Available as a printed booklet and as a pdf download. Click HERE for the PDF download.
I am thrilled to present to you an original design. Multiply Kindness has been a sampler many years in the making as borders, motifs, verses, and colours swirled around my head. It was not until the latter part of 2019 that those ideas were translated into a graph. Covid occurred, and as life changed, the sampler was put on the back burner. It was not until the latter part of 2023 that I finalised the chart and the model went into production.
Why an original design versus a reproduction sampler? Since I first started to collect antique samplers, I have obsessively searched for multiplication samplers, but I have never come across the one that made my heart sing and my fingers itch to stitch. Whilst I have a few in my collection, none of them called to me to stitch them.
It was a colourful multiplication table sampler that caught my eye back in the 1980s that led to me stitching my first sampler. Whilst in a dentist’s waiting room, I picked up a magazine and came across an article which featured an interview with Moria Blackburn. There were many photographs of Moria’s beautiful designs, but one particular sampler stood out – a large colourful multiplication table sampler. I immediately wanted to take up stitching and recreate the sampler for my son. My journey with cross stitch and samplers was about to begin.
Within days I visited a needlework store and, whilst I could not find the chart for the multiplication table sampler, I came away with a kit to stitch my first sampler. Several years later, I had stitched all the samplers that Moira had charted but not the multiplication table sampler. After exhausting Moria’s portfolio of work, I went in search of other designers and discovered the needlework community and blogs. It was then that the world of needlework with its beautiful linens and glorious silks flung open its doors and my deep love of samplers worked in centuries past bloomed. This in turn led me to collect samplers and to research their history. A few years later, Hands Across the Sea Samplers released its first reproduction sampler.
Shortly after HATS’ first release, I entered into correspondence with Moria and discovered that the multiplication table sampler featured in the magazine was not one of her own designs but another designer’s. The sampler had caught her eye too, and she had stitched it for her children!
I have personalised the design with my husband’s and my own initials. In the tabs below the thumbnail photos you will find the full alphabet charted in the font I used so that you too can personalise your sampler.
The sampler has been designed using a palette of twenty-two colours from Au Ver à Soie’s range of Soie 100.3 We have provided conversions and approximate thread usage for Soie d’Alger and DMC. The sampler can be stitched on Aida or linen, and we recommend that you use a count and fabric that you enjoy working with. The model was stitched using a Zweigart-based linen that was overdyed to the shade Antique Lace by Seraphim Linen. The stitches used are cross stitch over two threads, satin stitches for the centre of some flower head (the satin stitches can be replaced with cross stitch) and some straight stitches for the flower stamens.
Thread Legend
The sampler has been designed using a palette of twenty-two colours from Au Ver à Soie’s range of Soie 100.3 We have provided conversions and approximate thread usage for Soie d’Alger and DMC.
Soie 100.3 1 strand 40 – 56ct linen
002 ~ Turquoise ~ light
038 ~ Apricot ~ medium
061 ~ Forest green ~ dark
067 ~ Antique mauve ~ medium
077 ~ Salmon
088 ~ Desert sand ~ light
124 ~ Antique mauve ~ light
133 ~ Grape ~ dark
148 ~ Straw ~ light
152 ~ Olive green
223 ~ Mauve ~ medium
307 ~ Rose ~ deep
362 ~ Blueberry
474 ~ Lavender ~ pale
478 ~ Pumpkin ~ pale
605 ~ Turquoise
619 ~ Cranberry ~ dark
647 ~ Avocado green ~ light
656 ~ Pistachio green ~ dark
681 ~ Christmas red
690 ~ Blue violet ~ dark
710 ~ Turquoise ~ very dark
SDA 1 strand on 46ct
122 ~ Turquoise ~ light
236 ~ Forest green ~ dark
631 ~ Pumpkin ~ pale
1315 ~ Grape ~ dark
1342 ~ Blueberry
1344 ~ Blue violet ~ dark
1723 ~ Turquoise
1746 ~ Turquoise ~ very dark
1836 ~ Pistachio green ~ dark
2125 ~ Avocado green ~ light
2144 ~ Olive green
2532 ~ Straw ~ light
2643 ~ Apricot ~ medium
2924 x 2 ~ Christmas red
3024 ~ Cranberry ~ dark
