Samplers : The Silver Needle, Fine Needlecraft Materials

Samplers
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Over the years we've had wonderful samplers in the shop! (As you will soon see, we use that term loosely!) All kinds of sizes and types, numerous designers, available as either books and kits... there are literally thousands to choose from! Since we moved the shop, and we feel like we have so much more room for things, I picked up a few that we hadn't had before. We thought a Sampler Page would be a good idea... a place to begin to show our collection!
Measure Twice Cut Once from Sweet Wing Studio This needs to be mounted onto the front of a fabric stitching tote...but it'd make a cute pin cushion as well. Finishing only 3 x 5 on32ct... coded for DMC or Weeks hand-dyed flosses - every artist - of every kind appreciates these words of wisdom!
New Designs from Jan Hicks - Samplers of Floral and Lace Palace of the Winds is a pretty piece that has arrived this season - it is full of glorious flowing borders and florals with that half-circle motif in the center stealing the show. Stitch all in one piece or break up into smaller cushions or folded sewing cases. Jan has done this in two different colorways, and has the links inside the chart to the video tutorial dealing with variegated and hand-dyed threads. Manipulating them, learning how to make color decisions based on what's coming next on the strand, and where your chart is going. Maybe skip the variegated totally for a design! Fascinating stuff, and a really pretty design to learn with! Stitched in its entirety, it finishes approx 13 x 14 on 36ct. Samplings of Lace - Summer - Just three small cushions! The featured colors are DMC 153, 550 and 552. Choose a hand-dyed or trio of solids... but maybe choose your trim first so that potential nightmare is avoided! Three ideas for those multiple motifs in Palace of the Winds - Stitch just bits and make a set of cushions instead of the big framed piece! Surely you have an empty elegant silver tray or pretty dish somewhere that's waiting for garnish!
Home is Where I Hang My Samplers from The Sampler House By Sampler House's Eileen Bennett... this has a copyright of 2021 on the chart... but I swear it looks like Classic Eileen Bennett and could have been designed in 1991! It needs to be stitched and hung among some of your samplers. The stitch count is 129 x 175 - so on 36ct, it'll finish 7 x 10, and it's coded for regular DMC.
Charming Samplers from From The Heart... Each is a reproduction or adaptation of an antique. See which is your favorite! Xaverie Hern A Spanish Sampler - Finishes 11-1/2 inches square on 36ct linen. Coded for Silks or DMC - the color of fabric is Ancient Ruin by Fox & Rabbit - gotta LOVE that name! Choose something darkish so your creamy ecru alphabets will show up. The boxes at the bottom are done in Cross Stitch - if you are daring, you COULD do some Bargello or Satins! Wendy warns that like most old samplers, these alphabets are missing a few letters! Now - pay attention to Green Pear right beside this one! Green Pear Band Sampler - This one is an adaptation of the Xaverie's Sampler! Look... you'll find the bottom bands are larger areas of the blocks at the bottom of the original... and the alphabet is a medley of all the lettering styles from the first. Isn't it cool to see basically the same element so differently presented? Xaverie and Green Pear look so different, yet they share so much that is the same! I actually think the band sampler would be pretty framed, and the Hern square piece needs to be a big, plump stuffed silk and down pillow on a chair right below it! (You know the kind of pillow - ones that you pay a decorator $400 to make!... and then your dog comes in and jumps on that same chair!) Black Sheep Sampler - This one looks too simple and perfect to be old... but there is the antique pictured on the front cover! Main piece finishes just 6 x 7-1/2 on 36ct... pinkeep which is trimmed with Lady Dot Chenille is a mere 3 x 6. Might make a really nice beginning sampler for someone 9 or 10 years old... very classic! Not too big, not too hard... an easy-to-count border... and she could do that little black sheep in Gentle Art's Simply Wool thread! Elizabeth Pitkin 1836 - This one is also charming. Pretty colors of silks or hand-dyed cottons from Weeks. More smalls to stitch to go with the bigger piece, too. This one is 11 x 11 on 36 featuring a border that is large and bold... not a lot of 'boring alphabet!' The mini-sampler is only 4 x 5, and fob is just 1-1/2 by a bit over 2!
