Celebrate Australia!

Our wonderful cross-stitch depicts the great home and garden developments of this century. It's sure to become a family heirloom.

The sampler follows the tradional layout with alphabet and numerals and includes everyday items which revolutionised the running of the household (see the list below). At bottom centre, sign your work with your initials.

Download your free pattern sheet here:
Page 1
Page 2

Finished size: Embroidered area about 19 x 27cm.

You'll need 45 x 55cm rectangle of cream Cashel linen 11 (28 fabric threads to the inch) (art. no. 3281/222); DMC stranded embroidery cotton as listed in the colour key; tapestry needle; embroidery hoop (optional).

Here's how

1 Mark horizontal and vertical centre lines on the graph and baste the centre lines on the fabric. Start work in the centre. Work the embroidery in cross-stitch, working each cross over two fabric threads using two strands of cotton.

2 Work your initials using one strand 796 over one fabric thread. When the cross-stitch is finished, work the backstitch with one strand of cotton unless otherwise specified (refer to photo). If preferred the wattle leaves can be worked in lazy daisy stitch instead of back-stitch. Work the wattle blossom and Iceberg rose centre (cross-stitch first behind with 301) in french knots (shown as a symbol inside a circle) with two strands of 726. Work the straight-stitch of the gum blossom petals with one strand 666 and the top of Hills Hoist 844, Work all other french knots using one strand of cotton.

For the record 1900s: Federation house 1920s: Anzac biscuits, teabags, electric stove, electric sewing machine 1921, wireless (radio) 1923, electric jug 1924, milk bottles 1925, electric refrigerator 1929 1930s: Pavlova created by Herbert Sachse, Esplanade Hotel, Perth 1935 1940s: Hills Hoist rotary clothes line developed by Lance Hill of Adelaide 1945, electric washing machine 1947, Holden car 48/214 model 1948, electric mixer 1948 1950s: Victa rotary lawn mower developed by Mervyn Victor Richardson 1952, black and white television 1956, milk cartons 1958, Iceberg rose bred by Kordes (Germany) 1958, electric steam or dry iron 1957 1960s: Decimal currency introduced on February 14, 1966 1970s: Pink Lady apple, kettle barbecue, hair drier 1974, colour television 1975, Better Homes and Gardens July, 1978 1980s: Personal computer 1984

Source: Better Homes and Gardens magazine December 1999