Stitch

Hello, Stitch readers! Welcome to the Christmas issue of Stitch, packed with festive wonder and inspiration to make your holidays extra special. There truly is something magical about this time of year — the quiet sparkle of frosted mornings, the joyful buzz of festive preparations, and the simple delight of gathering with loved ones. We’ve tried to capture that magic throughout this issue to celebrate the season in style. We begin with Amelia Stitches’ winter wreath hoop, stitched with a golden message of cheer — a project that radiates warmth and joy. Amelia also joins us for an exclusive interview, sharing her love of handmade traditions and the stories woven into her work. Our front-cover star, Jo Lochhead, takes us on an Arctic adventure with her needle-felted polar bear, captured…

FIND TEMPLATE FOR THIS PROJECT ON PAGE 59 There’s nothing more festive than a beautiful wreath — and making one that will last forever was such a joy! Featuring a classic festive lyric at the centre (which you can easily swap for a name, date, or favourite quote), this wreath is a wonderfully beginner-friendly project, packed with lovely details to keep you company as the evenings grow longer and the nights turn cosier. As always, feel free to play with colours and stitches to suit your personal style — or simply use what you already have in your stash! This is the perfect opportunity to make something that fits your own unique festive vibe. I’d love to see what you create, so don’t forget to share your photos with me…

When Amelia Rogers’ A-Levels were cancelled in May 2020 due to the pandemic, she could never have imagined it would spark the beginning of her creative business, Amelia Stitches. What started as a way to pass the time (and save up for a laptop) has grown into a flourishing embroidery brand that now includes best-selling kits, portraits, and designs inspired by everything from musicals to literature and pop culture. Graduating with her Master’s degree in Strategic Communication this month, Amelia has now just started running her business full time — and she’s only just getting started. Could you tell us about your background and how you got into embroidery? My mum first taught me cross-stitch when I was six, and the first thing I ever made were samplers as gifts…

FIND TEMPLATE FOR THIS PROJECT ON PAGE 60 Some of my first embroidery hoops were made for friends and family at Christmas — there’s something truly magical about seeing them brought out year after year. Each festive season, I add to my hand embroidered collection, and this reindeer is set to take pride of place above the fireplace, right next to my children’s stockings. I absolutely loved stitching this piece — every stitch felt like adding a touch of festive magic, and you can easily adapt it to suit your seasonal style. I hope you enjoy stitching it just as much as I did! YOU WILL NEED MATERIALS: • Cotton/linen fabric • Two pieces of ribbon to hang and finish hoop off, 30cm • Felt to back • DMC threads:…

FIND TEMPLATE FOR THIS PROJECT ON PAGE 59 This relaxing polar bear project is a gentle introduction to mixed-media textile art, combining three simple yet effective techniques: needle felting, felt appliqué, and embroidery. Working in a ‘painting with wool’ style, you’ll layer soft wool fibres to create a beautifully blended background, then bring the polar bear to life with felt and delicate stitched details. Finished with simple embroidery to add snow-dusted trees, frosty foliage and stars, it’s a calming, creative process – perfect for beginners and mindful makers looking to explore texture, layering and mark-making with just wool and thread. YOU WILL NEED MATERIALS: • White or cream felt fabric, 24x24cm (for the polar bear) • Turquoise marl felt fabric, 24x24cm (for the backing) • Felting wool in the following…

ALL-NEW TWENTY TO MAKE: CHICKEN SCRATCH EMBROIDERY By: Carolyn Forster Publisher: Search Press. February 2026 ISBN: 9781800923553 RRP: £6.99 Pages: 64 (HB) Chicken scratch embroidery (known also as Amish embroidery, Broderie Suisse, Depression Lace, Hoover Lace, Snowflake Embroidery, Australian Cross Stitch and Tenerife Lace) is an easy-to-learn technique that involves embroidering a handful of stitches on to a gingham surface to create stunning motifs with a lace-like appearance. The size and colour of the squares can influence the look and scale of the motif, as well as your chosen thread colours, and the result can range from beautifully simple to exquisitely complex embroidery designs. The 20 gorgeous embroidery patterns in this book are suitable for all skill levels 5 COPIES TO GIVE AWAY PUNCH NEEDLE By: Caroline Colam Publisher: Crowood,…