Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2016 i Cross Stitch Gold

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas here in the Cross Stitch Gold office! We absolutely love this very special time of year when the stockings are hung, the tree is glittering and the eggnog is flowing! And as any seasoned cross stitcher knows, you have to start early if you want to finish extra special projects in time for the festivities. So, with this in mind, we have an issue full of gorgeous, seasonal designs for you. Over on page 20, we have a beautiful Patridge in a Pear Tree from Anne Mortimer, adorable Advent calendar by Lucie Heaton (p38), and of course, if you head to page 4, we have the star of the show, Joan Elliot’s secret Santa! You can also recreate the magic of Christmas…

What a card! This is the card I made for my gorgeous daughter’s recent birthday – from the lovely floral range you featured in issue 127 of Cross Stitch Gold! Faby Reilly is one of my favourite designers because I think she does sentiment really well. The crystal and seed-bead embellishment, plus the gold stitching, really made the project extra special and I felt it showed true thought and care that you can’t buy in a shop! I loved making this – it was an absolute joy. Jenny Miller, Glasgow Zeena: Your card couldn’t be truer to Faby’s, Jenny – we bet your daughter was absolutely thrilled to receive it. Costume drama I really like the Victorian lady you featured on the cover of Cross Stitch Gold issue 130. I…

Bloomin’ lovely Can you resist another quality floral design from the fabulous Lesley Teare? We certainly can’t! Create a winter wonderland, complete with wild flowers and thistles, a snow-covered farmhouse and a starry winter sky. Designed by Lesley for DMC’s Seasonal Landscape Collection, this kit is the perfect way to hunker down and while away the hours with a winter project. You’ll find everything you need including 14-count aida, cotton threads, a needle, chart and instructions. Winter Garden costs £22.50 and measures 20.3cm x 25.5cm. Visit www.past-impressions.co.uk to buy. Scissor happy Never lose your embroidery scissors again with this sweet keepsake fob, designed as a stunning stained glass window. This cute and colourful kit is perfect for a quick finish. The final fob, that would make a no-doubt welcome gift for…

THE EXPERTS JO BENNER Jo is an experienced stitcher and crafter, who writes for several cross stitch magazines. She can 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. SARAH TREVOR Sarah has worked on cross stitching and craft magazines for over six years. She’s an avid stitcher, and is ready and raring to help you with any of your craft or cross stitch dilemmas. CHRISTMAS STOCKING Q How do I make up the Christmas stocking that I've just finished stitching? I’m aware that toys and boxes with sharp edges could poke into the fabric and…

Edwardian charm Make your way to the bandstand to enjoy this brand new design from the All Our Yesterdays collection! When The Saints Come Marching In is a beautifully large design at 43x28cm (17x11in), and like all of Faye Whittaker’s artwork, it captures a picturesque scene of times gone by. This chart is worth £17.99, and we also have a Let’s Play greeting card worth £2.50 for each winner too! Visit www.fayewhittakerarts.com for more information. We have 13 prizes up for grabs. The text keyword is GOLD132AOY. For full entry details, see the blue box below. French style If you love classic designs that are easy to stitch, look no further than Anette Eriksson’s elegant Chateau kit, worked entirely in half cross stitch on hessian fabric. There’s plenty of detail…

By the seaside ANCHOR (04121-JL041), Anette Eriksson, £37.87 What’s in the kit • Colour chart • 12-count hessian • Stranded cotton •Tapestry needle Size of finished design 75x75cm (29½x29½in) Stitching this kit Whether you’re going to the seaside, or just want that holiday feeling every day, this is the project for you. The design is worked on a 12-count hessian bag, in chunky cross stitch. The tapestry wools aren’t pre-sorted, but an organiser is included. The design is whole cross stitches. Before stitching, you should zigzag stitch or overlock the edges of the hessian to stop it fraying. The bag can be stitched with or without the ‘dip dye’ effect (as pictured here) and a complete tutorial is provided for this. There aren’t any instructions for making up the bag,…

