Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2016 i Cross Stitch Gold

Looking for some 2017 stitching inspiration? Well, look no further! We have an issue packed with ideas to take the edge off the January blues and a chilly night… We have a gorgeous blue tit cushion by Maria Diaz (p12), pretty Parisian journal cover courtesy of Durene Jones (p46) and a beautiful roses bouquet design from Amanda Butler (p38) – all bringing a fabulous feel of spring optimism this month. We also have a stunning and very striking dragon draught excluder (p20), a perfect gift idea for a Chinese New Year celebration, and of course, there is our elegant cover star, the Oriental Princess by Lesley Teare. A fantastic, intricate project to get stuck into and yield amazing results. We’realsoofferingyouthechancetowin £500 worth of Amazon vouchers by simply voting in the…

It’s twins! The new baby cards in issue 131 couldn’t have come at a better time for me. My sister gave birth to a boy and girl the day after I received my magazine and I got straight to work on the twins card from this set. She and her husband loved it and I was so happy to be able to give them a handmade card for such a special occasion. Thanks for the inspiration! Miranda Price, Leeds Zeena: Congratulations on the new family members, Miranda. I’m so happy that Gold came in useful for welcoming these little bundles into the world! Seaworthy scene I recently redecorated my bathroom and needed a water-themed picture to finish it off but just couldn’t find anything I liked.…

Flower power I find inspiration everywhere, but I especially love adding flowers to my designs – they really make any picture come alive, and of course they are always so pretty! I hope you enjoy stitching these branches of pink cherry blossom. I have kept them pale, so the glorious colours of the bird really stand out! Fantastic pastels You'll find in a lot of my designs that there is the classic combination of pale pinks and blues. I just love the way these colours complement each other. It was such a joy to use them here in this blue tit scene, and set them off with greys and greens to their best effect! I never stop being fascinated by colour and the way it works in a design.…

Clean finish When there are only a couple of colours on a background of white it's extra-important to achieve a crisp, clean finish. Fluff left behind on the fabric coud spoil the dramatic effect, so check over your work once you've finished, and remove any little bits very carefully with a par of tweezers. Chinese New Year I have tried to create a striking Oriental look with this dragon, and blackwork lends itself well to this effect. I designed this project with Chinese New Year in mind – as this festival is coming up on 28th January 2017 you should have enough time to complete this project in time for the colourful festivities.…

True to form I started off looking at lots of modern stained glass images before I began designing this piece. I wanted to come up with something that wasn't too complicated to stitch and that conveyed the beauty and rich colours of stained glass. Obviously, thread and glass are very different, but I think I've got the balance right here to achieve the correct shade, light and colour. I hope you enjoy stitching it! Stained glass – a history The technique of making a stained glass panel has hardly changed from the 12th century, and basically involves cutting pieces of coloured glass that are held together by a lattice of blackened lead. During the 17th and 18th centuries, stained glass went into decline before a revival in the 19th century.…

Meet the designer Amanda Butler Amanda’s love of craft came from her grandma who spent many hours teaching her and her sisters all sorts of crafts during the school holidays. She completed an HND in Design Crafts before landing a job with Coats (UK) Ltd. She spent time here as an Originator and a Designer, and today Amanda works as a freelance cross stitch designer, creating designs for a range of magazines and more. “I hope you’ll enjoy stitching this colourful floral design – the vibrant thread shades are sure to help boost your mood while we wait for spring to arrive!” Stitcher’s guide This design is stitched on 28-count ivory cashel linen over two threads of the fabric using 34 shades of stranded cotton. The design uses whole cross…

Be my Valentine If you don’t want to make this into a journal cover, it would work beautifully as an elaborate Valentine card for the one you love. Start stitching it now and it will be complete in good time for February. If you’re feeling cheeky you could give it to your loved one as a hint about booking a romantic getaway! Fun with French knots There are a good few French knots in this design so I hope you’re a fan! These stitches are really integral to the definition and depth of the scene, defining the flight path of the butterfly and adding detail to the edging. The backstitch is similarly important, but with six different shades to use, remember to keep a close eye on the chart.…

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 Lesley Teare Lesley is an experienced cross stitch designer, with a degree in Printed and Woven Textiles, and many years of design experience. She is renowned and revered for her work creating designs for a wide range of stitching magazines. She also has a range of cross stitch books to her name. Lesley lives and works in rural Suffolk, where she enjoys gardening and taking long country walks with her pet labrador. “With her pretty colours, shimmering detail and delicate, flowing lines, this Oriental princess is a truly special picture to grace your wall.” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count ice blue evenweave using 35 shades of stranded cotton and one of metallic thread. The design uses whole stitches and fractionals in two strands of…

Lady in pink I thought you might like to see my finished project of Lesley Teare’s Victorian lady that appeared in issue 130 of Cross Stitch Gold. I enjoyed stitching this so much that had I to share it with you. I added pearl beads to the glove and her top, and then I also stitched brown beads to the flowers. I just have to get her framed now, and she will look nice in my lounge! Emma Wright, Devon Zeena: Emma, this is such a wonderful accomplishment! You’ve really gone to town with the lovely beadwork and it has paid off – we love your finished work.…

