Our Correspondents News and views from CrossStitcher readers around the world

Ever wondered what stitchers like us are up to in different parts of the globe? We’ve asked readers from near and far to become correspondents for us and share with us their cross stitch news…

Carol Smith, Aberdeenshire, UK

Hello from Turriff in the far North East of Scotland, which is a beautiful and unspoilt part of the world where I am very blessed to live. It is a great place for crafting and every Saturday I go to Madhatters, the wee craft shop, for a lovely morning of messy laughter.

My main addiction is cross stitch and I have been enjoying the cover kits from CrossStitcher and its predecessor Needlecraft for nearly 30 years now. I bought my first magazine on a very wet caravan holiday in Newquay and love that you can create something small and beautiful in a few hours.

Over the last year I have been inspired by the Ready Steady Stitch feature in CrossStitcher to make my own designs that I then use for birthday and Christmas cards. I love buying the magazine and go straight to this feature, to see what the next month’s challenge will be. It is always exciting to see what thread selection is recommended, and which embellishments should be added to the design. This feature has given me lots of inspiration for different designs from the Flowerpot Men to Notre-Dame Cathedral.

When developing a design, I usually have a little think first based on the subject, then have a look at photos on the internet to get more detailed inspiration. I then sketch out some ideas and finally use DP Software Cross Stitch Professional Platinum to plot the designs ready for use.

It would be lovely to see more Ready Steady Stitch designs on Facebook from other readers and to form an amateur designing community.

I have also been inspired by Facebook stitching groups and this is a great way to contact fellow crafters around the world. My first group was ‘Stitching Out Stigma’ who created two wall hangings to raise mental health awareness that was displayed in Hafan Y Coed Adult Mental Health Unit at University Hospital Llandough.

This year I have joined a wonderful group called Rainbows for Peace and Comfort that creates wall hangings for victims of gun crime. The group was initiated in response to the Pulse Nightclub tragedy in Florida in 2016. There are so many kind and caring stitchers contributing to this project that aspires to support victims’ families and first responders.

I love quirky colourful designs and uplifting quotes and my favourite designers and kits are Ursula Michael, Cloudsfactory, Purple Patch and Mill Hill. Since I have moved to Turriff and tried out lots of different crafts, I have begun combining cross stitch and other crafts – such as the Bon Jovi canvas that I made.

Sometimes the difficulties of life can be a challenge, and I really find cross stitching, listening to music and making projects for others, relaxing pastimes – even better if I can combine all three! My Ready Steady Stitch design My Stitching Out Stigma design Mixed media and cross stitch – Bon Jovi canvas My Rainbows for Peace and Comfort design Carol lives with her husband and their

springer spaniels Dougal and Zebedee. They enjoy touring the British countryside by campervan. She is an accounting manager at Aberdeen City Council and is addicted to cross stitch.

Meredith McBee, Dallas, TX, USA

Now that exams are winding down for me, I have plenty more time for stitching! Summer has started with the onset of Birthday celebrations. I have set out on designing personalised stitch kits for each of my friends – the first one is for a sweet friend, Ericka, who will be celebrating her 21st birthday poolside in Miami, her design will feature flamingos, champagne and the ocean waves.

As for the rest of the summer, I have planned two ‘Stitch ’n’ Bitch’ gatherings – which are my monthly parties where I teach my friends how to stitch. At the February gathering, we had our highest attendance of 35 people! At this point, I have taught all of my friends how to stitch, so in between our fair amount of gossiping, is the ever-quiet sound of the needle breaking through aida cloth – glorious if you ask me!

Currently, I am working on one of Erin Congdon’s pieces – Love UK – while re-watching Gilmore Girls for the second time. It’s been so much fun to make as you can easily stop and start – it’s been a work in progress for the last five months or so. One day, I will complete it! After that, I plan to stitch one of Jody Rice’s Pretty Little Cities. A late night stitching session The pattern I made for Ericka Meredith is a 22-year-old university student studying Journalism, Fashion Media and Marketing. She chronicles her stitching on her crafting instagram @craftymerebear.

Joanna GuldinNoll, Pennsylvania, USA

My husband and I opened a coffee shop, Swatara Coffee Co., in our rural farming community in Pennsylvania in November 2017. (Our town is so small and rural that we don’t have a stop light!)

One of the first meet-ups we planned was a crafting and coffee night where we invited crafters of all stripes to bring their hobbies and get to know others. (Of course, I brought my cross stitch!)

It’s now become one of our most attended recurring events. Every fourth Thursday of the month, we have folks working on knitting, crochet, wool appliqué, and even woodworking projects. It’s a lovely time – crafters as a group are such warm, enthusiastic people. Between showing their projects to each other, noshing on snacks, and even teaching a technique or two, it is so exciting to see community and friendships being built. Sometimes we even run out of seats!

This has also given me an extra excuse (although who really needs an excuse to cross stitch more?) to pull out some works in progress and finish them during the two-hour meet-up. I’ve even had a chance to work on CrossStitcher kits that I’ve been eyeing.

If you find yourself close to Lebanon County, PA on a fourth Thursday, come join us! I’d love to meet you and cross stitch together. A Mill Hill kit in progress Stitching a CrossStitcher kit at crafting night Our shop! Joanna is married, runs a coffee shop, is a professional writer and works for a national non-profit – she also writes a blog for military spouses. You can read her blog at jomygosh.com and find out more about Swatara Coffee Co. at swataracoffee.com. jumper ornament

Joanne Hepworth, Castleford, West Yorkshire

I am betting if you have been stitching for years, that you have that one labour of love, the challenge, the project that no matter how much time you invest into it, it will be years before being completed.

For me there has been a few, the Arts and Design Day Fairy took me about five years to complete. My current labour of love is Owl and Pussycat by Michelle Sayetta under the Scott Gustafon collection from Heaven and Earth Designs, I am currently on year seven. I know, I know! In my defence it is 36 pages of A4 paper with upwards of 700 stitches per page, and no backstitching. But that’s what makes it a labour of love, the incredible joy you get as you finish a page, the swearing as you have to change threads 10 times in one row and especially with a Heaven and Earth design you question your sanity for starting it and swear you will never to do it again.

So, as you have guessed it, my next labour of love will be from Heaven and Earth Designs – either Advice for a Caterpillar or Beauty and the Beast by Scott Gustafson. The Day Fairy took me five years to finish! Owl and Pussycat in progress There are a lot of charts and a lot of stitches! Joanne works in politics as a caseworker for one of her local MP’s and she is just changing over to another MP’s office. As well as this she is a district and town councillor, so she is heavily involved in politics in her local area. In her down time she enjoys a range of crafts, from sewing and of course cross stitch, to painting and drawing – she attends a local art club. Joanne is also a big reader and also enjoys a range of books.