Each year Hands Across the Sea Samplers publishes a sampler which we consider to be not only beautiful but outstandingly so and worthy to be crowned our Queen of the May.
We are pleased to offer to you Matilda Swallow our Queen of the May for the year 2021.
Available as a printed booklet or as a pdf download. Click HERE for the printed booklet.
Matilda’s sampler is without doubt a “bobby dazzler”; there is so much to delight the eye. She has been reproduced using the still vibrant colours from the front of her sampler.
Matilda showed great diligence and industry with her needle. The verse she chose for her sampler “The Lord my pasture shall prepare and feed me with a shepherd’s care” is the first verse of the hymn “The Good Shepherd” written by Joseph Addison.
The dominant motif in Matilda’s sampler is the magnificent Temple of Fame nestled between two fruiting trees and guarded by two red lions. The lions symbolise strength, courage, dignity, and pride. Two angels with trumpets signifying that they are the voice of God hover either side of the temple.
We have found a Matilda Swallow being baptised on September 6, 1807 in Bengeo, Hertfordshire. We were unable to find a marriage for Matilda, but we did find a burial record for a Matilda Swallow in Tottenham, London on October 24, 1847. This Matilda is recorded in the 1841 census working as a servant for a family in Tottenham, London.
We have found Matilda’s mother Ann in family history records still alive at aged eighty living with her son and his family in Hertfordshire. Eighty was a very good age for the times.
It is possible that all Matilda’s family had to remind them of her was the beautiful sampler she stitched when she was thirteen years old. As it was passed down the generations, the sampler has certainly been cherished and well cared for through the ensuing years. We hope that your Matilda will be equally cherished by your family.
The sampler, whilst a large one, is suitable for confident beginners through to advanced needleworkers.
Matilda’s sampler has been painstakingly charted by Sandra Moffitt and lovingly stitched by Judy Hall. 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
Matilda’s sampler has been reproduced using a palette of thirty-eight colours carefully matched to the colours found on the front of the sampler today. The model was stitched using Soie d’Alger from Au Ver a Soie. We have included below conversions for Soie 100.3 and DMC.
Estimated thread quantities for varying linen counts and the number of strands of thread have been listed below.
1 Strand of Soie 100.3 on 46ct Linen022 ~ Golden olive
071 ~ Pewter ~ very light
076 ~ Dusty rose ~ light
077 ~ Raspberry ~ light
079 ~ Moss green ~ dark
080 ~ Beige grey ~ light
129 ~ Golden olive ~ very dark
142 ~ Tan ~ ultra very light
152 ~ Olive green ~ very dark
154 ~ Hazelnut brown ~ light
155 ~ Golden brown ~ pale
156 ~ Hazelnut brown
211 ~ Off white
252 ~ Mauve ~ medium
303 ~ Old gold ~ medium
309 ~ Grey green ~ very light
323 ~ Old gold ~ light
479 ~ Mocha beige ~ medium
468 ~ Grey green ~ medium
486 ~ green ~ dark
494 ~ Salmon
524 ~ Raspberry ~ very dark
525 ~ Copper
542 ~ Tan
572 ~ Beige brown ~ medium
584 ~ Mocha brown ~ very dark
588 ~ Antique mauve ~ very dark