Make Me A Blessing and Keys to Happiness from Monticello Stitches These two pieces caught our attention! Make Me a Blessing to Someone Today - Does that mean I need a lot of work to BE a blessing to someone? Kind of makes you think a little, huh? Stitched on 36ct this finishes a huge 15 x 16... so definitely a bold prayer for that self help! Charted for DMC, it uses 24 different shades - multiple skeins of 6 of the colors. Keys to Happiness Never put the keys to your happiness in someone else's pocket. Wow, there's another powerful life lesson! (Follow this advice especially if you want to be a blessing to someone else today!) We like this one a lot. You could always hang it right above the family house and car key rack (if you still use keys!). Coded for DMC, on 32ct it finishes about 9 x 11. Doesn't need to say much more, does it?
Hannah Clark 1837 from Hands to Work A reproduction of Hannah's 1837 sampler... this is pretty basic, but charming anyway. Hannah has 4 different corners on her border... and I like how that one basket didn't get the memo, and interrupted that flow! It's OK if you need to change her name to yours and adjust that birth order a little... the Cross Stitch Police will not come to your house and arrest you for changing the original! Stitched on Weeks Parchment Linen with Tiger's Eye, Palomino, Lancaster Red, Havana, Caramel Corn, Brethren Blue and Ye Old Gold hand-dyed flosses, it finishes approx 7 x 8 on 40ct.
Vintage Sewing Accessories from Les Petites Croix de Lucie This is a neat pattern. It is a medley of antique sewing accessories and tools, all stitched with 26 various shades of DMC floss. The charts in here are huge, and all in color. You can stitch each 'thing' individually or do the entire medley, which measures 117 x 141 - so only 7 x 9 on 32ct! It looks a lot bigger than that, so the moral of this story is PIN CUSHIONS AND LITTLE SEWING CASES! That tape measure is about 15 x 60 the button card is only 34 x 34, the safety pin is only 10 x 30... these are enchanting little what-nots! Get the chart, and then figure out what you want to do with all the designs... this is a 'must have!'
Cardinal Points by Long Dog Samplers for The Gentle Art Long Dog Samplers created this piece using Gentle Art Sampler Threads -- kind of as a promo piece for Nancy at The Gentle Art. The verse reads: *The Gentle Art of a Needlewoman lies embodied in her work.* Super colorful and very pretty, I like all the small repeating motifs everywhere -- and all the balance in the border. Coded for 24 different colors of Sampler Threads over-dyed floss, this finishes approx 12-1/2 inches square and the pic on the front of the chart was worked on good old 18ct AIDA! So choose any fabric you like and stitch away!!!
Pins & Needles from Abby Rose Designs This year's Limited Edition kit to match last years... this sweet cushion is stitched on 30ct Coffee-stained linen by designer -- Gayle! Her kit contains Weeks hand-dyed flosses, some beautiful blue and taupe reproduction fabric for the backing, and dreamy-soft gray-blued silk ribbon to do the edging. It will finish approx 5 x 5, and includes an alphabet for personalization, as well.
Jenny Bean The Parlour Sampler from Shakespeare's Peddler Shakespeare's Peddler began designing this sampler several years ago... and has finally finished it! Jenny Bean is her imaginary young girl in Early America - we have the date of 1824 on here. Designed and released in 8 different parts over the years, we now have all the pieces and parts and can send you any or ALL of them! This delightful sampler tells about jenny's life, her surroundings, her beliefs, and at the bottom, we see her school, town and home. The piece measures 810 x 170 - so on the recommended 36ct Picture This Plus Wren Linen, it finishes 45 x 9-1/2 inches in size. If you can't picture that - please refer to Our Mona - who is graciously 'modeling' next to the framed piece! We have several different counts and colors of fabric that this will look great on... every option will require a 1/2 yard cut of fabric - linen or Aida. If you have been collecting this, you are probably missing parts 7 and 8 - (they will ship to our Auto-stitchers this week) but as I said, we can ship whatever parts you need! We love the finished piece... and love that 'Modeling Mona!!'
