CHART PACK:
The feathered Whisperers
A REPRODUCTION SAMPLER CHARTED BY Barbara Ana Designs
Barbara Ana describes the pattern in her own words:
A conspiracy is brewing here, the fluffy cat looks so worried and the stag is truly surprised, the two little feathered traitors, whispering and whispering, are up to no good...
The original sampler (pictured bottom right) is from 1859, maybe Dutch, and was originally stitched with wool on canvas. The colors on the back remain vivid but I chose to stitch it taking the soft and faded colors of the front. Although the reproduction was stitched without border, it is included on the chart.
Creative Poppy says:
This is the first reproduction sampler, charted in cross stitch by Barbara Ana.
It's quite rare to come across an antique sampler with a large cat like this one. In fact there are quite a few interesting and unusual details in this sampler even though the layout of the motifs and the borders are traditional. It looks like the stitcher wanted to take some liberty with traditional needlework and added details she found interesting.
The designer leaves you the choice of either stitching the borders as in the original, or leaving them out. You can compare the result on the right. The borders are quite exquisite, with a vertical vine motif contrasting with an intricate fern-like motif running horizontally. Cutting out the borders focuses on the characters and gives it maybe a more modern feel, but it will be a tough choice whether to include them or not!
The contemporary piece was stitched on fine 40ct linen, over 2 threads, using one strand of floss.
A Reproduction Sampler by Barbara Ana Designs.
>> see more patterns by Barbara Ana Designs
Chart info & Needlework supplies for the pattern:
The feathered Whisperers
Chart size in stitches (including borders): 259 x 263 (wide x high)
Chart size in stitches (excluding borders): 199 x 223 (wide x high)
Stitches: Cross stitch, Backstitch,
Chart: Color
Threads: DMC and Anchor (DMC substitutes available for Anchor colors)
Number of colors: 14
Themes: Reproduction sampler, antique, cat
