How Now Brown Cow - BW 1831

How Now Brown Cow – BW 1831 is rated as suitable for a beginner. With a stitch count of 254 stitches (w) x 273 stitches (h) the sampler is stitched with cross stitch over 2 and the verse over 1.

Who was BW? Sadly we shall never know who stitched this charming English sampler in 1831 during the reign of William IV.

We know there are at least another eight similar samplers that make us wonder if they were stitched at the same school or taught by the same school mistress.  The samplers are different in their own right, but they share the same red brick stately Georgian building together with a fenced sweeping lawn or surrounded by a grove of trees.  All have at least one cow lazing on the grass, except one which is from an earlier period.

BW’s sampler is surrounded by a delightful border of strawberries, and the birds with bright plumage reflect the English fascination with exotic plants and animals resting in trees and urns of flowering carnations.  Two further sets of initials “G.W” and “M.W” have been stitched either side of the house, possibly her parents or siblings.

Thread Legend

The sampler has been charted with Au Ver à Soie d’Alger silks and the skein quantities calculated based on 1 strand on 36ct fabric. We have provided a DMC conversion based on 2 strands on 36ct fabric. The model was stitched on 40ct Lakeside Linen Vintage Meadow Rue.

The sampler is stitched with cross stitch over 2 and the verse over 1 and has been rated as suitable for beginners.

Soie d’Alger / DMC

943 x 1  / 321 x 1 – Christmas red

3833 x 1 / 371 x 1 – Mustard

2236 x 1 / 420 x 1 – Hazel nut brown – dark

3812 x 1 / 422 x 1 – Hazel nut brown – light

2246 x 1 / 434 x 1 – Brown – light

1026 x 1 / 498 x 1 – Christmas red – dark

1844 x 1 / 501 x 1 – Blue green – dark

3835 x 1 / 610 x 1 – Drab brown – dark

3846 x 1 / 645 x 1 – Beaver grey – very dark

2522 x 1 / 677 x 1 – Old gold- very light

F10 x 1 / 712 x 1 – Cream

2145 x 3 / 730 x 4 -Olive green – very dark

4113 x 1 / 841 x 1 – Beige brown –light

615 x 1 / 921 x 1 – Copper

1713  x 1 /932 x 1 – Antique blue – light

516 x 1 / 937 x 1 – Avocado green – medium

LINEN SIZES

The design area is 254 stitches (w) x 273 stitches (h). Our calculations have included a 3” margin for finishing and framing.

30ct – Design: 16.93″ x 18.2″ Fabric: 22.93″ x 24.2″

32ct – Design: 15.88″ x 17.06″ Fabric: 21.88″ x 23.06″

36ct – Design: 14.11″ x 15.17″ Fabric: 20.11″ x 21.17″

40ct – Design: 12.7″ x 13.65″ Fabric: 18.7″ x 19.65″