AskTheAngels
SPOILT FOR CHOICE
Watch Mr Hedgehog’s adorable
antics in four sweet designs
that would be perfect for cards.
These Durene Jones charts are
downloadable for £4.80 at http://www.
durenejcrossstitch.etsy.comHIDE AND SEEK
Vibrant foliage is the perfect
cover for a bashful hedgehog.
This Stitching Land downloadable
Hedgehog chart, all in whole
stitches, costs £4.32 from
http://www.stitchingland.etsy.comNEEDLE WORK
This sleepy chap looks like he’s
ready for some careful cuddles!
Download the darling Hedgehog
chart from The Little Stitchery
at http://www.thelittlestitcheryuk.
etsy.com for £8.39.3 of the best... Hedgehogs
Grab your needle and
stitch these prickly pals!Hanging around
Q
I’m making a mobile for
my sister’s new baby. I’ve
stitched several motifs onto plastic
canvas and would like to know the
best way to display them.
Bethany Hunt, HertfordshireA
The simplest way to
construct a mobile frame
is to join together two pieces of
doweling to form a cross, and then
suspend your motifs from the
structure using thread. You could
hang smaller crosses or straight
pieces of doweling from the main
cross to create further tiers. For
a back-to-nature look, use washed
and dried sticks from the garden
to create your frame. Wire is
another popular material formobiles – you can bend it into all
sorts of shapes for
your base. Keep an
eye out for
ready-made kits
like Knorr
Prandell’s Mobile
Wires pack, which
has pre-shaped
wires for easy
construction.
A pack of 18 rods- three 25cm
(9¾in), three
20cm (7¾in),
six 15cm (6in)
and six 12.5cm
(5in) bent wires with hooks on each
end – costs £2.29 from Buddly
Crafts at http://www.buddlycrafts.com.
Or, simply string your motifs onto
an embroidery hoop suspended
horizontally for a circular mobile.A weighty issue
Q
Is it possible to get glass
paperweights that you can
add your own stitching to?
Darren Burley, ManchesterA
You can indeed get
paperweight blanks that
you can customise with your own
cross stitch design, Darren. The
Paperweight Blanks from My-
Accessories start at £4.95 each for
a 7cm (2¾in) paperweight, which
takes an insert that’s 5.5cm (2¼in)across and 0.5cm (^1 ⁄ 8 in) deep.
There’s a bigger version measuring
9cm (3½in) in diameter and also an
oval paperweight that measures
10x7cm (4x2¾in) – both cost
£5.95 each. They all have felt bases
and come with gift boxes – just add
stitching! Buy at http://www.my-
accessories.co.uk or by calling
01217 481 784. The company also
sells other blanks that are great for
personalising with your stitching,
such as key fobs, coasters, badges,
fridge magnets, pen holders and
even wall clocks. You’ll never be
stuck for gift ideas again!Putting on the glitz
Q
I want to add a touch of
glamour to a piece I’m
stitching. Standard metallics look
too harsh to me, and metallic braid
seems a bit fiddly. Are there any
other options, Angels?
Mel Brock, NorwichA
If you’re looking for a subtle
effect, rather than a very
definite metallic finish, then you
might like the understated twinkly
effect of DMC’s Mouliné Étoile
threads. Like stranded cotton and
metallic threads, they come in six
easily divisible strands, which60 http://www.gathered.how/CSC
S Get creative with this
glass paperweight blankX A special mobile kit will
add a professional finishSend your stitching problems to Crazy’s Angels and watch them leap into action!
Crazy’s
Angels