Annie’s sampler is presented to you in two different formats ~ as an instant pdf download and as a printed booklet. Details of the printed booklet can be found HERE.
There are 4 versions of the pdf. You will be able to download any or all of the following pdf and graph versions:
Version 1 ~ A two-page colour chart.
Version 2 ~ A one-page colour chart (intended to be viewed/used on your tablet, phone, laptop, or computer).
Version 3 ~ A two-page black and white symbol chart.
Version 4 ~ A one-page black and white symbol chart (intended to be viewed/used on your tablet, phone, laptop, or computer).
Annie’s monochrome sampler has been a delight to reproduce. The little girl recorded that her sampler was stitched in Belvedere and completed in the December of 1887. She dedicated her sampler to her sovereign with the words “God Save The Queen”.
Belvedere is a town in the south-east of London that lies close to the River Thames.
The year of 1887 that Annie’s sampler marked was a very special year in Great Britain’s history. This year was the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
Royal jubilees are an occasion to celebrate the life and reign of a monarch and are significant events which are celebrated around the world. Though the concept of the jubilee began in biblical times, today the term is most closely associated with the Royal Family and the ceremony and spectacle which the term symbolises.
As the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign approached, the British government felt that a monumental celebration was in order. Victoria did not celebrate her 25th anniversary on the throne in 1862 as her husband, Prince Albert, had died in December 1861. His death sent Victoria into a deep depression, and she stayed in seclusion for many years, rarely appearing in public. She mourned him by wearing black for the remaining forty years of her life.
Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch on September 9, 2015, when she surpassed the reign of her great-great-grandmother Victoria. On February 6, 2017, she became the first British monarch to celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee, commemorating 65 years on the throne.
In 2022, Her Majesty will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, seventy years of service, having acceded to the throne on February 6, 1952, when she was 25 years old.
Commemorative souvenirs have been a popular way of marking royal events such as jubilees for the last three centuries. The earliest known English commemorative items date from the Restoration of Charles II as king in 1660, followed by his Coronation in 1661 and wedding in 1662. Popular items which have been used to commemorate jubilees past and present include coins, stamps, and ceramics.
We hope that you will stitch Annie’s little red sampler to commemorate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The sampler has been rated as suitable for all levels of ability. The design is worked in cross stitch over one and two threads of linen and running stitch. The sampler could be stitched over 4 and 2 threads of linen if preferred.
Our grateful thanks go to Bhooma Aravamudan for exquisitely stitching the model of Annie’s sampler. 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.