UK stockists CHARLES CRAFT For stockists, visit www.dmccreative.co.uk Call 0116 2754000 COATS CRAFTS UK For stockists, visit www.makeitcoats.com Call 01484 681881 CRAFT CREATIONS Visit www.craftcreations.com Call 01992 781900 CRAFT DEPARTMENT Visit www.craftdepartment.com Call 01539 823199 DMC CREATIVE WORLD For stockists, visit www.dmccreative.co.uk Call 0116 2754000 MADEIRA For stockists, visit www.eqsuk.com Call 0116 2710033 SEW AND SO Visit www.sewandso.co.uk Call 0800 0130150 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…

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 that accompanies the chart 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 – you'll need these to 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. Conversion numbers 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…

Meet the designer Joan Elliott Joan is a much-loved American designer who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York This is my ultimate Christmas project for readers of Cross Stitch Gold – one that has brought me great joy to work on, and will hopefully bring you joy to stitch, too! Santa Claus, Father Christmas, St Nicholas – whatever name you have for this jolly old fellow, you can be sure that he’ll be recognised the world over for his billowing red cloak, lined with fur, his bushy beard and kind eyes and of course, the bulging sack of presents on his back. I think children will love this particular Santa, purely for the way he is giving us a little‘shhh’ to keep his visit a secret! Santas arrival is…

My lovely nana My nana sadly passed away in June this year and I was given all her cross stitch kit because I was the only grandchild out of five of us, who she taught to cross stitch. I was only around five years of age when she started me off and I’m now 22 and picking it up again! I’m so pleased she took the time to walk me through her favourite hobby – it really does mean so much to me. She absolutely loved Cross Stitch Gold and before her dementia got bad, she made sure the newsagent ordered in every issue for her. She was such an amazing lady, my nana! A really special woman. Sarah Robson, South Shields Zeena: What a touching letter, Sarah. We’re honoured…

Meet the designer Anne Mortimer Anne studied Natural History Illustration at Dyfed College of Art in Wales, and has been a professional artist and illustrator for over 30 years The Twelve Days of Christmas is one of those cheerful carols that always lifts my heart at Christmas time, especially when a group of carollers or the whole family sings it together! Here’s my tribute to the song, brought to you in a botanical style with a central design of a partridge in a pear tree, and a complementary border of leaves and fruit. I have chosen a natural palette that includes shades of copper, sand, dark green and navy blue, which I think makes a nice change from traditional Christmas colour schemes. It also means that you can hang this…

Meet the designer Lucie Heaton Lucie has a passion for needlework and crafts, and has been creating cross stitch designs for over 20 years Folk art is one of my favourite styles, and the fact that this design is Christmas themed was an added bonus! I loved combining the two elements, with a simple symmetrical scene of reindeer, angels, stars and doves, and a bright yet refined palette. Designing for coloured fabric can be tricky sometimes, but I’m so pleased with the way this project has turned out, as the navy background brings all the colours to life and adds to the Christmassy feel. The Cross Stitch Gold team has done such a great job with the felt pockets, too – what a beautiful finish! It’s a perfect addition to…

Meet the designer Lesley Teare Lesley lives and works in rural Suffolk. She designs for many of the best cross stitch magazines, as well as for cross stitch books It’s always nice to see my cross stitch designs being used as practical items like cushions and table linens, and I hope this project will get lots of use this Christmas – and for many Christmases to come! The central motif is a beautiful star, from which shimmering swirls and shiny red baubles are suspended in a symmetrical pattern. The combination of bright red and luxurious gold is a match made in Christmas heaven, so I’ve kept the colour palette very simple to let these shades truly shine. Whether your home is traditional or modern, chic or rustic, this is a…

Meet the designer Amanda Gregory Amanda is a talented watercolour artist, cross stitch designer and dressmaker, based in the West Country Like many of my sketchbook designs that have featured in previous issues of Gold , this project is a collage of ideas, combining swatches of floral fabric with ‘real’ blooms and golden swirls to create different areas of interest. I hope you will enjoy stitching the delicate leaves and petals, overlapping each other in a patchwork of layers. There is a lot of detail in this design, so be sure to leave enough time if you’re planning on giving it as a Christmas gift, plus extra time for turning it into a cushion! I love the red fabric border – it really accentuates the poinsettia and berries, while contrasting…

