Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2017 i Cross Stitch Gold

When the weather finally warms up, we love nothing more than stitching in the garden with a lovely cool drink and comfy deckchair to nestle into. So, our projects this month have a distinctly outdoor feel to give us our alfresco hit, come rain or shine! Take a look at Shannon Wasilieff’s Edwardian lady strolling amid a beautiful floral garden (p12). Turn to page 20 for an adorable, nostalgic scene of Victorian children building sandcastles by Maria Diaz. And we have a sweet, sumptuous basket of freshly-picked strawberries, courtesy of Durene Jones – the perfect gift for gardening lovers (p38). Our cover star this issue, is a gorgeous rose-laden cottage from Carol Thorton, bursting with a wonderful watercolour charm, to bring an artistic touch to any home (p4). This scene…

Welcome to the jungle I loved Fiona Baker’s jungle cards (Cross Stitch Gold, issue 134) and I’m planning to stitch all four, but would like to frame them in a four-aperture mount to make a decoration for my nephew Frank’s bedroom – he’s six years old and loves animals. I have bought everything I need to stitch the designs (including my frame), and am all set to get started. I’ll send a photo when it’s finished. Wish me luck! Amy Webb, Poole Zeena: can’t wait to see how I you get on, Amy – Fiona’s jungle animals have been so popular and I bet Frank will love them. A new fan Hello Cross Stitch Gold team! I wanted to write to tell you that I picked up issue 136 in…

Half stitch heaven Half stitches in three different shades of green are an effective way of rendering the grass and background foliage in this design. These stitches create a realistic lawn effect in the foreground and give a hazy quality to the greenery of the background, which helps to offer this scene a sense of depth. The need for beads White and crystal pink seed beads are used in this design for the flowers as well as the lady’s jewellery. They give a subtle glamour to the piece! When attaching beads remember to use a similar thread colour to the bead that you’re adding.…

A bit of background The bright foreground is complemented by the pale and minimal detail in the distance. I’ve worked clouds in gentle shades, with no backstitch – it helps to give them a fluffy, realistic effect. Backstitch is employed to create the flying gulls and the boats on the horizon. Each of these parts is quick to stitch, but so effective in terms of the overall design. Perfect blend I’ve employed a spot of blending in this design – it helps add naturalism to the children’s hair, shining in the sun. It’s easy to achieve the look – simply thread your needle with one strand of brown (437) and one strand of coffee brown (3863) thread and follow the chart.…

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. STAMPED STRESS QI’m about to start to stitch a stamped cross stitch kit called Welcome to the Coop. Do you have any tips for me as I’m not sure whether to…

“My kingfisher scene is an bright piece of art to grace your wall, and the colours really make it ‘pop’! Do send in a photo if you decide to stitch it.” Meet the designer Maria Diaz Maria has always had a passion for needlecraft, since learning to sew as a child on her great-grandmother’s ancient foot-treadled Singer. After art college she landed 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 designer and lives in the Midlands with her two little boys, Lincoln and Hudson. “As soon as I saw this design I couldn’t wait to start on it! The colours are magnificent and the hoop makes a perfect mount.”Heather Nugent, Charting Assistant Stitcher’s…

“I loved creating this fun sampler, though I got through a fair amount of tea (and cake!) while I was doing it as the motifs I was designing just kept tempting me to take a tea break!” 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. “Durene’s employed some lovely colour combinations in this design – this would make a brilliant present for a friend, and is a great piece of art for any kitchen.”Fiona Baker, Technical Editor Stitcher’s…

“I’ve used a minimal selection of colours to create these cards. The black silhouette landmarks, with their striking outlines, convey a simple, stylish look. Wherever you’re travelling to this year, I hope you’ll love stitching these designs!” 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 love the idea of stitching all of these and framing in a four-aperture mount – they’d look super-stylish on my wall!”Zeena Moolla, Acting Editor Stitcher’s guide These cards are worked on 28-count white evenweave over two threads of the fabric, using just six shades…

“Festooned with flowers and flanked by foliage, my bright and beautiful cottage is a riot of colour and would make an enjoyable project for any confident stitcher.” Meet the designer Carol Thornton Watercolour artist Carol sketches and paints her gorgeous works of art before turning them into cross stitch designs. She creates charts for various magazines and has attracted legions of fans who love her distinctive style of artwork, which translates beautifully into cross stitch. “What a striking and beautiful design! Carol’s cottage really shows off her skills as a watercolour artist, with its rich palette of colours and the way they seem to subtly blend into one another. I love it!”Zeena Moolla, Acting Editor You will need FABRIC Zweigart 14-count white aida measuring 39x43cm (15¼x17in) THREADS Stranded cotton as…

Perfect prezzie Simy’s embroidery gift set is a real treasure for needlecrafters. This luxury kit includes embroidery scissors, a thimble, a needlecase, bodkin and awl – all within a lovely rosewood box. If you want to buy something really unique for a special needlecraft lover, then this could be just the thing. It would also make a pretty fabulous treat for yourself… Add it to your stitching wishlist, or just leave this page open and hanging around as a subtle hint to loved ones in the run-up to your birthday! Simy's embroidery gift box is available from www. woolwarehouse.co.uk  costing £49.99 Fantastic Mr Fox Wildlife fans, get ready for a treat! This furry friend makes a wonderfully evocative and enjoyable project to get stuck into today.…

