We can never resist a traditional Scottish sampler, particularly one worked by a school girl in red and green! Eliza tells us that she finished her sampler in Edinburgh on January 23, 1829, which was a Wednesday. What a special day it must have been for the young girl. You can almost feel her excitement and pride when the last stitch was laid.
Eliza’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.
The original sampler was stitched with wool on approximately 24ct linen that we suspect was woven on a hand loom.
The model of Eliza’s sampler has been stitched with a palette of two colours from Au Ver à Soie’s range of Fine d’Aubusson wool. We have provided conversions for Soie 100.3, Soie d’Alger and DMC. The linen used was 24ct Legacy Linen in Rain Barrel that we ourselves “aged” by tea dyeing.
The design is suitable for needleworkers of all abilities and can be stitched on on Aida, Linaida, or linen.
There are 3 versions of the pdf. You will be able to download any or all of the following pdf and graph versions:
Version 1 ~ A six-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 six-page black and white symbol chart.
We have failed to find an Eliza Nisbet in the baptismal records of Scotland, which made us to wonder if her given name was Elizabeth. We have found an Elizabeth being born and living in Edinburgh who was 7 years old when the sampler was completed. Unfortunately, we do not know with any certainty if this is the young maker of this vibrant sampler.
Our grateful thanks go to Veena Parrikar for exquisitely stitching the model of Eliza’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.
Thread Legend
Eliza’s sampler has been stitched with a palette of two colours from Au Ver à Soie’s range of Fine d’Aubusson wool. We have provided conversions for Soie 100.3, Soie d’Alger and DMC.
One thread of Fine d’Aubusson Wool on 24ct fabric2924 x 2 ~ Christmas red
3724 x 2 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
One thread of Soie 100.3 on 46 & 56ct fabric378 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
681 ~ Christmas red
One thread of Soie d'Alger on 36ct, 40 ct & 46ct fabric2924 ~ Christmas red
3716 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
Two threads of Soie d'Alger on 28ct & 32ct fabric2924 x 2 ~ Christmas red
3716 x 3 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
One thread of DMC on 40ct fabric321 ~ Christmas red
936 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
Two threads of DMC on 28ct, 32ct & 36ct fabric321 x 2 ~ Christmas red
936 x 2 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
Linen Sizes
The design area is 117 stitches (w) x 221 stitches (h). Our calculations have included a 3" margin for finishing and framing. The model was stitched using 24ct Legacy Linen in Rain Barrel that we ourselves “aged” by tea dyeing. The original sampler was stitched on approximately 24ct linen that we suspect was woven on a hand loom.
The design is suitable for stitching on Aida, Linaida, or linen. We recommend that you should use a count and fabric that you enjoy working with.
24ct: Design: 9.75" x 18.42" Fabric: 15.75" x 24.42"
28ct: Design: 8.36" x 15.79" Fabric: 14.36" x 21.79"
32ct: Design: 7.31" x 13.81" Fabric: 13.31" x 19.81"
36ct: Design: 6.5" x 12.28" Fabric: 12.5" x 18.28"
40ct: Design: 5.85" x 11.05" Fabric: 11.85" x 17.05"
46ct: Design: 5.09" x 9.61" Fabric: 11.09" x 15.61"
56ct: Design: 4.18" x 7.89" Fabric: 10.18" x 13.89"
Stitch Guide
The design is suitable for needleworkers of all abilities. The stitches used are cross stitch over 2 threads, backstitch, alternating double backstitch and four-sided stitch.
Cross stitch ~ is made up of two stitches worked over two threads. You should make all your stitches cross in the same direction for a neat and uniform finish.
Backstitch ~ When working from your left to the right, bring your needle up at 1 and down at 2, then moving to the right bring your needle up at 3 and go back down at 1/4. Move to the right and bring your needle up at 5 and go back down at 3/6.
Alternating double backstitch ~ This is a reversible stitch when the above stitch path is followed.
Four-sided stitch ~ This stitch forms a square on the front and diagonal stitches on the back. This stitch, when tension is applied, creates a lacy effect similar to hem stitching.
Hands Across the Sea Samplers are on hand to help those stitching our charts. If you need assistance or have any questions, we can be reached via email, address shown below, or the contact page on our website. Our website has stitching tutorials which can be found in the “Sewing Basket and Tools” section.
