New Stitches Issue 94

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Issue 94
The cross stitch designs in this issue include a magical dragon from Chinese mythology, a tranquil sailing scene, beautiful tulips and some hearts for valentines day. Stitch a Hardanger runner with pink flower motifs or learn all about broderie anglais and create an intricate centre piece. Our blackwork Britain design and wild pony series continue.

Feature Designs

The Real Counties of Britain Part 2
The first part of this magnificent design started in New Stitches 93 with the counties of the north of Britain. These counties are 'real' or original counties as over the last one hundred years most of them have been altered and some abolished altogether. Traditionally counties were designated by natural boundaries but in recent years counties have become administrative regions, rather than the natural provinces they once were. This map features those counties of Britain, some dating back before the Norman Conquest, rather than those used by county councils, local government or post office.

Lots of Love
Send lots of love for Valentine's Day or in fact at any time with these colourful hearts. They can be used for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings but they will be perfect for 14th February and the one you love.

Floral Reverie
After many years of austere interior design, florals are making a comeback. Soften a stark bedroom or liven up a stripped pine chest of drawers with the addition of this enhanced Hardanger runner. Flowers flow from end to end around a trellis of Hardanger motifs which is both relaxing and satisfying to stitch.

cross stitch Enter the Dragon
This design is inspired by a Chinese purse finely embroidered during the Ching Dynasty which reigned over China for over 250 years. The mythical beast depicted in stitches is a Chi-Lin, which appears extensively in Chinese folklore. The written language is attributed to a Chi-Lin which materialized in front of the emeror with calligraphy on its coat. It is also said that the Chi-Lin only ever appeared in times of peace and good fortune. Stitch this design and perhaps the Chi-Lin will bring peace, harmony and good luck to your home!

Tulipmania
In the seventeenth century Holland's economy suffered one of its greatest crashes which was caused by the astonomical prices of tulip bulbs. A native wild flowere of Turkey, the bulbs were transported to Holland by a botanist and the Dutch fell in love with this elegant bloom. This collection represents just a few of the many varieties of tulip which has now become a traditional herald of spring.

The Sailor
Stitch this tranquil stitching scene to remind sailors of glorious days on the water. With a fair wind these dinghies can slice through the waves making it an exhilaring sport for adventurous individuals. This design captures all the action as the wind fills the sails.

Broderie Anglaise Part 2
As is often the case with embroidery, there is not necessarily a defining line where one form of embroidery stops and another takes over. With Broderie Anglaise this question arises when further techniques are introduced or surface embroidery added.
Two new stitch techniques are introduced here, Beading, which in this case has nothing to do with beads at all, and Ladder stitching which is worked as crescent shapes on the embroidery. The latter is really a form of Cutwork as it is worked differently from most Broderie Anglaise stitches but has wovens bars which are not usually found with cutwork.

cross stitch Wild Ponies in Wild Places
The Welsh Mountain pony is the oldest recorded breed in the British Isles, dating back to Roman times. They are regarded as the most elegant of our native ponies thanks to the introduction of a little Oriental bloodstock in the days of Julius Caesar. Scotland's ponies have traditionally been used in farming due to their strength and endurance. The Highland ponies differ in height, those on the mainland are around two hands bigger than those on the islands. The Shetland is the smallest of Britain's ponies and is the only one to have a patchy coloured coat: piebald, black and white, or skewbald, brown and white. It is well acclimatisd to the cold with a very dense coat and a thick main and tail. Issue 93 features the New Forest, Dartmoor and Exmoor ponies and Issue 95 covers the Connemara, Dales and Fell ponies.