Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2015 i Cross Stitch Collection

In early 1992, with Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of the charts, and programmes like Ab Fab and Heartbeat on the television, thoughts of starting a new cross stitch magazine were born. The previous year Martin and I had started Needlecraft, the first dedicated stitching magazine here in the UK, and it soon became apparent that we could not include enough cross stitch to satisfy our readers. In April of 1992, the first issue of Cross Stitch Collection appeared, and close on its heels in September of that year, CrossStitcher magazine. It seems a long time since those first fledgling thoughts, and in the two decades since we left the magazines, we have written and edited numerous books and raised a family. We are both passionate about cross stitch…

Meet the designer... Jenny Barton “Although I’m not too keen on the arrival of the darker, earlier nights or the cooler weather, autumn is still my favourite time of year. I love the stunning, vibrant colours of autumn leaves and I especially love kicking up the fallen leaves with my children! My daughters were both autumn babies – my eldest was born on Bonfire Night and my youngest on Halloween – so this time of year is particularly special to the whole family. The toadstool block was inspired from a favourite autumnal photo of mine. If I were to stitch any of the blocks, I would definitely start with the toadstools as it reminds me of living in beautiful York which is where I took the photo. I might even…

If you’re ever in a position where you’ve run out of wall space, friends or frames for your finished stitching, here’s a charitable venture which we loved the moment we heard about it. Love Quilts UK (www.lovequiltsuk.com) is supported by the efforts of generous stitchers who contribute stitched squares which are then made into quilts for sick children. You can be sure your work will be treasured by families and their children and you will get a warm glow from helping to create something very personal and special that will touch the lives of families at a time when they need as much support as people can offer. Encouraged by Love Quilts in the States, Love Quilts UK was set up in 2008. Katherine Pocklington was the first quilter for…

Meet the designer… Durene Jones The thing I really like about this design is that it has a purpose as well as being very attractive to look at. It can be sewn as a mount, making a very special photograph even more special. Or it can be adapted, so instead of putting a photo in the centre, you could sew names and a date, turning it into a wedding sampler, or adding words for another special event. The start of this design was to research which flowers and colours to use. It also needed to be interesting to look at and balanced as a whole. Once I had decided on the flowers, it came together very quickly, probably about 12 hours from sketch to chart. The trickiest part was working…

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… Where do you do your stitching? My craft corner is our living room. It’s a bit messy, because we have just returned from our holiday in the UK, and I have to organise things I bought at three Hobbycraft stores! Tanj Gruijthuijsen-de Bont I stitch in my camper. Connie Moser In winter time I’m cosy on the sofa with a day-light lamp, in summer on the patio, on a table with a lot of northern light. Hilde Van Baelen Some is in the…

STITCH & SEND Moving house is one of the three most stressful things you can do in your life so if you have friends who have just finished the process, why not soothe their troubled souls by welcoming them to their new home with one of Jenny Barton’s charming cards. The combination of colourful backdrop, fabric and sweet, simple design is sure to prove a hit. In fact it’s such a lovely thing, the homeowners might just want to frame it and put it on the wall. You will need... 28HPI evenweave (14HPI aida), white, Brittney ref no: 3270/100 10x8in (25.5x20.5cm) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Card white 6x11¼in (15.5x28.5cm) Blue striped paper – free to download from www.facebook.com/CSCMagazine How to make your card WORK all the cross…

You can buy a digital edition of Cross Stitch Collection – ready to read whenever you want. Single issues and subscriptions are available and every issue you purchase is stored in your magazine library permenantly. Once the magazine has downloaded, an internet connection is not required so you can take your magazine with you, wherever you go. You’ll also find a huge range of back issues online too – go and have a browse to see what you’ve missed! Go to Apple Newsstand for iPad and iPhone www.bit.ly/AppleCS Collection Go to Zinio for Android or PC/Mac www.zinio.com/ crossstitchcollection EVERY ISSUEfeatures easy-to-use chartsyoucan zoom!…

Stitch your own village We love a meander through a rural British village, particularly if it’s followed by a slap-up lunch at a rural British pub! Japanese-born textile artist Yoh Nye Sakurai creates three-dimensional cross stitch kits that evoke the charm of thatched cottages, churches and fields full of sheep that make up much of our countryside. Yoh, who studied at Osaka University of Arts in Japan and the Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, Italy, explains that his creations bring together his background growing up in “a culture that appreciates cute miniatures” and his appreciation of his English home. “I take photos of houses, gardens and landscapes I visit, then I come up with an image for what I want to create, and from that I make a pattern…

DAINTY MAKES You know how it goes… you’re halfway through a project, get distracted then come back to find you’ve misplaced something. Well at least you can make sure your needles and scissors are easy to find with Durene Jones’ simple yet stylish needlecase and scissor keeper. It’s a quick, easy project which is both beautiful and practical. You will need... 28HPI linen (14HPI aida), rustic, Zweigart Cashel ref no: 3281/53 9x20in (23x51cm) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Raspberry Felt, rqh slhfh 4 1/8 X 5¾ in (10.5x14.5cm) Sewing kit – usual essentials including matching thread Stitching the design WORK the cross stitch in two strands of stranded cotton over two threads of the evenweave fabric. How to make a needlecase 1 TRIM the stitching to 5½x7in so…

