• Home
  • Suggest A Craft
  • DIY Newsletter

Cross-Stitch

Charts, patterns and everything needlepoint

  • About CraftGossip
  • Our Network
    • Bath & Body Crafts
    • Candle Making Ideas
    • Crochet Ideas
    • Cross Stitch
    • Edible Crafts
    • Felting Patterns
    • Glass Art
    • Home & Garden Ideas
    • Indie Crafts
    • Jewelry Making
    • Kids Crafts
    • Knitting Patterns
    • Lesson Plans
    • Needlework
    • Party Ideas
    • Polymer Clay
    • Quilting Ideas
    • Recycled Crafts
    • Scrapbooking
    • Sewing Patterns
    • Card Making
    • DIY Weddings
    • Not Craft Ideas
  • Giveaways
  • Roundups
  • Store
  • Search

Stitch Historic Samplers from Fox and Rabbit Designs

July 15, 2023 by Sarah White

I came across Fox and Rabbit Designs recently, and while they have a variety of cross-stitch designs to choose from, what most interested me when looking through their website is the patterns that are reproductions of sampler patterns first stitched hundreds of years ago.

For example, there’s the Botany Bay sampler, shown here, which was probably originally stitched by 10-year-old Margret Begbie in the late 1700s or early 1800s in Scotland. (Botany Bay was the original name for the Australian colony used in the UK.) It features ships, buildings and other symbols of the colony, and comes with an interesting backstory, too.

A woman named Margaret Begbie was sentenced to transportation to Tasmania in 1845, so it’s possible that’s the same woman who stitched about this far-off land and ultimately ended up going there herself.

There’s also Dorothy’s sampler, a Dutch design from 1792 covered with birds and flowers. The original stitcher is unknown. Or Elizabeth Cooper’s 1866 pattern that includes an alphabet and numbers, butterflies, birds, flowers, a greyhound dog, and a religious verse.

These projects are all so cool and it’s really interesting just to look at them, but it would also be fun to stitch them to allow their history and stories to continue. Check out all the reproduction samplers here.

Fox and Rabbit designs is an Australian company that produces cross-stitch charts and hand-painted linen. They have a Patreon where you can get more patterns, or you can buy individual patterns from their website. Many of them have the classic look of old samplers (they call them antique-inspired, which sounds a little nicer than old) but there are some with a more modern design as well.

If you want to learn more about them and see what’s on offer on Patreon, check out their Instagram page.

 

Next Pattern:

  • Cross Stitch Samplers with a Historic Twist
«
»

Have you read?

Bookmark Cross Stitch Patterns

It seems like there’s no end to the available options when it comes to cross stitch bookmarks, which is a good thing because they’re perennially popular to stitch as well. This time I thought I’d share some colorful cross stitch bookmarks to get you ready for the new school year or to make meeting your reading goals a little more fun. 

I love these retro floral designs from The Stitch Patterns. This set of four patterns is rated as very easy, and each bookmark measures 2.5 by 6 inches (or 6.35 by 15.25 cm) on 14 count fabric. 

These cute ones that look like mosaic tile would also be fun to stitch. This set includes five designs from EmbroSTyle Designs, and they call them folk art but they mostly look like old mosaics to me. Either way, the bookmarks are 25 by 101 stitches, and to stitch the full set uses 12 colors. 

If you’re looking for more of a challenge, you can stitch up a work of art with this set of 16 bookmarks designed to look like famous paintings. Stitch some sunflowers or a great wave or a starry night. Most of these are between 14 and 20 colors (the great wave is only 8) and the bookmarks are totally covered with stitching at a count of 35 by 100 stitches. Grab this set from Sunset and Sea Design.

Or how about some bookmarks inspired by books (or by movies inspired by books)? This set of Lord of the Rings bookmarks includes four landmarks from the books/movies. Each one is 35 by 115 stitches and uses between 8 and 17 colors. You can find them at byCountryMagicStitch.

These don’t quite all fit the description of being colorful bookmarks to cross stitch, but a few of them do, and speaking of book-themed bookmarks I had to share this set from Mama Geek inspired by Heartstopper. There are seven designs in all that should be quite familiar to readers (or viewers of the series). 

25 Christmas Bookmark Cross-stitch Patterns [Cross-Stitch]

25 Floral Bookmark Cross Stitch Patterns

Categories

Book Reviews Christmas Craft Businesses Craft Inspirations Craft News and Events Cross-Stitch Patterns & Charts Cross-Stitch Product Reviews Cross-Stitch Website Reviews Dogs & Cats Easter flowers Free Patterns Halloween More Cross Stitch Product Reviews spring Subversive Thanksgiving Tutorials and Patterns valentines day

RSS More Articles

  • Bookmark Cross Stitch Patterns
  • FREE Summer Vacation Die Cut Files to Download
  • Knit a Linen Stitch Hot Pad
  • Agnes Sweater Vest PDF Crochet
  • Coldplay Caught on Camera?! This Free Coloring Page Will Leave You in Stitches!
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo for Kids
  • Primrose and Bee Punch Needle Pattern from DMC
  • Striped Ripple Afghan- Free Crochet Pattern
  • Knitting Pattern Review: Sabai Top by PaulaStrickt
  • Book Review – Capture Your Own Life with Collage Quilting

Pick Your Blog

  • Sewing
  • Knitting
  • Quilting
  • Crochet
  • Home & Garden
  • Recycled Crafts
  • Scrapbooking
  • Card Making
  • Polymer Clay
  • Cross-Stitch
  • Edible Crafts
  • Felting
  • Glass Art
  • Indie Crafts
  • Kids Crafts
  • Jewelry Making
  • Lesson Plans
  • Needlework
  • Bath & Body
  • Party Ideas
  • Candle Making
  • DIY Weddings
  • Not Craft
  • Free Craft Projects

Copyright © 2025 · CraftGossip | Start Here | Contact Us | Link to Us | Your Editors | Privacy and affiliate policy