Jayne Netley Mayhew's
Stitch Guide
TO MAKE A CUSHION WITH A SINGLE PANEL BORDER

For  a 15 inch  (38 cm) cushion
Fabric
A - 1/4 metre (approximately) Panel. Complimentary colour to backing and frill fabric.
B -3/4 metre (approximately) Backing and frill.
15 inch cushion pad

Hemming allowance 1/2 inch (1 cm) is included in all measurements.

  1. Trim the embroidery fabric down to 12 inch square (30.5), making sure the design is central.
  2. Cut border panels. Fabric A - 2 of 16 x 3 inches (40.5 x 8.5 cm). Fabric A  - 2 of 12 x 3 inches
    (31.5 x 8.5 cm). Cut two pieces of backing fabric B, 16 x 11 inches (41.5 x 28 cm) each.
  3. For the frill. Fabric B, cut enough fabric to make a 5 inch (13 cm) x 4 yards (3.75m) strip. Join
    the strips of frill, pressing open the seams, joining all the edges to form a circle. Fold the frill
    in half and iron the strip, wrong sides together, enclosing the seams.
  4. Hem each of the two rectangle backing fabric pieces along one long edge.
  5. To join border panel fabric to embroidery. Pin, tack and stitch the smaller length pieces of
    fabric A , first to the top and bottom edge of the embroidery. Press the seams open. Pin, tack
    and stitch the longer pieces of fabric A to the left and right side, press seams open.
  6. Run two lines of gathering threads along the raw edge of the frill fabric, and then pull up the
    thread (knot the two ends of the gathering threads together so they draw evenly) until the frill
    is the right length (the length is, all the four sides of the cushion front), distributing the
    gathers evenly. With the embroidered and panelled fabric facing upwards, place the frill
    around the outer edge of the cushion front, frill inwards so the raw edges face outwards.
    Distribute the gathers evenly, pin, tack, and stitch in place.
  7. Lay the embroidered fabric face up on a flat surface. With the right sides down, lay the two
    rectangles of the cushion back on top of the front so all of the raw edges match and the
    hemmed edges overlap at the centre. Pin, tack and stitch around all edges. Turn the cover
    through to the right side and insert the cushion pad.
Double
Panelled Edged
Cushion
To make 'Patchwork Roses'
(inset) see my book
Flowers in Cross Stitch.
    To add panels to a small design, decide the width and height of your design area and the
    overall size of your cushion. Take the measurement of the design area away from the total
    size and divide that amount by how many panels you wish to use. Don't forget to add your
    hemming allowance before you cut the pieces of fabric.
    For cushion needing no panels, just omit the panels, trimming down the embroidery fabric,
    not forgetting allowance and making sure the design is central.
Single panelled cushion
Adding two lines of gathering threads
Joining fabric strips to form a circle
Lovely Lemon and Plush Pink Designs
Lovely Lemon Design
Plush Pink Design

These two bright and delicate summer floral designs
use some of DMC Light Effects thread, which gives
them an added sparkle.
You can change the arrow borders colour to suit any
colour suitable for your home, also using beads in
place of the French knots would look wonderful.
See 'Making a Cushion', for a helpful guide on
making up.
You will find a range of exquisite flowers in my book
'Cross Stitch Flowers'.
I have put together some ideas on how you can use a design, where if you wish you don't have to use the entire design, just a small
part of it. By using a different count or changing the thread or stitch, the whole look of a design can look dramatically different.

Cross stitch charts are very versatile, I have met a lady who uses my charts to paint on pottery!

Where a design is stitched on a 14-1 count Aida, you could use a 28-1 count linen. Even changing the count completely say to a 11-1
count is easy, the only thing you have to be aware of is that you will need extra thread and fabric.
The smaller the fabric count the larger the design. When stitching on counts below 14-1, I would use three strands of stranded cotton
(floss), 14 to 16-1 two strands, 18-1 and above, one strand. Changing the fabric colour, where I have used black for example, which is
hard on the eyes when stitching, will look equally good on another colour.

Cross stitch charts can easily be worked up as a tapestry in half stitch, using canvas and wool. Cross stitch worked in wool on canvas
6-1 count makes a absolutely fabulous rug!

