Everything you need to make this purse!

stitch!
photography by
pia tryde
free inside
Everything you
need to make
this purse!
Exclusive Cath Kidston designs for 30 simple
needlepoint and cross stitch projects
stitch!
Following the runaway success of
both Sew! and Make! Cath Kidston
has turned her unique designer’s
eye to Stitch! Reinventing the arts
of needlepoint and cross stitch for
today’s crafter, Cath has injected
her own distinctive cheery,
heartwarming, homemaking prints
into these traditional crafts. To
complement the hand stitched
pieces, in many of the projects Cath
has incorporated her trademark
fabrics such as her mini dot design
or electric flowers print.
As with Sew!, this book includes a
unique and exclusive giveaway kit;
everything you need to create the
purse shown on the cover, including
specially printed fabric pieces in an
exclusive design and the embroidery
silks used to stitch the delightful
flower motif.
 specially printed fabric pieces to be
made up into the cover purse
stitch!
Stitch! is the third in a bestselling series of craft books by Cath Kidston, one of Britain’s favourite designers.
Breathing fresh new life into the traditional crafts of needlepoint and cross stitch, Cath has translated her
popular designs into motifs for you to hand stitch onto canvas in yarns or silks. Create unique and charming
bags and purses, cushions and pictures either for yourself to enjoy or to give to a loved one as a gift.
Packed with 30 projects this book includes full instructions to make a range of fun, practical or simply
beautiful accessories and homewares, including a clutch bag, pin cushion, gadget case and seat cover. The
key techniques are clearly explained in an introductory section, including how to work the classic tent stitch,
achieve an even tension and obtain a professional finish so even a novice stitcher can be sure of success.
The beauty of both needlepoint and cross stitch is that they are worked on a canvas made up of a grid of
squares, so – just like painting-by-numbers – it is virtually foolproof and a great result is guaranteed.
Stunning photographs and step-by-step artworks for both stitching and then making up every project
makes the instructions absolutely clear and user-friendly. Once again, Cath dispenses a wealth of useful
sewing techniques and style tips. Accompanying the book is a length of fabric in an exclusive print Cath
has designed specially for you, along with embroidery silks, water-soluble canvas and a zipper so that
you can get started straightaway with your first cross stitch project – an exquisite floral purse. Stitch! is
guaranteed to have Cath fans and crafters everywhere stocking up on tapestry yarns and embroidery silks
ready to get stitching.
One of Britain’s leading and most-loved designers, Cath Kidston is best known for her vintage-inspired,
cheerful prints for the home. Starting with one shop in 1993, Cath now has over 30 stores and concessions
in the UK and the Republic of Ireland and seven in Japan. She has previously published three books with
Quadrille – In Print, Make! and Sew! – and has a hugely successful stationery line. Cath Kidston Ltd is one
of the most influential and original design companies to emerge from the UK in recent years. Cath Kidston
was awarded an MBE for services to business in the 2010 New Year’s Honours List.
 ready-cut lengths of embroidery silks
in six shades
 a piece of 14 count soluble canvas
 a sew-in nylon zipper
Quadrille Publishing Limited
Alhambra House
27–31 Charing Cross Road
London WC2H 0LS
www.quadrille.co.uk
£14.99 Paperback
Includes free printed fabric pieces,
embroidery silks, soluble canvas and zipper to make into a purse
978 184400 873 5
160pp 280 x 216mm
Approx 30,000 words
over 80 colour photographs
over 80 colour artworks
Publication October 2010
tion 8
stitch! basics
Introduc
ent 14
l Equipm
Canvas 16
Essentia
ounting
ff and M
o
g
in
rk
Ma
arts 17
From Ch
Working
tarted 18
Getting S
tches 20
Basic Sti
s 22
d Stitche
s 24
Advance
g Canva
d Blockin
n
a
g
in
h
Finis
6
Canvas 2
Stitching
ishes 28
in
F
gs and
Fastenin
30
nd Trims
Fabrics a
Charts 154
Colour Conversion
Addresses 156
160
Acknowledgments
s1titch! projects
Garden Flowers
Purse 34
2 Spot Cushion 38
3 Spot Doorsto
p 42
4 Bargello Hi
ppie Bag 46
5 Bargello Cu
shion 50
6 Union Jack
Purse 54
7 Union Jack
Cushion 58
8 Stanley Penc
il Case 62
9 Motif Badg
es 66
10 Stripe Gadg
et Case 70
11 Stripe Rug
74
12 Spray Flowe
rs Clutch Bag 78
13 Spray Flowe
rs Cushion 82
14 Little Bunc
h Lavender Hear
ts 86
15 Little Bunc
h Dungarees 90
16 Spot Tea Co
sy 94
17 Electric Flo
wers Cushion 98
18 Electric Flo
wers Specs Case
102
19 Cherry Bord
er 106
20 Sprig Bord
er 110
21 Boat Border
Lampshade 114
22 Boat Bag 11
8
23 Bouquet Kn
itting Bag 122
24 Bouquet Ch
air Seat 126
25 Provence Ro
se Pincushion 13
0
26 Provence Ro
se Pillow 134
27 Cowboy Pictu
re 138
28 Cowboy Kid’s
Chair Seat 142
29 House Cush
ions 146
30 House Pictu
re 150
Bargello
Cushion
MATERIALS
SKILL LEVEL 1
The flowing waves of this traditional Bargello design are built
up from blocks of vertical stitches of various lengths, worked
in horizontal rows. The technique dates back to Renaissance
Italy, but I’ve given my cushion a contemporary twist with a
bright new colour palette and an unexpected flowery backing.