A Perfect World from The Scarlett House The colors and balance in this piece is just stunning. The verse is charming... but if it's not your favorite... change it! DO NOT pass by this pretty piece! Measuring only 10 x 9 on 40ct over two, it'll be a little larger if you go with 32ct. Coded for hand-dyed flosses of Hazelnut, Havana, Beige, Grasshopper, Red Rocks, Dark Chocolate, Boysenberry, Battleship, Juniper, Green With Envy, and Whitewash. You'll also need two skeins of DMC 310. Tanya's 4 dogs are pictured on the back of the chart - I think they were her inspiration!
Shady Day from Sheepish Designs Ohhhh... another golden-oldie by Sheepish Designs... we haven't had this pattern for years and years... but always loved it! Shady Day was originally published in 2004. It measures 98 x 191 in stitch count and is worked with a combination of Gentle Art Sampler Threads and DMC floss. All the sheep are so charming -- very organized beneath their billowing trees -- there are neat birds, a lazy, crooked and meandering alphabet, bold flowers, and those cool grassy hills. There is mostly Cross Stitch in this... but bits of Lazy Daisies in the flower leaves and several places where Satin Stitches fill in giving extra texture to the flowers and those hills. This design has always captured the eye, and we're thrilled to have the chart back in stock!
Three Things Sampler from Moira Blackburn We've had this sampler hanging in the shop for almost 30 years... and it's STILL a showpiece! Three things there are that will never come back. The arrow shot forth on it's destined track; the appointed hour that could not wait; and the helpful word that was spoken too late. Great advice, charming motifs, pretty colors, that gorgeous house scene neat the bottom, all the cool rows... you will always treasure this finished piece. Stitch count is 263 x 359, so it finishes approx 14-1/2 x 20 on 36ct, and is coded for DMC (I'm not even sure the year Gentle Art started dying flosses... but it might not have been back in 1992!)
French Garden from Samplers Not Forgotten Another gorgeous piece released by Samplers Not Forgotten, this one features a French proverb as the verse (which is also charted in English just in case!). Little by little the bird makes it's nest is the thought - the proverb advises that with patience (or time) and perseverance all goals can be accomplished. Look at those gorgeous florals cascading down the sides... and all those involved dividing bands - aren't they exquisite? That little bird motif in there would make a beautiful little pin cushion all by itself! Measuring 271 x 351, stitch this on any linen you like - it'll finish approx 15 x 19-1/2 on 36ct. Worked with Weeks flosses, you'll need multiple skeins of Arrowhead, Banana Pudding, Dove, Oilcloth, Caper, Dolphin, Blue Suede, Lily Pad, Whiskey, Gold, Sanguine, and that time and patience it talks about! The pics look stunning... can't wait to see it! Note: when you click through, you can click on the model image on that page and see a much larger version of this. Bet you get goose bumps!
Needle #1 and #2 from Lila's Studio This is an interesting pair of designs. #1 (shown at the top of our image at right) was released in 2012, #2 in 2019. They are basically the SAME piece... only #2 is her Re-Do! with additions. The verse is a quote from John Taylor in 1634 talking about all the flora and fauna... and how the needle can shape and wrought it all. The borders on each are charming and colorful... and the three or four little scenes in the boxes above the verses are delightful! I honestly don't know which version I like better! #1 Is smaller - measures 20 x 9 on 32ct, and is coded for 24 DMC flosses. With The Needle #2 is larger - it finishes 11-1/2 x 26-1/2 on 32ct. It is coded for 8 DMC colors and 21 Classic Colorworks hand-dyeds - with no DMC conversions. Even if you don't stitch the entire sampler or samplers... those little square scenes would make fun pin cushions!
Hannah's Sampler from Shakespeare's Peddler Here is Shakespeare's Peddler's newest reproduction sampler - Hannah's Sampler. Theresa found the original in terrible condition, but could tell she loved the leafy border and the charming farmhouse - next to the brick wall - covering that little babbling brook. Very pretty colors of reds and greens in here, the row of diamonds below the alphabet are done with Rice Stitch. Those bricks in the wall and the waves in the water are all loosely placed in the original... so neat... you can do that too. Stitched on 36ct Weeks Straw Linen with silks (Gloriana, Needlepoint Inc and Au Ver a Soie) or DMC, it measures a generous 16-1/2 x 15-1/2 in size. Teresa came to Tulsa for a weekend retreat in our new 'She Shed' Stitching Room... and presented this sampler as our Silver Needle exclusive. (Our class included three small take-out designs from this charming piece... so the weekend was really a treat.) 'Raggamuffin #3' refers to her third antique reproduction piece that came from a really ratty, mangy, and damaged sampler that just needed a little love! So... Hannah's original sampler as well as her reproduction now hang happily at our shop... and she'll be here for years to come!