607 ~ Dusty rose ~ ultra light
616 ~ Olive ~ dark
634 ~ Mocha beige ~ light
681 ~ Salmon ~ very dark
705 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
712 ~ Grey green ~ light
740 ~ Beige grey ~ medium
756 ~ Black avocado green
779 ~ Coral ~ dark
Crème ~ Cream
Noir ~ Black
1 Strand of Soie d’Alger on 46ct Linen516 ~ Moss green ~ dark
524 ~ Golden olive
525 ~ Golden Olive ~ dark
526 ~ Golden olive ~ very dark
615 ~ Copper
935 ~ Coral ~ dark
1735 ~ Grey green ~ dark
1742 ~ Grey green ~ very light
2214 ~ Olive green ~ very dark
2243 ~ Old gold ~ medium
2541 ~ Off white
2621 ~ Golden brown ~ pale
2756 ~ Grey green ~ light
2757 ~ Grey green ~ medium
2924 ~ Salmon ~ very dark
2931 ~ Dusty rose ~ ultra light
2932 ~ Salmon
2943 ~ Raspberry ~ light
3011 ~ Dusty rose ~ light
3024 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3026 ~ Raspberry ~ very dark
3222 ~ Pewter ~ very light
3411 ~ Beige grey ~ medium
3433 ~ Mocha beige ~ medium
3435 ~ Mocha brown ~ very dark
3711 ~ Beige grey ~ light
3725 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
3726 ~ Black avocado green
3812 ~ Hazelnut brown ~ light
4113 ~ Mocha beige ~ light
4222 ~ Old gold ~ light
4234 x 2 ~ Hazelnut brown
4235 ~ Tan
4241 ~ Tan ~ ultra very light
4534 ~ Beige brown ~ medium
4645 ~ Antique mauve ~ very dark
Brut ~ Cream
Noir ~ Black
1 Strand of Soie d’Alger on 40ct Linen516 ~ Moss green ~ dark
524 x 2 ~ Golden olive
525 ~ Golden Olive ~ dark
526 ~ Golden olive ~ very dark
615 ~ Copper
935 ~ Coral ~ dark
1735 ~ Grey green ~ dark
1742 ~ Grey green ~ very light
2214 ~ Olive green ~ very dark
2243 ~ Old gold ~ medium
2541 ~ Off white
2621 ~ Golden brown ~ pale
2756 ~ Grey green ~ light
2757 ~ Grey green ~ medium
2924 ~ Salmon ~ very dark
2931 ~ Dusty rose ~ ultra light
2932 ~ Salmon
2943 ~ Raspberry ~ light
3011 ~ Dusty rose ~ light
3024 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3026 ~ Raspberry ~ very dark
3222 ~ Pewter ~ very light
3411 ~ Beige grey ~ medium
3433 ~ Mocha beige ~ medium
3435 ~ Mocha brown ~ very dark
3711 ~ Beige grey ~ light
3725 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
3726 ~ Black avocado green
3812 ~ Hazelnut brown ~ light
4113 ~ Mocha beige ~ light
4222 ~ Old gold ~ light
4234 x 2 ~ Hazelnut brown
4235 ~ Tan
4241 ~ Tan ~ ultra very light
4534 ~ Beige brown ~ medium
4645 ~ Antique mauve ~ very dark
Brut ~ Cream
Noir ~ Black
1 Strand of Soie d’Alger on 36ct Linen516 ~ Moss green ~ dark
524 x 2 ~ Golden olive
525 ~ Golden Olive ~ dark
526 ~ Golden olive ~ very dark
615 ~ Copper
935 ~ Coral ~ dark
1735 ~ Grey green ~ dark
1742 ~ Grey green ~ very light
2214 ~ Olive green ~ very dark
2243 ~ Old gold ~ medium
2541 ~ Off white
2621 ~ Golden brown ~ pale
2756 ~ Grey green ~ light
2757 ~ Grey green ~ medium
2924 ~ Salmon ~ very dark
2931 ~ Dusty rose ~ ultra light
2932 ~ Salmon
2943 ~ Raspberry ~ light
3011 ~ Dusty rose ~ light
3024 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3026 ~ Raspberry ~ very dark
3222 ~ Pewter ~ very light
3411 ~ Beige grey ~ medium
3433 ~ Mocha beige ~ medium
3435 ~ Mocha brown ~ very dark
3711 ~ Beige grey ~ light
3725 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
3726 ~ Black avocado green
3812 ~ Hazelnut brown ~ light
4113 ~ Mocha beige ~ light
4222 ~ Old gold ~ light
