Your questions answered
THE EXPERTS
JO BENNER
Jo is an experienced
stitcher and knitter, who
writes for several craft
magazines. She’s on
hand to help with chart
queries and stitching
know-how, as well as
product questions.FIONA BAKER
Fiona is the Technical
Editor for Cross Stitch
Gold and our sister
magazines. She is
a talented cross stitch
designer too, and can
answer any of your
stitching queries.HEATHER NUGENT
Heather is the Charting
Editor for Cross Stitch
Gold and our sister
magazines. With a
passion for stitching and
sewing, she is here to
help with charting and
making-up questions.strands as you would do with
normal stranded cotton, for
good coverage on 14-count
aida. It’s worth adding a bit
of conditioner to the thread
before you stitch with it. There
are 35 colours of this thread,
which match the solid colours.
Étoile has the letter C before
each colour, so if you
want to use one
strand of Étoile
and one strand
of embroidery
thread and
you were using
shade 723, you
need to buy C723
to go with it. To buy a
skein of Mouliné Étoile for £1.50
go to http://www.hobbycraft.com.Simple finish
Q
I’ve seen some cards
that just have the cross
stitched fabric attached
to the front without using an
aperture. Is this easy to do, and
do you have any tips to stop thefabric from fraying?
Erika Thompson,
by emailA
Heather: It’s
very simple
to do, Erika.
Choose your card
in a colour that will
complement your design.
Make sure you have a decent
amount of fabric around your
finished stitching, then cut to
size, making sure you have at
least three rows all around for
the fringing. Machine-stitch or
backstitch by hand along the
line where you would like the
fringing to start. Now pull the
threads out carefully with aQ
I’ve just been to a
country show and saw
some inspiring crafts,
which have really made me
feel creative. One that stood
out was a cross stitch box that
looked like a labour of love, but
I’d love to make it as a special
gift for someone. Can you
help me find a pattern?
Kerry Braithwaite, NewarkA
Jo: Willing Hands
by Betsey Morgan
is published by
Inspirations Studios and
it features etui, which are
beautiful boxes cross stitched
with themes including fruit,
flowers and toys. There
are small projects, too, so
you could easily add to the
present each year by crossstitching a needlebook,
pincushion or fob. The book
costs £27.99 from http://www.
searchpress.com. Take a look
before you buy at http://www.
inspirationsstudios.com.LABOUR OF LOVE
pair of tweezers. Using double-
sided tape, attach a piece of
white paper (just smaller than
your design) to the back of your
stitching. Add more tape to
the back of the paper and then
stick the stitching in place. The
double-sided tape will also help
to stop further fraying. This tape
measures 6mm wide x 30m
long and costs £1 from http://www.
theworks.co.uk.Easter eggs
Q
I’ve been given some
polystyrene eggs and
thought it would be
great to cross stitch a few Easter
motifs and then cover the eggs.Stitch a useful and beautiful heirloom!Mouliné Étoile adds a touch
of sparkle to your stitchingDouble-sided
tape is great
for all card
makingAsk the experts
Send your questions to [email protected] or Ask the
experts, Cross Stitch Gold, Eagle House, Colston Avenue, Bristol BS1 4ST
Twinkly thread
Q
I love using different
threads for my cross
stitch, but just can’tget used to using metallics. I
tried to stitch some Christmas
decorations and had to give up
as I got in such a tangle. I’ve tried
all the hints and tips and still
can’t master them. Are there any
easy-to-stitch sparkly threads out
there that I can use?
Cherry Talbot, Salisbury
A
Fiona: DMC has a new
premium embroidery
thread called MoulinéÉtoile, which gives a subtle
twinkly effect whilst still being
really easy to stitch with. Made
from 73% cotton and 27%
Lurex, it comes in
the same-length
skeins as DMC’s
embroidery
thread but
is softer and
airier. Use two