See the headers below for some ideas and then scroll down for a little bit of useful information, like my stitch guide.
Stitch It
Harvest Mice
Designs
Plush Pink and Lovely
Lemon Designs
Baby Bluetits Designs
Design
Baby Turtle
Design
Baby Turtle
Design
Tiger Stripes
Design
Making a Cushion
Harvest Mice Designs in miniature.
Look-out Harvest
Mouse
Heading Home and
Look-out Harvest Mice

'Heading Home' and 'Look-out' have
been stitched using one strand of
stranded cotton (floss) on an 40-1 silk
gauze, the pair mounted in wooden
Cabinet Handles (from Elizabeth R.
Anderson, "Miniature Embroideries").
The other mounted on board, backed
and framed.
The designs can be stitched for cards,
pictures and would very sweet made
up for a babies bib.
For more mice see my book 'Four
Seasons in Cross Stitch'.
Baby Turtle Design

Baby Turtle

These baby turtles have been stitched on two different counts, under the
stitched Aida, then carefully stitch the two pieces together, as close to the
cross stitch as possible, leaving a small gap for stuffing.
Trim away the excess fabric, one stitch width away from the stitching. Don't
trim the area of your gap until after stuffing, as the Aida could fray.
Stuff with a polyester of similar filling, stitch the gap closed.
Stitching on a 6-1 count I used 6 strands of stranded cotton (floss) for the
cross stitch and 2 strands for the backstitch.
The design can be stitched and sewn onto face flannels, towels, mounted
into pots, cards and coasters.

See my book 'Cross Stitch Animal Collection' for a whole heap of baby
turtles.
Baby Bluetits Designs
Baby Bluetits

These gorgeous spring babies can be used in so many ways, from
cards, coasters, and pictures, the whole design as an insert for a tray.
Some with or without a little used different counts, Linen and Aida of
cream and blue and have mounted them into some beautifully
illustrated springtime cards.
For more bird designs see my book 'Cross Stitch Animal Collection',
Masters of the air.
Make something Big!
Tiger Stripes Design

Tiger Stripes and Leopard
Spots, stitched on a 6-1 canvas,
using DMC wools make the
most eye-catching rug.
Stitch four of the centre pane
side by side, repeat the
borders, and bind the edges.
See my book 'Cats of the World
in Cross Stitch', for full
instructions.
Whole Cross Stitch
French Knot

Cross stitch is worked in two easy stitch over one
block of Aida, then work a second diagonal stitch
over the first stitch, but in the opposite direction to
form a cross.
Cross stitch can be worked in rows if you have a
large area to cover. Work a row of half cross stitch in
one direction and then work back in the opposite
direction to complete each cross.
The upper stitches of all the crosses should lie in
the same direction to produce a neat effect.
To work a French Knot, bring the needle through to
the front of the fabric, just above the point where you
want the stitch to be placed. Loop the thread, place
the needle point inside the loop and through the
fabric a little way from the starting position. Pull the
thread firmly around the needle, draw the needle
through forming a knot.
Three-quarter Cross Stitch
Silk Ribbon

Forming fractional stitches such as three-quarter
cross stitch is less accurate on Aida than on an
evenweave or linen fabric because the centre of the
Aida block need to be pierced.
Work the first half of the cross stitch in the normal
way, then work the second diagonal stitch in the
opposite corner but insert the needle at the centre of
the cross, forming three-quarters of the completed
stitch.
The upper stitches of all the whole and three-quarter
cross stitches should lie in the same direction to
produce a neat effect.

Following a chart

A large symbol taking up a whole square represents
a whole cross stitch.
A small symbol taking up one corner of a square
represents a three-quarter cross stitch.
A square showing two small symbols in opposite
corners indicates that two of these three-quarter
cross stitches will have to be made back to back.
Silk ribbon is shown on the chart by a coloured line,
follow instructions for ribbon width and colour.
Work straight over the amount of holes indicated by
the length of the line. Because the ribbon is so fine,
it can easily be worked through the holes of the Aida
fabric.
Work with short lengths of ribbon, smoothing out
any twisting of the ribbon as you stitch.

Thread the needle as shown below, to secure the
ribbon ready for sewing.
Thread the ribbon on to the needle, push the needle
through the ribbon a little way from the end and pull
through, forming a knot.
Backstitch
Longstitch

Backstitch is indicated on the chart by a solid black
or coloured line. It is worked around areas of
completed cross stitches add detail.
Refer to the charts instructions for the colour of
stranded cotton (floss) used in the design.
To work backstitch, pull needle through the hole of
the fabric at point 1, and then push back through at
point 2. For the next stitch, pull the needle through at
point 3, push back through at point 1, and then
repeat the process to make the next stitch.
These are used to work some animals whiskers
and are indicated on the chart by a straight line -
refer to the instructions for the colour. Work long
stitches on top of the cross stitches.
To work longstitch, pull the needle through the fabric
at the point where the line hits a cross point on the
grid.
Repeat for the next stitch, carrying the thread across
the back of the fabric to the next point.
Adding Beads

With the needle on the right side of the fabric, thread
the bead over the needle (use a beading needle)
and on to the thread, then attach it to the fabric by
working the second half of the cross stitch (or half
stitch). All stitches must run in the same direction so
that the beads lie in neat rows on the fabric.
  
    Jayne Netley Mayhew's Stitch Guide
Chart Example
From
Jayne Netley Mayhew's
Cross Stitch Charts
Charts are Black and White
symbols.
Some of the Backstitch lines and
French knots are shown in colour
for clarity.
The large charts are
spread over two to four
pages.
    How to Make a Cushion
Chart Example