Just CrossStitch August 2022

Hello stitching friends! Summer is in full swing here in Indiana, and we are enjoying the beautiful sun-filled days. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a dozen times—this truly is my favorite season of the year. I crave time outdoors, enjoying the fresh air, working in my gardens, and relaxing lakeside with my family. Even in my earliest childhood memories, I recall long afternoons spent playing outside with my siblings and exploring the neighborhood on all kinds of make—believe adventures. Summer also meant it was swim season, and whether we were at the local pool or at the lake, being in or near the water was a big part of summer. My continued fondness for everything water-related is even evident in the nautical designs selected for this issue, and I…

Design by Liz Almond of Blackwork Journey Skill Level: Intermediate Stitch Count: 104H x 104W Design Size: 7⅜” x 7⅜” Materials • 14” x 14” piece 28-count white Jobelan linen from Zweigart® • One skein each DMC® or Sullivans® USA six-strand embroidery floss • One package Mill Hill Seed Beads • Size 24 tapestry needle • Beading needle Instructions Working from the center point outward, cross stitch over two threads using two strands of floss. Where small symbols appear, work ¼ cross stitch using two strands of floss. Backstitch over two threads using one strand of floss. When all stitching is complete, work French knots using one strand of floss and wrapping around needle twice. Attach beads using ½ cross stitch over two threads and one strand of coordinating floss. Summer Celebration Shaded portion indicates chart overlap.…

A sweet honey bee minder from Accoutrement Designs safely guards needles and scissors. See page 61 to learn more! Design by Janis Lockhart of Cross-Point Designs Skill Level: Intermediate Stitch Count: 60H x 60W Design Size: 4¼” x 4¼” Materials • 11” x 11” piece 28-count Meditation Cashel linen from Picture This Plus • One skein each DMC® or Sullivans® USA six-strand embroidery floss • Four small country bee #1173.S buttons from Just Another Button Company (optional) • Size 24 tapestry needle Instructions Notes: Decorative bee buttons can be used in place of stitched bees, if desired. See an enlarged Bee Chart on page 64. Cross stitch over two threads using two strands of floss. Where small symbols appear, work cross stitch over one thread using one strand of floss. Work running stitch using one strand of floss. Backstitch over two threads using one strand…

Fruit Slices Design by Eirinn Norrie of Tangled Threads and Things Skill Level: Easy Stitch Count: 19H x 109W Design Size: 1⅜” x 8” Materials • 18” piece 27-count antique white 2.3” Simplicity stitch band from Wichelt Imports Inc. • One skein each Weeks Dye Works™ Hand Over Dyed Floss • Size 24 tapestry needle *DMC® alternatives are not one-to-one equivalents to the floss suggested by the designer. To achieve results pictured, use the floss listed in the first column. Instructions Cross stitch over two threads using two strands of floss. Work straight stitch using two strands of floss. Work French knot using one strand of floss and wrapping around needle twice. Shaded portion indicates chart overlap.…

Throughout the world in times past, people of varied cultures have employed the art of counted-thread stitching and embroidery to express their individual voices, customs and histories. Wool and silk threads worked into linen and wool fabrics have survived, sometimes through centuries, chronicling identity, memories, education, war, social changes, monarchies and invention. Thanks to the efforts of many dedicated women, Greek embroidery flourished during the 18th–19th centuries. Embroideries were worked to decorate the home, adorn traditional costumes, and illuminate ecclesiastical garments and cloths, not just to add beauty to those settings, but also in order that the unique features of Greek needlework would not be lost. The Royal Hellenic School of Needlework & Laces in Athens, Greece, was an industrial school founded in 1897 during the Graeco-Turkish War, not only for the…

Design by Krista West of Avlea Folk Embroidery Skill Level: Easy Stitch Count: 103H x 55W Design Size: 8” x 4¼” Materials • 14” x 11” piece 26-count ivory traditional ground cloth from Avlea Folk Embroidery • One skein each DMC® or Sullivans® USA six-strand embroidery floss • Size 24 tapestry needle Instructions Cross stitch over two threads using two strands of floss. Backstitch over two threads using two strands of floss. Finishing Materials & Instructions • White sewing thread • Sharp-point sewing needle • Sharp embroidery scissors • Straight pins Preparing the Hem Press stitched piece from reverse side, straightening as much as possible. Trim stitched piece 4” from design on all four sides. Place stitched piece wrong side up on ironing surface. Working on one side at a time to create a double-fold hem, turn in the raw edge of the fabric 2” and press. Turn…