3046 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3322 ~ Lavender ~ pale
S3596 ~ Desert sand ~ light
4622 ~ Salmon
4623 ~ Rose ~ deep
4633 ~ Antique mauve ~ light
4634 ~ Antique mauve ~ medium
SDA 1 strand on 40ct
122 ~ Turquoise ~ light
236 ~ Forest green ~ dark
631 ~ Pumpkin ~ pale
1315 ~ Grape ~ dark
1342 ~ Blueberry
1344 ~ Blue violet ~ dark
1723 ~ Turquoise
1746 ~ Turquoise ~ very dark
1836 x 2 ~ Pistachio green ~ dark
2125 ~ Avocado green ~ light
2144 ~ Olive green
2532 ~ Straw ~ light
2643 ~ Apricot ~ medium
2924 x 2 ~ Christmas red
3024 ~ Cranberry ~ dark
3046 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3322 ~ Lavender ~ pale
4622 ~ Salmon
4623 ~ Rose ~ deep
4633 ~ Antique mauve ~ light
4634 ~ Antique mauve ~ medium
S3596 ~ Desert sand ~ light
SDA 1 strand on 36ct
122 ~ Turquoise ~ light
236 ~ Forest green ~ dark
631 ~ Pumpkin ~ pale
1315 ~ Grape ~ dark
1342 ~ Blueberry
1344 ~ Blue violet ~ dark
1723 ~ Turquoise
1746 x 2 ~ Turquoise ~ very dark
1836 x 2 ~ Pistachio green ~ dark
2125 ~ Avocado green ~ light
2144 ~ Olive green
2532 ~ Straw ~ light
2643 ~ Apricot ~ medium
2924 x 2 ~ Christmas red
3024 ~ Cranberry ~ dark
3046 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3322 ~ Lavender ~ pale
S3596 ~ Desert sand ~ light
4622 ~ Salmon
4623 ~ Rose ~ deep
4633 ~ Antique mauve ~ light
4634 ~ Antique mauve ~ medium
SDA 2 strands on 32ct
122 ~ Turquoise ~ light
236 ~ Forest green ~ dark
631 ~ Pumpkin ~ pale
1315 ~ Grape ~ dark
1342 ~ Blueberry
1344 ~ Blue violet ~ dark
1723 ~ Turquoise
1746 x 3 ~ Turquoise ~ very dark
1836 x 2 ~ Pistachio green ~ dark
2125 x 2 ~ Avocado green ~ light
2144 x 3 ~ Olive green
2532 ~ Straw ~ light
2643 ~ Apricot ~ medium
2924 x 4 ~ Christmas red
3024 ~ Cranberry ~ dark
3046 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3322 ~ Lavender ~ pale
S3596 ~ Desert sand ~ light
4622 ~ Salmon
4623 ~ Rose ~ deep
4633 ~ Antique mauve ~ light
4634 ~ Antique mauve ~ medium
SDA 2 strands on 28ct
122 ~ Turquoise ~ light
236 ~ Forest green ~ dark
631 ~ Pumpkin ~ pale
1315 ~ Grape ~ dark
1342 ~ Blueberry
1344 ~ Blue violet ~ dark
1723 ~ Turquoise
1746 x 3 ~ Turquoise ~ very dark
1836 x 3 ~ Pistachio green ~ dark
2125 x 2 ~ Avocado green ~ light
2144 x 3 ~ Olive green
2532 ~ Straw ~ light
2643 ~ Apricot ~ medium
2924 x 4 ~ Christmas red
3024 ~ Cranberry ~ dark
3046 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3322 ~ Lavender ~ pale
S3596 ~ Desert sand ~ light
4622 ~ Salmon
4623 ~ Rose ~ deep
4633 ~ Antique mauve ~ light
4634 ~ Antique mauve ~ medium
DMC 1 strand on 40-46ct linen
26 ~ Lavender ~ pale
31 ~ Blueberry
309 ~ Rose ~ deep
316 ~ Antique mauve ~ medium
321 ~ Christmas red
333 ~ Blue violet ~ dark
470 ~ Avocado green ~ light
597 ~ Turquoise
601 ~ Cranberry ~ dark
732 ~ Olive green
760 ~ Salmon
890~ Pistachio green ~ dark
986 ~ Forest green ~ dark
3340 ~ Apricot ~ medium
3727 ~ Antique mauve ~ light
3774~ Desert sand ~ light
3803 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3808 ~ Turquoise ~ very dark
3811 ~ Turquoise ~ light
3822 ~ Straw ~ light
3825 ~ Pumpkin ~ pale
3834 ~ Grape ~ dark
DMC 2 strands on 28-36ct linen
26 ~ Lavender ~ pale
31 ~ Blueberry
309 ~ Rose ~ deep
316 ~ Antique mauve ~ medium
321 x 3 ~ Christmas red
333 ~ Blue violet ~ dark
470 ~ Avocado green ~ light
597 ~ Turquoise
601 ~ Cranberry ~ dark
732 x 2 ~ Olive green
760 ~ Salmon
890 x 2 ~ Pistachio green ~ dark
986 ~ Forest green ~ dark
3340 ~ Apricot ~ medium
3727 ~ Antique mauve ~ light
3774~ Desert sand ~ light
3803 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3808 x 2 ~ Turquoise ~ very dark
3811 ~ Turquoise ~ light
3822 ~ Straw ~ light
3825 ~ Pumpkin ~ pale
3834 ~ Grape ~ dark
Linen Sizes
The sampler can be stitched on Aida or linen, and we recommend that you use a count and fabric that you enjoy working with.
The model was stitched using a Zweigart-based linen that was overdyed to the shade Antique Lace by Seraphim Linen.
The design area is 395 stitches (w) x 299 stitches (h). Our calculations have included a 3" margin for finishing and framing.
14ct Aida / 28ct linen:
Design: 28.21" x 21.36" Fabric: 34.21" x 27.36"
16ct Aida / 32ct linen:
Design: 24.69" x 18.69" Fabric: 30.69" x 24.69"
18ct Aida / 36ct linen:
Design: 21.94" x 16.61" Fabric: 27.94" x 22.61"
20ct Aida / 40ct linen:
Design: 19.75" x 14.95" Fabric: 25.75" x 20.95"
46ct linen:
Design: 17.17" x 13.00" Fabric: 23.17" x 19.00"
56ct linen:
Design: 14.11" x 10.68" Fabric: 20.11" x 16.68"