HellofromLizMathews - 1999 Releases by Elizabeth's Garden Revisited! Here are 3 charts by Liz Mathews - She'd published them 20 years ago - but if you missed them then, here they are now! Presented as charts, coded for DMC. All finishing in the 4 or 5 x 8-inch range on 32ct, they're charming! Do some Satins in the grassy areas of Night Time and Bee Kind. Do some Algerian Eyes or Rice stitches in the 'landscape' of Nantucket. All of these are petite and organized... specialty stitches or threads would look great on them!
Caroline Colmont 1845 from Reflets de Soie Reflets de Soie has sent the most gorgeous French Darning Sampler chart... an antique reproduction of one stitched by Caroline Colmont in 1845. The sampler measures 348 x 359 in stitch count - so even on 40ct, it'll turn out to be HUGE at 17-1/2 inches in size! Absolutely stunning, each of the four outer borders feature different florals for the four seasons. Then, you get two more in the sampler... a couple of alphabet fonts... and then the treat -- the Darning Sections! 18 different sections in all, each of those measures about 30 stitches square, and each showcases its own unique pattern-darning design. And, there is even a little Bargello tossed in below that! The darning sections all have such texture and charm, your eye is drawn right to them. Presented as a chart, this is coded for DMC floss or Soie d' Alger Silk. We have the silks available with the chart purchase - they are all pre-sorted, tied and numbered by Isabelle on her pretty Reflets de Soie thread cards. (And since this is big, there are a TON of threads in here!)
Christian Geissinger 1839 from Victorian Rose Needleart This is an interesting sampler by Victorian Rose Needlearts. Christian was a male stitcher. They don't know much about him, but he did a beautiful job on this 180 years ago! It is charted for and stitched with Gentle Art's Simply Wool thread - which makes your piece look AWESOME! I don't remember the actual colors being this red and pink... so after pulling them, you might be able to choose something to tone down the red or pink if they bother you, but those are the colors on the original piece. The lavish floral border is lovely, and that central urn is stunning... there's an opportunity for a 90 x 90-ish piece by itself. Coded for the Gentle Art Wools, which follow the same color names as their cottons... this is stitched on Picture This Plus's 32ct Earthen linen. Colors used are: Schoolhouse Red (3), Faded Rose (3), Avocado (4), Cinnamon (3), Walnut, Piney Woods, Oatmeal, Old Red paint, Forest Glade, Summer Shower, Soot and Barn Grey. There are always debates about whether or not you are supposed to or allowed to change colors on an old sampler... I guess it all depends on how often The Cross Stitch Police visit your house!
Sheep May Safely Graze... Alice Smith, 1841 from Victorian Rose Needleart WOW, this sampler is gorgeous!!!!! Measuring an impressive 311 x 515, it'll finish approx 17 x 29 on 36ct. Choose something neutral that you can see on... you'll be using 44 different shades of DMC, and there is a bit of over-one stitch detail in some of the motifs. 20 solid pages of chart, this has a lavish floral border and that grand manor with splendid lawn and gardens. Just whip right through this... I would LOVE to see it stitched!!! Offered as the chart.
Antique Pattern Album from Cross Stitch Antiques This is a charted collection of 26 antique sampler plates - you get some of the colored and some of the blue monochromatics in here. Coded for DMC, the idea is to create your own sampler using various motifs from the antiques!
Miss Lucy Calcutt 1826 from Just Stitching Along By Just Stitching Along, Lucy did a sampler in 1825 at age 8 (shown on our Samplers page) and this one the next year at age 9! 12-Page full color chart format, coded for silks or DMC cotton, it has 28 colors and measures 281 x 380 in stitch count.
