an email or a quick phone call. Plus, the thrill of hearing a bundle of cards landing on the hallway mat on your birthday never fades! Jenny Barton’s design celebrates the tradition of card and letter writing with an old-fashioned postbox – set off perfectly by the pretty polka dot paper you can download free from our Facebook page. You will need... 28HPI evenweave (or 14HPI aida), blue, Zweigart Trento Ref: 3453/5072, 10x8in (25x20cm) Stranded cotton as listed in the key White card 7x10 in (18x25cm) Red spot paper – free to download from www.facebook.com/CSCMagazine Make a patch card ATTACH your design to your red…

Mix & match crafts I am a subscriber from New Delhi, India, and am writing in to show you my adaptation of one of the card designs by Angela Poole (issue 213). I combined my two passions of cross stitching and patchwork to make a cushion for my friend on her birthday. Hope you like it! Anu Anil, by email, by email Collection says: Hurrah for cross-over crafts! Your patchwork skills make an amazing border for the cross stitch design. We’re inspired to have a go ourselves! Mini marvel This is the wonderful Maria Diaz ‘Friends....’ project I’ve just completed. I loved stitching it but challenged myself by stitching it over one on 30HPI white opalescent fabric using DMC threads. I used my scissors and a thread bobbin next to…

DAINTY MAKES Alliums are often referred to as the ‘fireworks’ of the garden, with their bursts of pink and purple petals in a characteristic globe shape. This bookmark by Abigail Barker makes a pretty way to mark your place in your latest summer read. Working this delicate design on 28HPI linen not only gives your bookmark a lovely soft and luxurious finish, but is also easier to use when working the fractional stitches. The design also uses backstitching to bring the texture of the flower heads to life – careful counting here will pay off later! You will need... 28HPI linen (or 14HPI aida), light rustic, Zweigart Cashel, Ref: 3281/52, 12x6in (30x15cm) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Check fabric 2¾x2¾in (7x7cm) Felt for backing 8x1¾in (20x4.5cm) Sewing kit…

Collection 248 The second part of Maria Diaz’s giant doll’s house Bring the beauty of wild birds into your home with Eva Rosenstand’s design A colourful and absorbing portrait of a Native American chieftan Emma Congdon’s multiple good luck card Chart of the month – a classic country display of bluebells by Lesley Tearehedgerow blossoms Collection 250 Enchanted summer fairy by Lesley Teare The ultimate card for a special friend! An exclusive mini Cotswold cottage from The Nutmeg Company Gorgeous gardening apron Mediterranean-inspired table linens Chart of the month – Stunning wildflower meadow from Lesley Teare Collection 249 Romantic Paris picture exclusive from Anchor Final part of Maria Diaz’s Edwardian doll’s house Strawberry picnic set from Jenny Barton Still life sunflower chart designed by Permin Brilliant BBQ apron project to…

Do you know, I used to imagine I’d be great at jam making! I actually had visions of foraging in hedgerows, collecting fruit and making pounds of my own jam. I even planted a crab apple tree in the garden and had thoughts of a quince tree, trained espalier style for making quince cheese. But, for some reason and despite my best attempts, this jam making lark has beaten me. The first year I duly picked some blackberries and apples and followed the instructions to the letter (including the ‘wrinkle’ test) potted up my jam and was completely surprised when it poured out of the jar – not a hint of ‘spread’ at all. So I tried again, and, after more than ten wrinkle tests, decided that it must be…