We’ve challenged three designers to use only the materials given to them to create a spring biscornu. Read on to see how they got on…
Spring has sprung! Time to spring clean your workbox then add a new accessory or two! We asked our three designers this month to come up with a biscornu with a springtime theme. Our designers could only use the seven shades of stranded cotton stipulated and add a button at the centre, to create the classic biscornu shape. Take a look at their sweet results below – we’ve featured a chart for each one so you can stitch your favourite! We hope this will inspire you to join in too – turn the page to see what our challenge will be for May – we’ve listed everything you need to take part.
THE CHALLENGE
• 14 count white aida
• 7 shades of DMC stranded cotton (shown above)
• Buttons for the centre
THE RULES
• Create a biscornu
• The design should be no larger than 50 x 50 stitches
• Only the materials above can be used
• Be creative as possible!
MARIA DIAZ… SPRING SHOWERS
I wanted to celebrate the spring rain, I hate it in the winter but there’s something about all the new lush green buds which appear after a good spring shower that makes me smile. That and the fact that each day gets a little bit longer. Bring on the sunshine.”
CHERYL MCKINNON… EASTER BUNNIES
The pretty pastels made for a lovely assortment of spring florals around the bunny silhouettes. They almost look like chocolate bunnies, which are good enough to eat! And there is just enough backstitch detail to make the greenery pop.”
DURENE JONES… ARTS & CRAFTS FLOWERS
The thing I love about spring the most is the garden starting to come alive again, seeing the new flowers bringing colour back into a garden that has been asleep for so long. S o my spring biscornu had to depict flowers, for this one though I decided to not use the more typical daffodils and crocus but instead based my design on little pink wild tulip flowers.”
Make a…biscornu
Step 1
COMPLETE all the stitching for the top of the biscornu following the chart. Use two strands for the cross stitch and one for the backstitch.
Step 2
CUT a second piece of fabric, the same size as the top, for the bottom of the biscornu – you can either repeat the stitching, making the bottom exactly the same as the top; stitch just the outer backstitch row using only the outer backstitch line on
