Jungle Welcome

A birth sampler worked in counted cross stitch: the jungle animals walk along the grass and leave room for the baby's date, name and weight, which you spell out using the alphabet and number line in the instructions. Enough thread is supplied to stitch the lettering in blue or in coral, so the same chart suits a boy or a girl.

The Aida is plain, not printed, so you count the squares from the chart, adding back stitch outlines and a few French knots. Hoop and frame are not included: once finished, the long narrow shape sits well in a slim frame above the cot.