CrossStitcher

make of the month

Our purse can be easily made using leftover pieces of aida and patterned fabric you have already in your stash! Designed by: Susan Penny Stitch count: 60 high x 60 wide Design size: 16x16cm (6¼x6¼in) Stitch time: 8 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make a…stitcher’s purse Step 1 STITCH the design in the centre of a 13x13cm (5¼x5¼in) piece of white 14 count aida, using one and two strands for the cross stitch, one for the half cross stitch and one strand for the backstitch. Step 2 CUT around the design, leaving five unstitched aida squares around the design. Fold four of those squares over onto the reverse of the aida, and finger press around the edges. Repeat with some co-ordinating floral fabric, cutting it to the same size as the aida, then fold the…

welcome

OVER THE YEARS you’ve shared many personal stories with us about how stitching has helped you through difficult times. It’s a small miracle how something as simple as the action of needle and thread can absorb us. We all need a little escape right now – thank goodness we have a hobby that suits staying home so well. Although this summer is going to be different, there’s no need to be isolated from your favourite magazine – send us pictures of your work in progress, or share them on our Facebook page. Stitching will help keep you positive and you’ll have an embroidery to treasure afterwards. We’re keeping things as normal as possible with plenty of projects to uplift you. In these pages, you will find a mix of the stylish, the…

out there

Beginner’s luck… New to cross stitch? You’re in luck! Hawthorn Handmade’s new range of cross stitch kits have been created, by textile artist and founder of Hawthorn Handmade, Stephanie Carswell, to look beautiful without needing any complicated skills or techniques to complete them. The designs are made with just one stitch (no backstitching or fiddly quarter stitches!) and the colour blocks and simple lines make the patterns easy to follow. Each kit comes complete with everything you need including the aida fabric, pre-sorted DMC threads, wooden embroidery hoop, needle, instruction booklet and pattern chart in both colour and black and white. www.hawthornhandmade.com BOTANICAL BEAUTIES FANS OF embroidery who are longing for more up-to-date designs will be pleased to hear Rico have just released two contemporary kits from blogger Miriam Polak. Plant Lady and Botanical…

my craft room: fiona crouch

“I have a small studio and in it I work at a small table under a skylight which looks out across beautiful views of the south side of the Isle of Wight. This is where I make most of my men’s jewellery, which I sell in my Etsy shop. It is also where I do my design work for CrossStitcher. But I like to get outside when I can, especially when I am doing the macramé as it is very portable. “Next year I have a new challenge. My partner and I are building a shepherd’s hut to tour around the country visiting shows. We will both be living and working in an 8x16ft space. Time to get more organised!” www.etsy.com/uk/shop/thehappymushroom…

trend spotting

PERFECT PUPS WITH OUR parade of pups featuring on page 36, we were keen to round up some more furry friends to stitch with… WHO Sophie Allport is the designer of this Speedy Dogs Fabric Swatch featuring adorable whippets, greyhounds and lurchers on a duck egg blue background. www.sophieallport.com WHAT How cute is this circus dog? Clowning Around is part of DMC’s Vintage Circus series and the kit contains everything you need to stitch him. Once complete, this bright and bold design measures 20x15cm. www.dmc.com HOW Keep yourself in delightful doggy buttons for the whole year with this pack of 100 2.5cm covered buttons – perfect for heaps of different cross stitch projects! www.orientaldirect.co.uk…

stitching with jess

Hullo! This month’s badge reminds us to challenge our perceptions of our own capacity. Next time you think, “I could never do that,” stop and ask yourself why. I have brightly coloured hair and others often comment, “I wish I could do that, but I could never pull it off.” Trust me, you could! I’m not special – I just like bright hair and decided to try it. But this ability to curtail our capacity goes beyond pink hair. It’s easy to limit what you think you can achieve when people around you are risk adverse. When I left my job as a research scientist to be a cross-stitch designer, I got a few criticisms. Many were quick to focus on what I was leaving, and the risks involved. It was refreshing…