“I just loved working on this sleepy tabby, basking in the sun. I loved picking the colours to make her fur look as realistic as possible.” 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 for creating designs for a wide range of stitching magazines, and has a range of cross stitch books to her name too. Lesley lives and works in rural Suffolk, where she enjoys gardening and country walks with her labrador. “Not only does this work well as a cushion, Lesley’s sleepy cat would also look great in a traditional frame.”Abi Barker, Special Projects Coordinator You will need FABRIC Zweigart 28-count ice blue evenweave (3270/550) measuring 42x42cm…

“I loved coming up with the bold colours for this design, from the ruby red strawberries and zingy pink blooms to the curious blue tit perched on the edge of the basket!” 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 love working with bright, bold colours so this cheerful design is a must-stitch for me!”Abi Barker, Special Projects Coordinator Stitcher’s guide This design is worked on 28-count cashel linen over two threads of the fabric, in 33…

Light on water I’ve used dark gold DMC Light Effects thread to add a delicate shimmer to the river’s surface (and the waterlily!). It’s just a subtle touch, but is enough to lend a sense of movement to the water and to complement the vibrant colours that make up the main focus of the piece. Stitching the blues With so many shades of blue in the kingfisher’s plumage it’s vital to keep a close eye on the chart for colour changes! Try pre-loading several needles with the colours you need before you start stitching, too. stitch tip The hoop’s style and shape make it a perfect mount for this piece, but you can use a conventional frame if you prefer…

Good enough to eat I had to buy quite a few little cakes (all in the name of research, obviously!) to create the two pretty cupcakes for my sampler, but I think the effort’s paid off! These little treats look really tasty and they’re quick and easy to stitch too (with just a few French knots on the floral adornment). If you’re feeling confident and creative you could even have a go at altering the colours to depict your favourite cake or icing flavour! More than words The lettering on the sampler is really crisp and clear, and the very dark pink and mink brown thread shades that I’ve chosen really help the words to stand out. Backstitches next to the brown wording offer a three-dimensional quality too. It’s important…

Border line I’ve worked a border on each card, using the colour of the main design for each one. It helps to add focus and is a neat, stylish way to frame the picture. Work your backstitch neatly for each border, keeping an even tension as you work. Lovely landmarks There is also a lot of backstitch used in creating the landmarks on each of these card designs. It’s really effective, but can be quite time-consuming, especially on the more complex patterns within the Eiffel Tower, for example.…

Stitches galore This design isn’t complicated to stitch, but the stitches do cover the whole of the fabric, which means it is very densely worked and will take some time to complete. You may find it easiest to tackle one section at a time. This way you’ll get a sense of your progress as you go, and it will encourage you to take plenty of breaks (because you can make sure you take one before you move on to the next part of the design!). Not a lotta knots If you’re not keen on French knots, don’t worry as there aren’t very many used in this design. Just six, in fact – I’ve used them to create the vintage-style fastenings on the windows of the cottage. You can see from…

“For this scene I’ve taken inspiration from Edwardian style to get the elegant clothing and hair just right. I hope you’ll find this a satisfying and enjoyable project to get stuck into!” Meet the designer Shannon Wasilieff Canadian designer Shannon has always been passionate about creative pursuits, but it was when she started designing cross stitch that she truly found her calling. Her talent is evident in her beautiful designs, and her great eye for colour and detail helps to make her unique creations into true masterpieces like this one. “I especially love the way that Shannon has designed the flowers that cascade from the wall in this beautiful piece. They have a great naturalism, with a rich green foliage that completes the effect.”Fiona Baker, Technical Editor “Shannon has come…

“I loved designing this colourful seaside scene. I hope you’ll enjoy stitching it too – let us know how you get on!” Meet the designer Maria Diaz Maria has always had a passion for needlecraft, since learning to sew as a child on her great-grandmother’s ancient foot-treadled Singer. After art college she landed 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 designer and lives in the Midlands with her two little boys, Lincoln and Hudson. “This project isn’t difficult to stitch and offers a great finished effect. This makes it a great choice for holiday stitching, and I’ll certainly be giving it a go this summer when I go off on my travels!”Fiona…

The cat’s whiskers My sleepy tabby wouldn’t be complete without her sleek white whiskers. I’ve worked these in long stitch as this offers a more realistic outline than backstitch would be able to create. Long stitch is very much like backstitch – it just covers a greater area and as a result it gives a more naturalistic and flowing effect – as you can see here! Beautiful butterflies I’ve based my butterflies on tortoiseshell and red admiral butterflies, which can commonly be seen fluttering in my own garden. These little motifs add extra colour, and a sense of movement to the cat’s surroundings, and I think they’d make great designs to stitch on their own – maybe as part of a greeting or to make a gift tag or bookmark?…

Taken from nature I love working with flora and fauna from the natural world to create my designs and so one of my favourite things about this piece was designing the cheeky blue tit. I worked from photos and scientific drawings to make sure this little creature was as life-like as possible in the finished design, and think he looks just right! Capturing the climbers There’s more from the natural world in the foliage around the basket, in various shades of green. My particular favourite is the ivy that’s snaking its way around the handle of the basket. Neat backstitch is what really makes this plant, so take your time with this to get its rambling, winding look just right.…

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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…