BetterHomesAndGardensAustraliaDecember2015_

174 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, DECEMBER 2015 bhg.com.au

Words Georgina Bitcon; photography Cath Muscat, Chris Jones, Gavin Kirk; styling Vanessa Tidy

otherwise your design will

look crooked when complete.

STEP 3 Using the Giant

cross-stitch diagram (below)

or a design of your own

choice that will fit into your

grid, transfer crosses to

ruled grid with pencil.

STEP 4 Thread a double

length of wool into your

tapestry needle and knot

ends. Starting at a corner

point on one square of ruled

grid, take needle through

canvas, from wrong side to

right, and pull thread through

until knot engages. Now take

it diagonally across one grid

square and reinsert it at

opposite corner. You might

find it easier to find this

insertion point if you use a

second needle to pierce the

canvas from the back,

showing you exactly where

to reinsert the needle from

the front. The diagonal stitch

you have just made is called

a half cross-stitch.

Tip Don’t make your yarn

too long or it will get ragged

as you stitch – about 30cm

when doubled is fine.

STEP 5 Continue to make

half cross-stitches on front of

canvas, wherever a cross is

marked on your grid. Stitches

should slant in the same

direction. If you have a row

of crosses on the grid, you

can work all the half cross-

stitches in the row, then turn

the canvas and work back

along the row, making

another half cross-stitch over

the top of each previous

stitch, but this time slanting

all the stitches in the

opposite direction, so you

end up with completed

crosses. These stitches will

be easier to do, because you

can use the previous half

cross-stitches to show you

where to insert the needle.

On the back of the canvas,

the thread will follow the

vertical and horizontal lines

of the grid.

STEP 6 Work cross-

stitches until you have

worked a stitch for every

marked cross on your grid. If

you need to skip squares,

you can jump to where you

need to be if it is only a

couple of squares, but avoid

dragging yarn for long

distances across the back of

your work because it will get

messy. It is better to end off,

then start again in a new

place. When you need to

start a new length of yarn or

a new colour, you can weave

the old yarn under several

threads at the back to secure

it or just tie a knot close to

the surface. Then simply

begin the new yarn with a

knot, as before.

STEP 7 Check all loose ends

are secure. The canvas is

ready to display.

We’ve put the step-by-step

instructions to make the

macramé wall hanging on a

project sheet to make it easy

for you to create at home.

How to get your project

sheet Visit bhgshop.com.au/

projectsheets where you can

download the project sheet, or

post a stamped ($1.20), self-

addressed C5 (162 x 229mm)

envelope to Better Homes and

Gardens, Easy-To-Do Knot &

Stitch GPO Box 7812, Sydney

NSW 2001. Please allow up to

14 days for postal delivery.

Diagram 2

DECEMBER^2015

Iflares and lava lamps, think again! Macramé is hot in homewares and f you thought macramé had disappeared with

decorating at the moment and it’s really easy to get the look without also getting your stomach in knots over the price tag.

This isn’t Nanna’s fiddly little planthangers. This knotted fabric is chunky and tactile, bold and

beautiful. Simple to learn, quick to do, the design possibilities of the new

knot This is an intro iture can see you fit a bedroom, office, kpartm area into a space-

ON TREND stitchMODERN MACRAMÉ AND GIANT CROSS-STITCH

steps

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 5

STEP 6

free

PROJECT

SHEET

traditionaltrends

Giant cross-stitc& diagram

For project details,

see Stockists page