Miss Lucy Calcutt 1825 from Just Stitching Along This is a STUNNING reproduction of a sampler stitched in 1825. Finishing approx 15 x 22 on 36ct, the chart is coded for DMC or silk threads. The colors in this are beautiful!!!! Rich reds and greens, the border is pretty and balanced. All the interior pots and vines are organized and all lined up neatly. The red house anchors everything down at the bottom... and notice how those motifs are centered above it?
Holiday Quaker from Lila's Studio Well, just like her companioning Halloween Quakers chart... we aren't even sure The Quakers CELEBRATED Christmas... but we think they should have! Lila's studio has another awesome sampler full of fun motifs. There are snowmen inside one motif, mittens in another. Santa's boots are down there too. Stitched on a mangy Dapple Gray PTP fabric (or anything you want!), this is coded for Gentle Art Sampler threads or DMC, and it finishes approx 13 x 9.
Paisley Owl from Shannon Christine Designs I fell in love with this little guy the minute I saw him! Presented in chart format, this finishes approx 7 x 8 on 32ct. It is coded for 16 shades of DMC floss with a bit of black, red and opalescent metallic #4 braid, and some coordinating seed bead accents. Beautifully charted -- a lot of the backstitching is charted in different colors. Fun, lively colors, pretty motifs... I think it's just charning!!!
Isabella Uffindell's 1829 Sampler has been reprinted! Nicola from Hands Across The Sea is presenting these gorgeous samplers - we expect them around the end of December. Both girls were 10 years old when they stitched their samplers, and the original pieces are still together after almost 200 years! Beautifully charted and presented, Nicola always includes pages and pages of history about the stitchers and the 'flavor of the times' when the samplers were stitched. (I hate to call her patterns 'leaflets' because they are so much more than that. Multiple pages, beautiful photography, colored charts, and all that history!) Breathtaking samplers presented so elegantly by Hands Across the Sea!
Anna M's Teach Me Needfuls from Tree of Life Samplings Inspired by an antique sampler from 1869, this is an organized and angular piece full of pretty colors. The border is irregular and the whole thing is charming! *Teach me O Thou Great Creator how to live and how to die. Teach me how to keep Your ways and lift my thoughts on high.* 205 x 160 in stitch count, it is worked with Sampler Threads, offered as a chart.
Seasonal Samplers from Tellin Emblem This is a set of 4 small charts - each features coordinating pots of flowers surrounded by borders and alphabets. Each measures 104 in stitch count, you can stitch them in a 4-square, or long vertical or horizontal piece... whatever. Now, LOOK at the petty pots in the centers. You could do single pin cushions of JUST those. You could do a stand-up cube with each season on a side... and work in the borders adding the season name if you want. Pretty colors, the alphabet fonts are all different - did you notice that? There are 28 different shades of DMC across the set, along with 6 more Gentle Art Hand-dyed Sampler Threads - so quite a colorful little set of designs!
Cherry Garden from Twin Peak Primitives All flowers blossom at different times... a pretty piece. Stitch all of it, or choose just the bands you like! By Twin Peak, it measures 167 x 248 - so 12 x 18 on 28ct - it is worked with DMC floss. Presented in leaflet format.
One Nation Under God - Liberty from Twin Peak Primitives This is quite the piece by Twin Peak (all the way from The Netherlands!) Stitched on 36ct (329 x 310), it'll finish approx 18 x 18 - you won't lose THIS on the wall! The pattern refers to Rustico Aida, but also Picture This Plus's Wren color... so those should give you an idea of fabric choices. It is coded for DMC or Weeks hand-dyed flosses - 18 different shades. It's really very pretty, and I especially like the big floral pots up by the words. (Do one of those if you haven't got time to stitch this whole thing!) And we love those billowing flags too!
The Wishing Tree from Long Dog Samplers Oh this is a pretty sampler by Long Dog Samplers! Close your eyes, now make a wish. Charted for Gentle Art Sampler Threads, it has a stitch count of 152 x 225, so will finish approx 8-1/2 x 12-1/2 inches on 18/36ct. Very specific thread usage is provided, so you will know exactly how much thread to have on hand to finish this! Such a stunning border and neat, busy motifs all through this... the pattern reminds you that you have to close your eyes when you make a wish, otherwise it will not come true. Also noted... a Long Dog Fairy will be on duty 24/7 to grant your wishes. If nothing has happened within 35 years, please contact Jools!� It says so on the pattern!!! Super clear chart and yummy hand-dyed colors!
