Pet of the month

We know you're huge fans of pets, so have us design a cross stitch of a beloved animal!

No.1 PET

Design my pet!

Q This is our loveable bantam chicken Oakey who is very cheeky. We got her when she was six weeks old. She liked to have dust baths in my flowerpots and sneak inside the house to say hello and have cuddles. Unfortunately, Oakey became ill at a year old and sadly had to be put to sleep. She is missed greatly and I would really love to stitch a picture in her memory. It would be a lovely surprise for my daughters. Debbie Gray, via email

A Durene says: I've always wondered what it'd be like to have a pet chicken and Oakey sounds like she was an absolute joy. I'm so very sorry for your loss, Debbie and I'm delighted to be able to design this special stitch for you and your family. To create her soft feathery texture, you'll work cross stitch in just seven shades, and you'll add depth and detail with grey backstitch. Keep an eye out for a couple of fractionals too these are used to shape Oakey's eye and beak.

Fun facts about bantams