86 The World of Cross Stitching http://www.cross-stitching.com
Pet of the Month
Pet of the month
We know you’re huge fans of pets, so have us design a cross stitch of a beloved animal!
Q
Hi Durene! Please
can you design my
beautiful girl Roxy?
She’s a Staffie (Staffordshire bull terrier)
and I can rarely find any charts of this type
of dog. I would really love to see my girl in
stitches! Many thanks.
Gillian Carruthers, via email
A
Durene says: Your Roxy is simply
adorable – just look at that smiley
face! You can really tell that she is well-
loved and very happy. I have the biggest
urge to just give her a cuddle.
I had great fun creating the pattern of
your Staffordshire bull terrier. Designing
those perky ears, cute nose and great pink
lolling tongue was a real treat.
This design mainly uses whole stitches,
but you’ll find the occasional fractional in
there, too – mainly around her ears, eyes
and nose. To add that final touch, you’ll
use two white French knots to give her
that twinkle in her eye. Alternatively, you
can always swap the French knots out for
seed beads instead. There’s a bit of
backstitch, too, to create a strong outline
and to give the background some depth.
Roxy looks stunning as a card here,
but she’ll look equally fab made into a
stylish hanging or in a funky frame.
Design
my pet!
Project
- As their name suggests,
Staffordshire bull terriers were
developed in Staffordshire.
- The breed originated by
crossing an English bulldog with a
black and tan terrier.
- March 2018 saw Cooper become
the UK’s first police dog that was a
Staffordshire bull terrier.
- Declared as the most popular
dog breed in Britain by ITV’s Britain’s
Favourite Dogs programme in 2019.
Fun facts about Staffies
P
E
T
O
F^
TH
E MO
N
T
HP
E
T(^) O
F (^) T
HE^ M
O
N
T
H
No.
1
pet
Shopping list
Zweigart 14-count white aida measuring
15x15cm (6x6in)
Stranded cotton as listed in the key
Size 24 tapestry needle
Square aperture card and ribbon of your
choice from local stores
Thread & fabric cost
Approximately £12
For stockists see page 90