Cross Stitch Favourites Spring 2018

Spring has to be my absolute favourite time of year for stitching. There are so many lovely occasions to make cards and gifts for – Mother's Day, Easter, the start of wedding season and those oh-so glorious spring birthdays. We're making it easy for you to find just the thing to stitch for all your friends and family members with this gorgeous compilation of charts by some of the UK's hottest cross stitch designers. We've packed this issue with fabulous designs, all themed by popular hobbies, so whether you or your recipients are into films, sports, reading, music, sailing, art, crafting, trainspotting, gardening, DIY and more, there are perfect projects to get you reaching for your craft stash. With a mixture of small, quick-stitch motifs and larger, more challenging charts…

SHOPPING LIST Fabric 14-count white aida measuring 35x41cm (13¼x16in) Threads Stranded cotton as listed in the key Needle Size 24 tapestry needle Extras Frame of your choice with a minimum aperture of 19x25cm (7½x10in) Stitcher’s guide Our artistic cat is stitched onto 14-count white aida and, as the design contains whole cross stitch, half cross stitch, fractionals, backstitch and French knots, we think it’s best suited to intermediate stitchers or advanced beginners who want to stretch their skills. How to stitch the picture 1 Find the centre of your fabric by folding it in half both horizontally and vertically. Follow the arrows on the chart to find its centre and start stitching from here, in the centre of the fabric, working your way outwards. 2 Complete all the cross stitch…

Stitch a letter in an evening SHOPPING LIST Fabric 14-count white aida measuring 15cm (6in) x the desired length Threads Stranded cotton as listed in the key Needle Size 24 tapestry needle Extras Wicker basket of your choice from high street shops Stitcher’s guide Our patchwork alphabet is stitched onto 14-count white aida and, as it contains whole cross stitch and backstitch with just a few fractionals, we think it’s great for stitchers of all abilities. Stitch Tip Keep all the alphabets that you see in magazines in a separate folder. When you need an abc to add to a card or sampler, you’ll have a great selection to choose from How to stitch the alphabet 1 Find the centre of your piece of fabric by folding it in half…

SHOPPING LIST Fabric 14-count white aida measuring 35x41cm (13¼x16in) Threads Stranded cotton as listed in the key Needle Size 24 tapestry needle Extras Frame of your choice with a minimum aperture of 19x25cm (7½x10in) Stitcher’s guide Our artistic cat is stitched onto 14-count white aida and, as the design contains whole cross stitch, half cross stitch, fractionals, backstitch and French knots, we think it’s best suited to intermediate stitchers or advanced beginners who want to stretch their skills. How to stitch the picture 1 Find the centre of your fabric by folding it in half both horizontally and vertically. Follow the arrows on the chart to find its centre and start stitching from here, in the centre of the fabric, working your way outwards. 2 Complete all the cross stitch over one block of aida using one strand of cotton. For each tiny…

Ideal stitchy decor SHOPPING LIST Fabric 14-count white aida measuring 40x35cm (153/4x133/4in) Threads Stranded cotton as listed in the key Needle Size 24 tapestry needle Extras Canvas measuring 25x20cm (10x8in) from a local craft shop Stitcher’s guide This sampler is stitched onto 14-count white aida and contains whole cross stitch, fractionals and backstitch. It is best suited to intermediate stitchers, although we’d encourage confident beginners to have a go, too! Stitch Tip Use a sharp needle to work the backstitch, and make each stitch precisely to ensure a neat and crisp finish How to stitch the sampler 1 Find the centre of your fabric by folding it in half both horizontally and vertically. Follow the arrows on the chart to find its centre and start stitching from here, in the…

Stitch a letter in an evening SHOPPING LIST Fabric 14-count white aida measuring 15cm (6in) x the desired length Threads Stranded cotton as listed in the key Needle Size 24 tapestry needle Extras Wicker basket of your choice from high street shops Stitcher’s guide Our patchwork alphabet is stitched onto 14-count white aida and, as it contains whole cross stitch and backstitch with just a few fractionals, we think it’s great for stitchers of all abilities. Stitch Tip Keep all the alphabets that you see in magazines in a separate folder. When you need an abc to add to a card or sampler, you’ll have a great selection to choose from How to stitch the alphabet 1 Find the centre of your piece of fabric by folding it in half both horizontally and vertically. Find the centre of your chart and start stitching from here,…