Royal Garden

A fairy-tale scene: the turreted castle rises above a flowering garden, with fountains, a pond and a peacock perched on the balustrade. With 53 colours and plenty of shading in the flowers and sky, this is a substantial project, best suited to stitchers who already have some cross stitch practice and enjoy large designs.

On 14 count Aida each stitch is worked over one square, usually with two strands of stranded cotton; the threads come ready sorted by colour on the organiser, so you can start straight away. You will also need a hoop or frame and good lighting. The instructions are in English, German and French, and the colour symbolic chart is easy to follow. Once finished, the piece deserves a frame.