Cross Stitch Gold1 00033

Summer topiary

Introduce summer's natural riot of colours and heady scents to your stitching with Maria Diaz's dazzling seasonal topiary design

How to stitch the summer topiary

How to work the French knots

This design uses French knots in two strands of rayon Bring your needle up through the fabric where you want the knot to form. Hołd the thread taut and wrap the needle around it twice Push the needle back through the fabric, close to where it came through. Keep the thread taut and pufl the needle and thread back through the fabric. This should form a neat knot on the front of your work

You will need

FABRIC 28-count white everrweave 43 x 26cm (17 x 11 in) THREADS Stranded cotton and rayon floss as listed in the key NEEDLE Size 26 tapestry needle

FRAME Frame and mount of your choice with a minimum aperture 33 x 18cm 03 x 7in)

FOR STOCKISTS' DETAILS tum to page 63

IFind the centre of your fabric by folding it in half. both horizontally and vertically. Follow the '0' gridlines on the chart to find its centre. Start stitching from here in the middle of the fabric.

2 Work the cross stitch across two threads of the evenweave fabric using two strands of cotton.

3 Work the half cross stitch in the background using two strands of cotton.

4Work the backstitch using one strand of thread

5Add the French knots using two strands of rayon thread

6Check over your stitching and prepare for making up.

MEET THE

DESIGNER

MARIA DLAZ

After Maria gained a degree in fine art, she began a career as a freelance designer.

She contributes to cross stitch magazines and kit companies.

There's nothing I like to do better in the summer sunshine than to sit in my garden, read a good book and soak up the riot of natural colours and aromatic scents around me.

It was wonderful memories of warm aftemoons outdoors that inspired me to create my summer topiary. I wanted the design to really jump off the fabric and grab the viewer's attention - just as the flowers do in my own garden - and so used vivid roses and vibrant lilacs to achieve this effect.

With its French knots and rich textures, the topiary certainly catches the eye as it basks proudly in the summer sun.

I hope you enjoy stitching it.

Stitcher's guide

This elegant topiary is stitched on 28-count white evenweave over two threads of fabric using 23 shades of stranded cotton and two shades of rayon thread for the French knots. Maria has created the design using whole cross stitch and half cross stitch in two strands, as well as backstitch in one strand and a lot of French knots in two strands of rayon thread. Because of the abundance of French knots, this design is best suited to experiencea stitchers.

You can replace each knot with two different shades of lilac seed bead. Attach the bead to the fabric with one arm of the cross stitch. Then work the top arm of the cross stitch with one thread lying on each side of the bead, securing it in position.

MARIA DIAZ*S

designer’s

SECRETS

HEADY SCENTS While creating my series of seasonal topiaries, I tried to indude something that, for me, is unique to each season. When I thought of summer, I was instantly transported to warm afternoons in my garden, fuli of the rich perfume of my evening roses. I then knew I had to indude roses in the design! I decided to team them with lilacs, as I love these flowers - their cotour is the perfect companion to the pink of my lovely rosę blossoms.

A STUDY IN TEXTURES I have induded a lot of French knots in this design. I thought it was very important to create a richly textured feel to my summer topiary, representing the bountiful

blooms of the season.

I also gave the summer project the most ornately carved planter of the series of seasonal designs. The blossoms are literally overflowing from the planter, with lilacs and trailing ivy blooming straight out of the pot.