It’s a long story, but I ended up with an extra sampler canvas from Basic Grey. This one measures 8 x 10″ and is the Saffron design. If you missed it, I designed another Basic Grey sampler awhile ago and you can see it here. The Saffron canvas is so different from the Rook canvas that I used the first time. The openings are not square and because this is the smaller sized canvas AND five of the nine windows have preprinted designs, it didn’t seem to make sense to use this canvas for a fabric swatch sampler. As I thought about it, it occurred to me that it would be perfect for embroidery.

Due to the time of the year, I went with a fall theme. Using french knots, I embellished the flowers in all of the preprinted designs. I added one of the Basic Grey stitched buttons to the lower right opening.

In the lower left, I embroidered a little sketch of a branch with berries.

Above that opening, I stitched a little squirrel with the suggestion of grass at his feet.

And finally, in the upper right, I stitched a little yellow and black bird on a branch. The bird is holding a red leaf in his beak. It’s so fitting because Penny and I found our first red leaf of the season while on a stroller walk last Friday.

I’ve had many people ask where they can purchase Basic Grey samplers. These canvases are a very new product and many fabric stores are still picking them up. One easy place to order them online is here.

Edited to add: For those who have asked, the squirrel, bird and branch were my own sketches not a pattern.