4234 x 2 ~ Hazelnut brown
4235 ~ Tan
4241 ~ Tan ~ ultra very light
4534 ~ Beige brown ~ medium
4645 ~ Antique mauve ~ very dark
Brut ~ Cream
Noir ~ Black
2 Strands of Soie d’Alger on 28ct Linen516 ~ Moss green ~ dark
524 x 3 ~ Golden olive
525 ~ Golden Olive ~ dark
526 ~ Golden olive ~ very dark
615 x 2 ~ Copper
935 x 2 ~ Coral ~ dark
1735 ~ Grey green ~ dark
1742 ~ Grey green ~ very light
2214 x 3 ~ Olive green ~ very dark
2243 ~ Old gold ~ medium
2541 ~ Off white
2621 ~ Golden brown ~ pale
2756 x 2~ Grey green ~ light
2757 ~ Grey green ~ medium
2924 ~ Salmon ~ very dark
2931 ~ Dusty rose ~ ultra light
2932 ~ Salmon
2943 ~ Raspberry ~ light
3011 ~ Dusty rose ~ light
3024 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3026 x 2~ Raspberry ~ very dark
3222 ~ Pewter ~ very light
3411 ~ Beige grey ~ medium
3433 x 2 ~ Mocha beige ~ medium
3435 ~ Mocha brown ~ very dark
3711 ~ Beige grey ~ light
3725 x 2 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
3726 x 2 ~ Black avocado green
3812 x 2 ~ Hazelnut brown ~ light
4113 ~ Mocha beige ~ light
4222 ~ Old gold ~ light
4234 x 3 ~ Hazelnut brown
4235 ~ Tan
4241 ~ Tan ~ ultra very light
4534 ~ Beige brown ~ medium
4645 ~ Antique mauve ~ very dark
Brut ~ Cream
Noir x 2 ~ Black
2 Strands of DMC on 36ct Linen151 ~ Dusty rose ~ ultra light
168 ~ Pewter ~ very light
310 ~ Black
347 ~ Salmon ~ very dark
349 ~ Coral ~ dark
422 ~ Hazelnut brown ~ light
436 ~ Tan
580 ~ Moss green ~ dark
644 ~ Beige grey ~ medium
676 ~ Old gold ~ light
712 ~ Cream
729 ~ Old gold ~ medium
730 x 2 ~ Olive green ~ very dark
739 ~ Tan ~ ultra very light
746 ~ Off white
760 ~ Salmon
777 ~ Raspberry ~ very dark
822 ~ Beige grey ~ light
829 ~ Golden olive ~ very dark
830 ~ Golden Olive ~ dark
832 x 2 ~ Golden olive
840 ~ Beige brown ~ medium
921 ~ Copper
926 ~ Grey green ~ medium
927 x 2 ~ Grey green ~ light
928 ~ Grey green ~ very light
934 x 2 ~ Black avocado green
936 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
3031 ~ Mocha brown ~ very dark
3354 ~ Dusty rose ~ light
3768 ~ Grey green ~ dark
3802 ~ Antique mauve ~ very dark
3803 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3827 ~ Golden brown ~ pale
3833 ~ Raspberry ~ light
3863 ~ Mocha beige ~ medium
3864 ~ Mocha beige ~ light
3828 x 2 ~ Hazelnut brown
2 Strands of DMC on 28ct Linen151 ~ Dusty rose ~ ultra light
168 ~ Pewter ~ very light
310 ~ Black
347 ~ Salmon ~ very dark
349 ~ Coral ~ dark
422 ~ Hazelnut brown ~ light
436 ~ Tan
580 ~ Moss green ~ dark
644 ~ Beige grey ~ medium
676 ~ Old gold ~ light
712 ~ Cream
729 ~ Old gold ~ medium
730 x 2 ~ Olive green ~ very dark
739 ~ Tan ~ ultra very light
746 ~ Off white
760 ~ Salmon
777 x 2 ~ Raspberry ~ very dark
822 ~ Beige grey ~ light
829 ~ Golden olive ~ very dark
830 ~ Golden Olive ~ dark
832 x 2 ~ Golden olive
840 ~ Beige brown ~ medium
921 ~ Copper
926 ~ Grey green ~ medium
927 x 2 ~ Grey green ~ light
928 ~ Grey green ~ very light
934 x 2 ~ Black avocado green
936 ~ Avocado green ~ very dark
3031 ~ Mocha brown ~ very dark
3768 ~ Grey green ~ dark
3802 ~ Antique mauve ~ very dark
3827 ~ Golden brown ~ pale
3803 ~ Mauve ~ medium
3354 ~ Dusty rose ~ light
3828 x 2 ~ Hazelnut brown
3833 ~ Raspberry ~ light
3863 ~ Mocha beige ~ medium
3864 ~ Mocha beige ~ light
