Margaret’s sampler is offered 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.

What a pretty sampler the nine-year-old Margaret Ferguson stitched. Using wool and a slightly uneven linen of approximately 31/33 count, the young girl worked a stunning floral border with a profusion of Scotch roses. A wonderful achievement for such a young child!

When studying Margaret’s sampler, the eye is drawn to the house with a blue slate roof that is flanked by trees that are heavily laden with pink blooms. Margaret tells us that the house is the Manse of Harlaw. The house that she stitched is very true to the actual building. Old photos of the Manse can be found on the website canmore.org.uk.

Known today as Harlaw House, this grand Victorian home is set in three acres of grounds and can be found near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, in the North East of Scotland. Today, Inverurie is a prosperous town whose history stretches back well over a thousand years. It lies in a strategically important location on the north bank of the River Don, opposite Port Elphinstone, and on the west bank of the River Urie. As a result of its location it has seen conflict more than once in its history.

The house stands in an elevated position with spectacular views over the surrounding Aberdeenshire countryside. It has two stories, 3 windows harled with margins, and 3 gablets over the first-floor windows. It was designed by the architect William Henderson as a manse for the Free Kirk and was completed circa 1843. The church has long since disappeared.

Without more information, we are unable to say with any certainty which of the several Margaret Fergusons that can be found in census returns for the late 1800s stitched this stunning sampler. It is such a shame that we are unable to tell this gifted needleworker’s story. A lesson to us all about recording our information on our work in the hope that our stitching will enchant needleworkers in the 22^nd century and beyond in the same way that we are today by the needlework of yesteryear!

The sampler is predominantly worked with cross stitch laid over two threads of linen. The window panes in the house are worked in satin stitches. The sampler is suitable for confident beginners through to advanced needleworkers.

The reproduction of Margaret’s sampler has been a team effort. Her sampler has been painstakingly charted by Sandra Moffitt, her booklet produced by Nicola Parkman, and the model lovingly stitched by Leona Sweeney. 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.

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 twenty-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 twenty-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).