What is the best cross stitching magazine out there?

I think it very much depends on what sorts of designs you enjoy most.

For Disney stuff you can't beat the Brit mag, "Crazy for Cross stitch" I think my current fav is the British "Cross Stitch Collection" I find more patterns in there that interest me than in any other.

I haven't found much to interest me in the various U.S. magazines. I uesd to like Just Cross Stitch and The Cross Stitcher, but neither has had anything I've wanted to stitch for at least two years.

Plenty of cute stuff around, if that is what one likes. Lots of florals and religious themed things as well.

Now and then I see Stoney Creek on a newstand, their designs are less simplistic than other magazines, which is something I appreciate. But I tend to choose the most complex, insane projects (a character flaw?).

Should be interesting to see what others say!

Caryn

I most generally always come home with Mary Hickmott's magazine. I used to be a huge Stitcher's World fan, but I don't like it so much now. I'm not exactly sure just what it is that I don't like about it now, but it has changed with the new ownership. I like the one out of Australia, Jill Ox-something, but don't buy it very often. When a magazine costs more than a book, I have to really want it to buy it. The rest of them are really hit and miss for me. If I see something that jumps out at me, I'll buy it, but none of them are must-haves anymore. Tegan

I know how you feel Caryn! I see all these really complex charts and I want to do them and then once I start I think to myself "Wow I must be a gluton for pain" it doesn't help that I mess up a lot and have to frog oh yeah and i'm impatient lol.

-Shannon

My favorites are New Stitches (an UK magazine), Just Cross Stitch and Pieceworks. I'll sample The Cross Stitcher, Stitcher's World and Janet Greenoff's magazine at the newsstand before buying. I loved Classic Stitches but haven't seen it in some time. I rarely look at Cross Country Stitches or Stoney Creek - they don't appeal.

Cheryl

I left a copy of New Stitches on DH's desk, and said I would love to subscibe to it, but it is somewhat pricey!! He ultimately got the hint, and sent in a subscription for my birthday. I still get Just Cross-stitch, but am ready to let Stitcher's World sub run out. DH will also pick up Jill Oxton's mag and some of the UK ones, if he sees thm in Barnes and Noble at "gift" times. However, he gives me a B&N gift card for Christmas and Birthdays, I so can pick them up myself.

Gillian

As the others have said, it very much depends on what kind of design you like. I've been buying Mary Hickmott's New Stitches since issue 7 (several years ago!) I like what she offers, and anything I've made from it I've enjoyed doing and I've been happy with the finished product.

I also admire Jill Oxton's Cross Stitch and Beading, but I usually buy it as a gift for others. Her designs are beautiful when completed, but I only have so many lives to do what I want to get done!

John

I personally don't care for most of the UK magazines. Aside from the cost, the designs in most of them do not appeal to me. I prefer Just Cross Stitch and Stitcher's World along with Stoney Creek and have subscriptions to those. I do like the Australian magazine, Embroidery and Cross Stitch, very much but because I live an hour away from a B&N or Borders, I don't get it very often. This is all very subjective. For a while I didn't like JCS, but now find it more to my liking. Magazines change over the years, and what one person likes, another will be turned off. In any case, it's always fun to look through them and see what's new.

Carolyn

I only subscribe to Antique Samplers and Needlework now. Used to get quite a few more but they don't interest me so much now. I do pick up Mary Hickmott's New Stitches occasionally.

Lynn > I've looked at a few cross stitching magazines in Barnes and Noble

I have subscribed to Jill Oxton's Cross Stitch and Beading for a few years, and have almost a complete set, but I am tossing up whether to continue my subscription into next year. I think I will just go to the newsagency and check out each issue before I buy.

I like Classic Stitches from the UK, (not every issue) because it has a variety of techniques and great instructions!

I subscribe to Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly - I love the historical articles and of course the samplers.

I did buy World of Cross Stitch and Crazy For Cross Stitch for a few years and they seem to be very similar and began reapeating themes so I stopped buying them. I am going to make some space on my book shelves adn get rid of them I think.

Years ago I used to buy Leaisure Arts Magazine and For the Love of Cross Stitch, Just Cross Stitch and I used to like Stitcher's World too.

I still buy Australian Embroidery and Cross Stitch and Inspirations from time to time.

I guess I purchase perhaps one magazine a month? They range in price between $11-15 AU here so they're quite expensive :)

Blessings Tannia (Au)

Mary Hickmott's New Stitches is the one magazine I would want delivered to my tropical island along with the margaritas.

Jane Greenoff's would have been my second choice but sadly, she just published her last issue. :-(

I'm trying not to buy any magazine that features Teddy bears or 20 year old British soccer stars. I am sick to death of the first and have never heard of any of the latter.

Lynda

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Sometimes I think war is God's way of teaching us geography." ..................Paul Rodriguez..................................... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you are talking cross stitch alone, I don't have a particular favourite--I buy one or another of the UK magazines each month, depending on which has the most designs I like. But if I were going to a desert island, I would want a subscription to Classic Stitches, published in Scotland, because it has the most interesting variety of needlework--usually some cross stitch, some free embroidery, and one or more of metal work, stump work, hardanger.....It would be the least likely to become boring. Dawne

Have you seen Australian Cross Stitch & Embroidery, or Rakam, or Ric Amare? The latter two must be translated from Italian, but a lot of it you can figure out. :-) Aus. CS&E has a wonderful mix of projects as well.

Dianne

Dawne Peters> If you are talking cross stitch alone, I don't have a particular

You are making me miss McCall's Needlework.

In it's prime it had knitting, crochet, tatting, embroidery of many sorts (Xst, whitework/candlewicking, surface, hardanger, even the occasional forays into Brazilian!).

I have about 20 yrs worth in my closet, it's great to sit there in August and pick out projects for the upcoming holiday gifts.

Sadly, I'm about out of patterns that still interest me in my current stash of back issues.

Caryn

I do miss McCall's Needlework as an "idea" medium. Have knitted several of their patterns. However, most of the other needlework projects were pretty simplistic. They tried, toward the end, to upgrade their talent and project base, but it was too late.

I do miss it a lot, however, as there was always "something". I've thrown out most of my old issues, but have cut out the patterns that appealed to me and saved them. I continue to hold onto the last couple of years before they stopped publishing. I will never forget the faboulous needlepoint rug - each square a different herb - that was published back in the late 1960's or early 1970's. Even during those years, there was a lot of simple craft projects. But there was always something worthwhile in each issue.

Dianne

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