CrossStitcher July 2021

Designed by: Susan Penny Stitch count: 42 high x 38 wide Design size: 7.5x7cm (3x2¾in) Stitch time: 6 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. EXCLUSIVE READER KITS! You can send o_ for a handy kit containing all the materials you need to make these projects. Simply visit craftmag.co/crossstitcherkits to order your kit today! You can download your exclusive card blank from www.willowfabrics.com Make a… sailing boat card Step 1 STITCH the sailing boat design in the centre of an 11x11cm (4½x4½in) piece of white 14 count aida fabric. Step 2 DOWNLOAD your card blank (see tip above). Trim your stitched fabric to fit your card, with the design placed behind the card’s aperture. Step 3 ATTACH double-sided tape to the inside of the card around the edge of the aperture. Step 4 PLACE the stitching on the table right-side up, and then…

PART 2 Stitching your… Summer SAL Step 1 STITCH the second postcard to the right of the lavender field already stitched, leaving two blank squares between each strip. Once you have worked the three postcard designs (part 3 will be in the next issue of CrossStitcher), and leaving two aida squares between each of the postcards, the finished size will be 67 high x 79 wide. Use two strands for the cross stitch, with some areas of the sea in blended needle in two different colours. The sky is worked in half cross stitch with some areas in two strands and some in one strand. The backstitch and French knots are both worked in one strand. Step 2 STITCHa bee charm on the floral area at the bottom of the design. When blending threads, keep checking…

IN THE PAST YEAR or so our gardens have become even more meaningful. They give us an escape, a change of scene (albeit a small one) and most importantly they are the place where we have been allowed to meet with others. Summer evenings are always a magical time to get together outdoors. We asked Susan Bates to capture the feel of a warm evening, and a gathering lit by paper lanterns (page 60). We hope you love the result as much as we do, and that it will make you smile as you stitch. There is more garden fun to be had with the names given to our most favourite flower – you’ll find Emma Congdon’s Rose Sampler on page 24. If you are welcoming little ones to your family, then…

Fabulously folksy The beautiful folk designs by Maggie Magoo have been brought to cross stitch! There are four kits in this gorgeous collaboration with Anchor. Choose from pictures or wall hangings, with some worked on white and some worked on black fabric. The wall hangings are stitched on 11 count aida and include a felt backing to complete the banner ready to hang, with the pictures also stitched on 11 count aida. Perfect for experienced stitchers (for the banners) or for intermediate stitchers (for the pictures), these pretty projects will add a splash of colour to your home this summer. Produced by Anchor, all four kits are available from www.cloudcraft.co.uk LITTLE BY LITTLE BRAND-NEW FROM The Make Arcade are several bright and breezy designs to fit 5in hoops. Perfect for packing in your…

“I am lucky enough to have a large studio in my garden, so my workspace is also where I put all of my kits together and store my materials. I have lots of natural light in my studio and a fabulous view of my natural surroundings in the lovely West Sussex countryside. This is really important to me as I feature a lot of flowers and animals in my designs and like to draw inspiration from what I can see around me.” www.cinnamonstitching.etsy.com Instagram @cinnamonstitching Drop us a line to crosssstitcher@warnersgroup.co.uk with images of your craft space and a few words about it and our favourites could be featured in a future issue!…

Hullo! Do you ever daydream about a world where your wildest dreams have come true? Perhaps you’re a movie star, an astronaut, an author, a person with an extra hour in their day to wind down and stitch. Have you ever considered finding a way to give those old dreams new life? If you were looking for a sign to do just that, this could be it! This month’s floriography bloom reminds us that rebirth is only one step away: the beautiful lotus flower. Lotus flowers are particularly clever in how they live their lives. Each night they fold themselves away from the world, submerging themselves in the waters that hold them, and re-emerging with the sun. Each day is a new opportunity to begin afresh. It’s the same for us…