STITCH & SEND Some designs are timeless. Take, for example, the good old British postage stamp. A small rectangle of colour and a picture of the Queen’s head doesn’t initially seem like promising material for a stitch. But it’s an iconic image that, with the right treatment, becomes a modern and stylish work of art. Emma Congdon has used it to excellent effect in this bold greetings card. We particularly like the backstitched postmark, a lovely finishing touch. It’s a gift that anyone would be delighted to receive. Just remember to put a real stamp on the envelope before you post it. You will need... 28HPI evenweave (or 14HPI aida), white, Zweigart Brittney ref no: 3270/100 12x11in (30x28cm) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Card white 8¾x15¼in (22x39cm) How…

It’s the time of year when the trees are heavy with ripe juicy apples. We love apples. Whether it’s in apple sauce with a bit of roast pork, a sweet and sharp apple crumble for pudding or a crisp, cold glass of cider it really is the king of fruits. What better way to celebrate this year’s apple crop than by taking a big bite of inspiration to create the perfect stitch. In this instance, it’s Abigail Barker’s apple patchwork cushion. There is so much to love about this mouth-watering design. The variety of patterns and textures are wonderful and we especially like the pencil sketch style of the backstitched apple outlines. Like the apples themselves this is a fresh, crisp design that’s bursting with colour. Ripe for the stitching…

Meet the designer... Meg Evershed "The colours of autumn are breathtaking, and the sight of golden leaves drifting down from the trees and spreading across gardens and fields compensates for the increased nip in the air and the need to light the wood stove again. This cottage stands on the edge of a tract of woodland in Wales and has a large chimney leaning against an end wall. Many Welsh cottages were built of huge stones taken from local quarries, and Welsh slate was once a principal export." “Chysanthemums are in full flower and crisp autumn leaves blow around in the breeze” This pretty little cottage is ablaze with the wonderful shades of autumn – fiery oranges, golds and greens are used for the landscape. Pumpkin plants are ripe with…

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 make for your man! Chart of the month – Stunning heirloom wedding portrait from Joan Elliott Collection 251 Old-fashioned florist’s shop by Maria Diaz Travel set to give as a gift Beautiful butterflies from Permin to frame in an embroidery hoop Exam congrats card Giant cushions with fun tropical motifs Chart of the month – Scrapbook style rose study by Durene Jones 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…

Getting started Select your needle 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, and be sure to leave 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…

This Tokens of Love motif has been reproduced by the kind permission of Ackworth School, near Pontefract where, since 1779, scholars worked a very special type of sampler. I am not lucky enough to own a Quaker Sampler but was kindly given access to one by Janet Nicholl, one of our Cross Stitch Guild (CSG) members, who spotted the sampler in an auction house. (Luckily for me, The CSG has also been given permission to reproduce the Ackworth Samplers in kit form.) In addition to Tokens of Love motifs, octagons or eight-sided medallions were commonly stitched and indeed created in knitting patterns. They tend to have a limited use of colour or appear in monochrome. This style of motif is particularly common in Quaker schools both in the UK and…

There’s so much to love about this striking fairy design from one of our favourite designers. The circular border, festooned with flowers and butterflies, bursts with colour and nicely observed detail. The fairy herself is a fascinating creature. Her wings are almost moth-like but the vivid wing tips call to mind a proud peacock. We love the way the fairy sits in an enchanted bower, along with her friend the owl. It’s an unusual addition but perhaps appropriate in that owls have long held an important place in mythical traditions representing different things to different cultures. It is a pretty and thought-provoking project. It’s also a very interesting piece to undertake with a variety of vivid colour work, intricate flowers, central character study and quirky little details like the butterflies…

DAINTY MAKES No doubt as the summer break draws to an end exhaustion is setting in but you’ll need one last burst of energy for the final task of the holidays… getting your beloved little terrors back to school. We can’t help you with uniforms but we can send them back with a stylish pencil case courtesy of Emma Congdon. You will need... 25HPI evenweave (12HPI aida), dark grey, Zweigart Lugana Ref: 3835/7026 , 13x22in (33x56cm) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Zip bright to match your lettering 8in (20.5cm) Bright paper clips to add as a zip puller Sewing kit – usual essentials including matching thread Before Starting preparing your fabric DRAW out the name and pencil on squared paper and then work out where the centre is,…

City of love I have stitched this lovely French sampler as an anniversary present for my husband, as we spent our honeymoon in Paris 15 years ago next month. I love the colours in this picture, and the postmark is really cute. I found the half cross stitch sky and backstitch iron work on the Eiffel Tower a real challenge, but once I got the hang of working, it all came together very quickly. I followed the advice in the magazine and did one scene at a time and this really helped me. Jane Eagle, via email Ed says: Paris is a very romantic place to spend your honeymoon, and I’m sure your husband will love your stitching. For those of you who missed this project when first published in…

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…