1 The vertical stitches mean that the canvas will not distort,
as tends to happen with diagonal stitches. If you prefer to
work without a frame, you can simply bind the edges of the
canvas with masking tape.
2 Thread your needle with green yarn and bring it up 7cm
diagonally in from the top left corner. Following the chart on
page 53 on which each short line represents one stitch, work
the first complete row of green stitches.
40cm square of 12-count mono canvas
tapestry frame
DMC yarn: 2 skeins each in the
following colours
green (7386), fawn (7411),
yellow (7049), pink (7202),
red (7106), blue (7802),
white (5200)
tapestry needle
34cm square of backing fabric
dressmaker’s pins
sewing machine
matching sewing thread
sewing needle
1.4m braid or fringing
30cm square cushion pad
5 Press the finished piece very lightly from the wrong side.
Trim the surplus canvas to 2cm all round.
6 With wrong sides facing, pin and tack the cushion front to
the backing then machine stitch the two together. Work with
the front uppermost and sew carefully along the line where
the stitching meets the canvas. Leave a 20cm gap at the
bottom edge.
3 The next row is worked in blue, and interlocks with the first.
The starting point is five threads down from the first stitch:
bring your needle up here and insert it at the base of the first
stitch. Continue to the end of the row, working all the stiches
in the same direction.
4 Complete the rest of the design, changing colour and stitch
length as indicated on the chart. Fill in the gaps at the top
and bottom edges so that you have a perfect square.
top tip
a well-chosen edging finishes off a cushion in the same way that a good
frame enhances a painting. i chose this dark red vintage braid because it complements the
colours of both front and back, and the woolly loops echo the embroidery design.
Stitch! projects
51
Union Jack
Purse
SKILL LEVEL 2
Here’s my new take on an iconic and perennially fashionable
design – a Union Jack purse, embellished with tiny floral sprigs
and a dusting of polka dots. A flowered backing and a spotty
lining of blue spots continue the red, blue and white theme.
Don’t be put off by the zip – it’s very easy to sew it in by hand.
MATERIALS
20 x 30cm 10-count canvas
tapestry frame
DMC yarns in each of the following
colours:
red (7666) – 3 skeins
blue (7802) – 2 skeins
off-white (7510) – 2 skeins
dark pink (7603) – 1 skein
light pink (7605) – 1 skein
green (7911) – 1 skein
yellow (7504) – 1 skein
tapestry needle
sewing machine
16 x 23cm backing fabric
20cm red zip
23 x 30cm lining fabric
matching sewing cotton
sewing needle
1 Mark the centre of the canvas (see pages 18–19) and mount
4 When the flag is complete, block the canvas if necessary
it in a frame if you wish. The design is worked in tent stitch
throughout and involves quite a lot of detailed counting. Start
with the white borders to the central red cross: which will help
you place the other motifs.
(see pages 24–5) and trim the margin down to 2cm all round.
With right sides facing, pin the canvas to the backing fabric
along the side and bottom edges. Machine stitch these three
edges, with the canvas uppermost. Sew carefully along the
edge of the woollen stitches.
2 It’s always easiest to do detailed areas first then fill in
around them. Work the six floral sprigs inside the cross,
then stitch the red background.
3 Work the red diagonals and flowers next, then the white
borders and finish off with the blue spotty triangles.
top tip
5 Clip a small triangle from each corner (see page 29), then
turn the purse right side out. Press under the 2cm seam
allowance around the top edge, then press the purse lightly
using a cloth to protect the stitches.
i used my red rose haberdashery weight print for the backing. to stand up
to everyday wear and tear it needed to be a little heavier, so i fused the fabric to a piece
of calico with bondaweb before cutting it to the exact size.
54
Stitch! projects
Motif
Badges
MATERIALS
SKILL LEVEL 1
Embroidering a cushion cover is rewarding but it can take
many hours. For the times when you’d prefer a more instant
result I came up this fun set of three badges featuring Stanley,
a posy of flowers and two luscious cherries. Stitch them in an
afternoon to update a canvas bag, your denim jacket... or even
a cushion!
10 x 30cm 12-count canvas
masking tape
DMC stranded embroidery thread in
each of the following colours:
red (3801), dark pink (3731),
light pink (151), mid green (3848),
light green (503), mid brown (841), dark brown (3857), beige (3033),
yellow (676), off-white (3865),
pale turquoise (598)
tapestry needle
iron
glue stick
sewing needle
canvas bag
thimble
red (3801)
dark brown (3857)
dark pink (3731)
beige (3033)
light pink (151)
yellow (676)
mid green (3848)
off-white (3865)
light green (503)
pale turquoise (578)
mid brown (841) top tip
these little badges make great presents for friends and family so make
sure you have some spare canvas. you can stitch all three from eleven skeins of thread,
and there will be plenty left over for a second and even a third set.
Stitch! projects
67