Issue
105 Bright and beautiful Hellebores and a Dutch tile
bell pull in cross stitch. Elegant Beadwork needleworkers
bag and pincushion and Blackwork with a touch of gold
specially designed for a teatime tray. The Masterclass
teaches small scale canvaswork with shaded thread. There
is also a Black cat and oriental designs in cross stitch.
Quick stitch hardanger for cards and gifts.
Feature Designs
Bands
of Gold These hardanger designs all have a touch
of sparkle thanks to the glistening Pearl and
metallic threads. The designs can be backed and
fringed, but for a quick Christmas solution, they
can be mounted in these clever bookmark cards.
The designs can also be repeated to create a decorative
band that can be used for a multitude of purposes,
such as festive napkin rings or edging a mantelpiece.
Afternoon
Tea Add a touch of elegance to afternoon
tea with a tray decorated with sophisticated
Blackwork embroidery. The design is classic
Blackwork incorporating a hint of gold thread
amongst the traditional black patterns. Do not
worry about a hot teapot or dripping spout damaging
the embroidery as these trays have been especially
designed with shatterproof glass and a watertight
silicone seal.
Hellebore
Collection Part
1 Heavenly hellebores are a firm gardeners'
favourite thanks to their showy flowers that
appear in the darkest months of the year when
all else is dormant. There are many different
types of hellebore as they are easily crossed,
so there are a multitude of different shades
to choose from. These flower heads have a real
look about them thanks to the clever shading
and the tiny cross stitches on a fine fabric.
Create a beautiful picture or use the single
flowers for luxurious cards and trinket pots.
The first three charts are given in this issue,
next month (issue 106) we give you the final
three charts to complete the design.
Dutch
Tiles Europeans in the seventeenth century were
in awe of the beautiful Chinese blue and white
porcelain that had just been introduced on the
continent. This rare and expensive china inspired
the tile makers in Delft to emulate the blue tones
and intricate decoration that is still adored
today. In turn the Delft reproductions are in
just as much demand as the Chinese porcelain,
yet with just a few shades of blue thread, create
your very own Delft collection in Cross stitch.
Watchful
Gaze Stitch this handsome lucky black cat to
be with you all year through by displaying it
in a calendar mount. His thick coat looks so reals
thanks to the mixing of different shades of cotton
in the needle and the design will be adored by
feline fans.
Turning Circles to Squares If this looks like a maths lesson, I
apologise in advance. In fact it is much more
of a case of taking a pair of compasses - all
of us enjoyed playing with them at school -
and devising designs based on the circle that
can be used for just about any form of counted
thread embroidery.
Oriental
Opulence Traditional Japanese kimonos are made with
the most sumptuous silk fabrics both richly woven
and embroidered. The motifs and designs on the
fabric are all symbolic and the colours significant,
which is still true with contemporary Japanese
embroidery. These designs are inspired by kimono
fabric from the nineteenth cemtury for you to
enjoy all the year through.
Watchful
Gaze 