The Black House from Long Dog Samplers This is a fun piece by Long Dog Samplers -- it is worked on white, but you could do the reverse and stitch it on black -- if you have really good vision! Measuring 111 x 145, this will finish a petite 7 x 9 on 32ct... and is coded for Sampler Threads of Raven, Gingersnap, Tea Rose, Apricot Blush, Tropical Ocean, Lexington Green, Harvest Basket, Banker's Gray, Holly Berry, Cornhusk, Briar Rose and Uniform Blue, or regular DMC floss. I love the colors in this against that black... even the digital pic on the chart front is pretty!
Betsy from Sheepish Designs Oh wow... we have had a retired model of this in the back room of the shop for years and years! I had thought we couldn't get the pattern anymore, but I loved the stitched model so much, I couldn't part with it. Then... MAGIC! By Sheepish Designs, this is Betsy Ross stitching the first American flag. She's in her garden of sheep, a peacock, birds, flowers and even a squirrel up there in the tree. Coded for silks or DMC, it uses only Cross stitch and finishes approx 4-1/4 x 12-1/2 on 35ct. I'm not sure what part of it has the overwhelming appeal that it does... but over the years several gals have tried to buy the model, and were always disappointed that we had no chart! So, we present Betsy, in chart format, probably till we run out again!!
Eye on the Sparrow from Silver Creek Samplers Oh this little piece has captured my heart! A small chart offered by Silver Creek Samplers, this has been available for a while, but we finally received our finished shop model back... and I don't want to take it back to the shop! 'DO NOT WORRY' it warns... 'birds do not sow or reap, yet the Lord God feeds them. Lets not go political here... just take comfort in the faith part! Its a lovely little design, and our 3 x 4-1/2 stitched piece is on 28ct Lugana over one, stuffed with lizard litter and trimmed with Crescent Colour's new cotton chenille trim! A trifle of stitched comfort!
Quaker Christmas II - Songs of the Season from ByGone Stitches Oh... here's a Christmas Present to Yourself! This is an incredible collection of Quaker-inspired motifs scattered about -- but look closely -- and find all the songs! Names of Christmas Carols are all over in this -- spelled and STITCHED with more motifs! Can you Three Ships a Sailing? We Three Kings? Little Drummer Boy? By Gone Stitches adds a third sampler to her collection -- this one is just as large and just as commanding as her others. Offered as a chart, it finishes approx 17 x 25 on 28ct... probably too large to drop down the chimney already stitched and framed... so better plan on getting just the chart from Santa! You'll need 23 skeins (115 yards) of Gentle Art's Currant hand-dyed cotton, and 5 skeins (25 yards) of Blue Spruce. CHECK and see if you like those colors... choose others if you want... just get enough thread right from the start for color safety! (Actually, we recommend purchasing an additional 2 skeins of the Currant and 1 of the Spruce.) Just beautiful to behold!
A Love Song from Fouroaks Designs A dynamic companion to Rhapsody in Blueis an exquisite mono-chromatic symphony in grace and balance! Dedicated to Fouroaks' friend -- With My Needle -- this piece features lovely sampler motifs and alphabets scattered amidst the most vibrant and flowing border of hearts and doves. I see gardens with fountains, and the birds drinking from those fountains! Stitched on 28ct, this finishes am impressive 20 x 20... and is worked entirely in one color. The pattern suggests silk, or DMC floss in #498. Choose something that speaks to you -- you'll need at least 45 yards of thread. Or think about doing the border in an overdyed, like we suggested for Rhapsody in Blue. Just so pretty, so flowing, so elegant... it's stitched entirely in cross stitches, and will definitely enhance your walls beautifully!!! Offered as the chart.