Meet the designer Carol Thornton Carol is a watercolour artist, who sketches and paints her designs before converting them into cross stitch Whether you’re stitching these cards for your loved ones or making them to sell at a Christmas fete, I hope they will catch the eye with their soft colours and 3d finish. Each design features a festive floral wreath and a seasonal greeting, with the top half of the wreath standing proud of the card. The wreath is symbolic at Chistmas time, with its circular shape representing eternity, so I’ve chosen traditional images of glowing candles, bells, bows and baubles to accompany each one. Perforated paper is lovely to stitch on, and these designs use whole stitches and just a touch of backstitch, so they are perfect for…

Metallic sparkle Metallic thread is a must for me when I’m designing for Christmas – you just can’t get the same effect using stranded cotton. I wanted the stars to shine, and Santas spectacles to twinkle, so I’ve used backstitch in one strand of Kreinik braid in Citron. Elsewhere, Kreinik braid in Grey added the perfect touch of silvery sparkle to the fur on Santas cloak and hat. Classic toys I loved adding the toys to this design. They’re traditional ones of course – you’ll never see me designing a Santa sack full of computer games or consoles! Teddies and dollies, train sets and spinning tops – you can’t beat toys like these, and children will still get hours of enjoyment from a simple ball!…

Meet the designer Susan Bates Susan is a well-loved designer who produces charts for lots of stitching magazines, as well as for DMC Creative World A fresh blanket of snow is so tempting, so it’s no wonder that this inquisitive moggie has ventured outside to enjoy the cool crunch underfoot – and he’s happily bumped into another garden visitor for a chat! I loved designing this wintry scene, centred around the cat and watering can, with the dear little robin bringing a splash of colour and another friendly face to the picture. To create a focal point in the distance I added a jolly snowman to the scene, too, while delicate green foliage and shiny red berries help to frame the whole piece beautifully. I hope you get a warm…

Meet the designer Durene Jones Durene worked as a graphic designer before becoming a popular cross stitch designer. She loves creating bright, colourful projects like this one My jolly Christmas characters are the best way to welcome in the season! I couldn’t wait to get started on this fun design for all ages to enjoy – just one look at those rosy cheeks is enough to make you smile! Christmas really is a magical time of year, when kindness and joy seem to multiply, so I wanted to include a motto that conveyed this positive feeling. I hope the sentiment will get you in the festive spirit, too. If time is running out before Christmas and you need something smaller to stitch, try one of the individual scenes as a…

Party time I think this sparkly runner would look lovely on a hall table if you’re having friends over for Christmas drinks. I’ll be laying mine with a plate of warm mince pies and a jug or two of mulled wine! Make it unique Feel free to adapt the colours of this design to suit your decor. As it uses only three shades of cotton and one metallic, you can make substitutions easily. Try swapping the red shades for a palette of greens or blues, or change the gold to silver. Id be really excited to see if any Goldreaders give this a go!…

Subtle shading I’ve used five different shades of red thread for my poinsettia, as it s the main focus of the cushion and I wanted to create lots of depth and detail. Four of them are used for the cross stitch, while the darkest shade of red is used for the backstitch detail to define the flower’s petals. Textured effect The vibrant flower centres on the white roses are created with radiating backstitch lines in yellow, and a ring of orange French knots. I love how layering these stitches over the cross stitch creates such an interesting and textured finish.…

Two strands or three? Some stitchers prefer to use three strands of cotton for better coverage on perforated paper, but I think two strands are enough. This way, the stitching isn’t too bulky at the back, and it will sit better on your base card. Gold sparkle I love the gold ribbon that has been used to finish off these cards. If you want to add a touch of sparkle to your stitching, too, try adding a strand of gold blending filament to the needle when working the yellow shades.…