Australia's Samplers

Here's a pretty cool article about Australian samplers - it's in .pdf form and has some pictures.

http://www.nsw.nationaltrust.org.au/files/magazine/magazine-autumn08-samplers.pdf

It's interesting the subtle influences Australian life had on the style of children's samplers - I'm going to try and transcribe a sampler from the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney that features a typical example of Australian 19th century public architecture as well as a black swan - a staple water bird of Australia's lakes.

Bird and baby sitting in a tree....

birdgraph
Originally uploaded by evilshrub

I've never made a proper graph for a cross stitch before.... that is, UNTIL NOW. Duh-dun!

So, here's my first official design. I decided to start humbly. I haven't chosen the exact colours I would like to use yet. Perhaps I will post some on the weekend.

The eyes of the birds are french knots. I think the rest is pretty self-explanatory.

I can't wait to try it! I hope somebody else does try it too!

I will try and find an alternative spot to put this rather than flickr on the weekend. It limits the size I can post, I think.

Have a squizz!

P7220104
Originally uploaded by evilshrub

Hi hi! This is exciting. I'm trying to work out how all this flickr and blogger stuff goes together. I think I'm getting it. Anyway, this is the first embroidery I made up myself. I've been sewing ever since I got my first project from my parents on my 10th birthday, a cross stitch kit to sew a Care Bears alphabet.

The top one is supposed to represent the Big Bang, and the lower one is all about cosmic forces stirring up cell life on our planet. Very deep. The stitches I used were mostly satin stitch, chain stitch and french knots.

I made them in 2007, and made them specifically to fit into 5x7 frames I got from a cheapo shop.

Hello.

Hi. I think I will use this blog to catalogue all my crafts, and hopefully to make free embroidery patterns. Let's see how I go.