May 2011

Sampler Workbook: Motifs and Patterns by Caroline Vincent. Published by A&C Black (March 15, 2011). Available in Australia through Allen & Unwin.

Review by Megan Enright

As a cross-stitcher from way back who has flirted with other crafts but always stayed true to the cause of the simple but effective cross-stitch I was thrilled to start reading Caroline Vincent’s book, ”Sampler Workbook – motifs and patterns”. My heart was also fluttering a little faster to see the word ‘sampler” in the title. Down through the ages and into the current crop of bright funky cross-stitch patterns samplers have remained a constant favourite with embroiderers, and I am certainly no exception!

Caroline’s book arms you with all the info to create your own unique sampler. She divides the book into sections covering the common motifs found in traditional samplers, e.g. buildings (houses, churches etc), figures ( lots of cute farm scenes in this section) birds, trees and of course borders and flowers. It is up to the adventurous embroiderer to fossick through the myriad of beautiful designs, decide how they are to be placed on the fabric, decide which colour threads to use and then – the best part – stitch!

The pattern graphs are coloured not black and white so you are given some guidance on thread colour choices however, the emphasis in this book seems to be exploring your own creative side and moving beyond following a pattern designed by someone else. This was what I found the most appealing thing about this lovely book, that it encourages the stitcher to produce a sampler that is unique to them. This task could be seen as a little daunting especially for a crafter such as myself who doesn’t have a lot of confidence in the strength of my own creative ability but Caroline’s book takes the hard work out of the process by providing beautiful ideas and then all the reader has to do is put those ideas together to create a gorgeous, personalised sampler, or two. There really are so many motifs to choose from that one sampler may not be enough to satisfy. Can a home have too many samplers? I think not!

[This completed project is from one of the designs in the book]

Caroline Vincent outlines clearly fabric options and gives clear instructions for the novice. It is a great book for both experienced or beginner cross-stitchers. If you are new to the craft you can start with a small motif and build slowly with more small patterns. If you have been cross-stitching since your mother taught you at age nine (yes, that’s me) you can plan big and have a lot of fun with a big project.

I think this Sampler Workbook beautifully reinforces a traditional stitching idea but adds modern and interesting concepts that gives nervous creative types more confidence and as such enable embroiderers to have a lot of designer fun.

Reviewed by: Megan is a lover of all things knitted, sewn and embroidered and has way too much fabric, thread and yarn plus an over abundance of craft books. Add to this four gorgeous children and a very encouraging husband means her home can sometimes seem a little cosy. However, Megan loves all aspects of her over-crowded life so can only ever think of herself as being very lucky. Sitting on the couch with her current project on her lap is just icing on the cake. Did she mention she likes cooking – and eating…?

DISCLOSURE: WHIPUP.NET’S Reviewer WAS PROVIDED WITH A REVIEW COPY OF THIS BOOK. THE AMAZON LINK IS AN AFFILIATE LINK.

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