Bed of roses For a cute picture, you really can’t beat this sweet kitten lying nonchalantly in a bunch of soft roses! Bed of Flowers is a brand new chart and kit from Mystic Stitch, based in the United States. Taken from original artwork by artist Howard Robinson the cross stitch design measures 56x28cm (22.8inx11in) on 18-count aida and 72x35.5cm (28.5x14in) on 14-count. The rich colours and detailed shading really make this piece come to life and, as all Mystic Stitch designs only use whole stitches, you should find it fairly easy to complete, even though it’s a big project with no less than 85 thread colours! Buy the chart for £13.94 or the kit for £56.21 from www.country-designs.co.uk Feeling foxy This Sunlit Fox kit by Dimensions is a great…

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. PURSE PROBLEM QI need to buy a few purse clasps as I want to make some purses for a local fundraiser. All the clasps I’ve found are around £6 each which…

Siren of the sea BUBBLES (K-46), Merejka, £21 What’s in the kit Colour symbol chart16-count night blue aidaDMC stranded cottonTapestry needle Size of finished design 23x31cm (11½x17¼in) Stitching this kit Founded in Ukraine and now operating out of Poland, Merejka produces kits containing high-quality materials, which are designed in collaboration with contemporary illustrators. Bubbles is one such kit: it features a stunning mermaid blowing bubbles into the night air, watching as they dance off towards the horizon. The background isn’t stitched at all, the dark sky instead brought to life by the dark blue aida – saving you lots of stitching time. The chart is impressive too, with very large symbols – you certainly won’t need a magnifying glass to keep your place. If you like the look of this…

A springtime feel The delicate pink blossoms help to give this piece a feel of freshness and springtime – I hope that this will help to add a splash of cheer to your stitching to see you through the last of the winter and into brighter spring evenings. Detailed features This detailed and densely stitched design is satisfying to stitch, as you’ll see the final picture build up gradually. I particularly enjoyed creating the intricate facial features, which are worth spending time on to ensure you get them right. I also love the flowing lines of the princess’ hair, which gives the impression of blowing gently in the breeze.…

Meet the designer Maria Diaz Maria has always had a passion for needlecraft, ever since learning to sew as a child on her great-grandmother's ancient foot-treadled Singer. After art college she was lucky enough to land a job as a printer that led to her becoming DMC's first in-house designer, where she worked for eight years. She is now an independent needlecraft designer and lives in the Midlands with her two little boys, Lincoln and Hudson. "I have used fresh, zingy colours of lime green, baby pink and lavender blue to evoke springtime. I hope you enjoy stitching this cheerful bird!" Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count antique white evenweave in 31 shades of stranded cotton. It uses whole, fractional and half stitches in two strands of thread,…

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 is renowned and revered for her work creating designs for a wide range of stitching magazines. She also has a range of cross stitch books to her name. Lesley lives and works in rural Suffolk, where she enjoys gardening and taking long country walks with her pet labrador. "My blackwork dragon incorporates a pop of bright red and yellow for a bold effect. It's a great choice of project to mark Chinese New Year on 28th January 2017!" Stitcher’s guide This dragon is worked on 28-count white evenweave over two threads of the fabric using five shades of stranded cotton. It uses whole…

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. “I have always loved the vibrant colour and beauty of stained glass, so it was a real pleasure for me to create this design featuring three shimmering butterflies. Make it into a hanging to go in your kitchen window, or anywhere you can really enjoy the light shining through the fabric and rich colours!” Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count white evenweave over two threads of fabric, using 21 shades of stranded cotton. The design uses whole stitches and quite…

Meet the designer Durene Jones Prolific designer Durene Jones creates cross stitch charts for a range of stitching mags. Her work is well loved for its cute and colourful tone, but she is a versatile designer and can turn her hand to any theme or style. Before starting on her creative cross stitch career Durene worked as a graphic designer. “I loved designing this scene, which celebrates Paris, the city of love! I’ve included images that are reminiscent of this iconic destination and think the design works perfectly to cover a journal like this.” Stitcher’s guide This Parisian scene is stitched on 28-count cream evenweave over two threads of the fabric, using 26 shades of stranded cotton. The design uses whole and half stitches in two strands of thread, backstitch…

Meet the designer Maria Diaz Maria has always had a passion for needlecraft, ever since learning to sew as a child on her great-grandmother's ancient foot-treadled Singer. After art college she was lucky enough to land a job as a printer that led to her becoming DMC's first in-house designer, where she worked for eight years. She is now an independent needlecraft designer and lives in the Midlands with her two little boys, Lincoln and Hudson. “I hope you’ll be wrapped up cosy and warm at home when you settle down to stitch this design, celebrating the end of winter.” Stitcher’s guide This design is stitched over two threads of 28-count white evenweave using 32 shades of stranded cotton and two shades of metallic thread. Cross stitches are worked in…

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. “I hope you'll enjoy stitching these jungle animal designs as much as I enjoyed designing them. They combine my passions of the natural world and stitching, and the tartan patterns were fun to come up with too, making these truly unique. I'm sure they will appeal to animal lovers of all ages!” Stitcher’s guide These stylish cards are worked on 28-count white evenweave over two threads of the fabric, using 14 shades of stranded cotton. The designs are worked in cross stitch…