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A Norfolk sampler joins our portfolio

Hands Across the Sea Samplers are excited to present to you a beautiful Norfolk sampler stitched by Anna Sophia Bircham in 1871.
Anna Sophia is available as an instant pdf download which includes twenty page colour and black and white charts. The download also includes with one page colour and black and white charts that are intended to be viewed digitally. Included in the download are four pages of information about Anna Sophia, her family and a historical background.
For more information please visit HERE
Anna Sophia’s model was lovingly stitched by Linda Clews. At the very core of Hands Across the Sea Samplers there is a team of needleworkers who are passionate about antique samplers and being able to share those samplers with you.

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We have a new flosstube where we look at new scissors, new linen and new sampler releases.

 

We hope that you enjoy.

Ann Borrett’s beautiful band sampler is highly decorative and even though  she “rovght” her sampler three hundred and seventy-four years ago, the colours are still intense today.  A vibrant red, a peacock blue, a deep navy blue and a mouth watering selections of greens delight the eye.

The first two bands of Ann’s sampler also appear in the band sampler stitched by Jeane Vally in 1646. Jeane’s sampler is in the Goodhart Collection at Montecute House and is featured in the book “The Goodhart Collection” on page 88.

When we first saw Eliza’s pretty sampler, we were both excited, intrigued, and puzzled. Eliza tells us that she was 13 when she finished her sampler on June 12, 1828 which was a Thursday. George IV sat upon the British throne, he was considered to be “The First Gentleman of Europe” and an object of contempt and ridicule. He was known for his manners and charm but also his drunkenness, spendthrift ways, and scandalous love life.

Eliza chose a very fine material called “tiffany fabric” to stitch her sampler. Tiffany fabric is often used on darning samplers. The fine linen had become fragile over the years, and her sampler was stabilised and conserved some years ago. We were unable to access the reverse of her sampler to view the colours without causing damage. Therefore, we have  reproduced Eliza with the beautiful oranges, pinks, and greens we see on the front of her sampler today.


A week in review

The year and the weeks are flying by. In the last week we made an important announcement regarding the Ann Morison Stitch-a-Long and Heather M Jardine’s sampler in Flosstube #155

Heather’s sampler has enchanted me, she is so addictive and I cannot stop working on her.

I am stitching my version of Heather from my stash using colours that take my eye and changing/tweaking the motifs here and there. This sampler is a gift for a young child so I want her to be bright and appealing to a very young child.

Last night I stitched the bird above the teddy bear. Is it a turkey or a peacock? In the North Island of New Zealand there are wild turkeys and peacocks. I used seven different colours in the bird. It is such fun to have the freedom to stitch from stash. We hope that you stitch Heather from your stash and have fun experimenting with colour.

This is Anka’s finish of “Walter” Anne Thomas 1845. Anka tells us that she changed a few of the colours and used white 40ct linen. How beautiful her finished Anne looks.

For more information on Anne please visit https://hands-across-the-sea-samplers.com/product/anne-thomas-1854/

Finally I uploaded a Flosstube #156 yesterday in which I talk about a little bit of this and a little bit of that. You can view the video by clicking HERE

Wishing everyone a good week ahead.


Two new releases – Mary Ann Diaper 1826 and Jane Hardy 1840

“Mary Ann is my name and in this I wrought the same, and by this you plainly see what great care my parent took of me.”

Mary Ann, at only eight years of age, finished her sampler in the year 1826. An amazing achievement for one so young!

The sampler has been mainly executed in cross stitch over two linen threads with a small amount of cross stitch over one linen thread for the verse and dedication. There is a small amount of satin stitch. Mary Ann’s sampler has been rated as suitable for confident beginners through to advanced needleworkers.

Jane Hardy 1840 sampler is brought to you as part of a series of “Little Gems” that are available as a .pdf download by Hands Across the Sea Samplers.

Who can resist a red house sampler? Jane’s colourful sampler glows with good cheer. Contained within a stylised red carnation border is a delightful scene of a sturdy redbrick house surrounded by urns of fruit, four birds and auriculas. The parkland abounds with deer, two small dogs and an aristocratic cat with tail held high. The three chimneys, with smoke billowing, create a feeling of “home is where the hearth is” and adds to the overall feeling of warmth the sampler conveys.

The sampler is stitched entirely in cross stitch over two and can be stitched on Aida, Linaida or linen. Jane is suitable for needleworkers of all abilities.


Agnes Husband 1862, work in progress, new linens, framing, seam rippers and more

I have just uploaded two videos. This weekend we are looking at Agnes Husband a new pdf download, my work in progress, lots of new linens, a wonderful seamripper, non reflective glass, framing and lots more.

Included in the second video I talk about Ann Morison. There is going to be a special treat for everyone who purchases a copy of her booklet. More information will follow, probably next weekend, we are just putting some finishing touches to our thank you gift.

I have decided to stitch Ann Morison too. After seeing Rose’s monthly plan for the stitch a long I realised that I had time in my day to stitch her. I am very excited !!

Part 1

 

Part 2

 


A sampler to stitch and a sampler to win

We have just uploaded Flosstube #149 which showcases the beautiful Scottish sampler Ann Morison and the giveaway Scottish sampler Eliza Nibet.

Ann is exclusively available through Traditional Stitches as a celebration of the store’s 20th anniversary. For more information and to purchase please click HERE

The stitch a long Facebook group can be found at HERE

 

 


The 2020 Queen of the May – Mary Carter 1712

Mary Carter 1712 - The 2020 Queen of the May from Hands Across the Sea Samplers

Hands Across the Sea Samplers are delighted to present to you the 2020 Queen of the May the stunning band sampler Mary Carter 1712.

Mary is one of the most beautiful band samplers that we have ever seen.

Mary Carter 1712 - The 2020 Queen of the May from Hands Across the Sea Samplers

Available now for pre-order from our website https://hands-across-the-sea-samplers.com/product/mary-carter-1712-the-2020-queen-of-the-may/

and your needlework store.

You may enjoy our video presentation

Our grateful thanks to Ilana Kaye for stitchng the model. Ilana poured her heart and soul into every stitch. We also wish to thank #accesscommodities for working with us so that we could capture Mary’s gorgeous colours.

At the very core of Hands Across the Sea Samplers there is a team of needleworkers who are passionate about antique samplers and being able to share those samplers with you.