Rhapsody in Blue from Fouroaks Designs Elegant and charming... this exquisite piece is a study in monochromatic (all one color) design. Offered as a chart, this is stitched on any linen of your choice... and although stitched entirely in blue silk.. it can be stitched in your favorite colors, as well. (Think of overdyed colors for the border and another for the inside...) Finishing approx 18 x 18 on 28ct -- a commanding size on your dining room wall -- this piece is full of really striking sampler motifs and border patterns. Begin to look closely, and notice that at first glance it appears to be symmetric, but then look closer and realize all the different patterns and motifs in there! Very well balanced, tasteful, and classic! (We're borrowing the Flower & Vine Sampler to bring to the Davenport CATS show in a few weeks... the model arrived in the shop today... and it's 10 TIMES as pretty as the pic shows! Tons of Queen Stitches, over one teeny-weeny animals, and lots of specialty stitch details... ) Two really lovely designs you need!!!
Keep Home in Your Heart from Chessie & Me Oh this is so sweet! Worked on 32ct, it finishes approx 4 x 6, and is stitched with Weeks of Aztec Red, Baked Apple, Bullfrog, Flatfish, Grasshopper, Onyx, Pink Sand, and Schneckley. HUGE on Chessie charm!
Learning Stitches Sampler from Jeannette Douglas Designs Oh wow... this is gorgeous! The whole thing measures about 11 x 14 on 32ct linen. It features a lavish alphabet across the top section, then it showcases 15 tiny blocks below of your stitching lessons! Worked with a yummy array of hand-dyed silks and garnished with some darling stitch-related charms, each of those 15 blocks features a really cool different stitch that just LOVES to tease the hand-dyed threads you are using for it. Jeannette has designed this to kind-of-be a class! Each section offers you stitching tips and hints, she's talking to you all the way through her book! Beautiful colored close-up pics of the actual stitches... just the pattern book is a treat by itself... but get the threads too. (Otherwise, it's like having a new kit to stitch with NO NEEDLE!) We have lots more new designs from Jeannette... don't miss them!
Flower & Vine from Fouroaks Designs We never see samplers stitched on black linen... I think the stitcher has gone crazy before the average project has been finished! Flower and Vine is a striking piece stitched with Sampler Threads on 32ct Black Belfast Linen. Definitely not for the weak-of-sight (we can sell you a really great magnifying lamp if you need one!!!), this piece is very traditional in design, and absolutely gorgeous on that dark background. Finishing approx 8 x 12, the pattern is loaded with special stitches -- Queens, Rhodes, Rice, Satins, Brick, Algerian Eyes, Smrynas, and Long Arms -- which really pop out on that black. A bit of one-over-one stitching in the bird motifs just adds such a touch! Available as a chart... we have several different counts of black fabric, so let us know a preference -- 25, 28 or 32!
M Woods 1759 from Milady's Needle This is a reproduction of a charming antique sampler stitched (most likely) in Norfolk Va. (You can see the pic of the original on the back cover of the chart.) A petite 10-3/4 x 8-1/2 in size, it is so colorful and packed full of balanced motifs. Something about it just speaks to me! Just a few Eyelets, and several inconsistencies in the charts of the motifs and borders, it's not too big and impossible to stitch. Pretty colors as well... it is charted for silks or DMCs. Offered as a chart.
Plymouth Sampler from Brenda Keyes of The Sampler Company A commanding design full of rich browns, grey-blues, rust, gold and sage greens... the designer has dedicated this piece to the innocent victims of September 11th. "The theme of the design -- a harbor scene, is of pilgrims leaving England for America and a new life. Although an ocean apart, both nations have throughout the centuries contined to have strong links, a mutual respect, and a feeling of togetherness." Stitched over two threads on 32ct, it finishes approx 8 x 16. Although no special stitches are charted in the design, the package includes eight specialty stitch diagrams along with a short history of samplers and a list of 54 sampler motifs, along with their meanings. Available as a chart. Click the image at right to go to our new Sampler Company page and see lots more of her neat designs!
We have several other favorite designers who have created charming Sampler-Type things. Rather than repeat them all here... we've included a list of their pages. Hillside Samplings, who does wonderful sewing baskets, comes to mind... but here are some more pages you might want to visit! Hillside Samplings Shepherd's Bush Just Nan The Victoria Sampler