This colourful sampler made our hearts skip several beats when we first saw her, and we were beyond thrilled when we managed to acquire the sampler to share her with you.
The sampler is offered to you in two different formats ~ an instant PDF download and as a printed booklet. Details of the printed booklet can be found HERE.
The sampler was most probably stitched in the latter decades of the 1800s.
The verse so diligently stitched on the sampler was written by Thomas Moore, an Irish poet, satirist, composer, and political propagandist. He was a close friend of Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley.
What a shame that the samplermaker did not record their name and a date; if they had, time would not have stolen their memory away!
The stitches used are cross stitch over 2 threads of linen and the design is suitable for needleworkers of all abilities. The sampler can be stitched on Aida, Linaida, or linen.
Memories of the Past has been exquisitely 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.
Thread Legend
This delightful sampler has been reproduced using a palette of 28 colours from Au Ver à Soie’s range of Soie 100.3. We have provided conversions for Soie d’Alger and DMC below on varying counts of linen.
Soie 100.3 1 strand on 40ct to 56ct010 ~ Antique blue
034 ~ Beaver grey ~ very dark
048 ~ Hazelnut brown ~ very dark
079 ~ Avocado green ~ medium
129 ~ Golden Olive ~dark
132 ~ Plum ~ light
148 ~ Yellow beige ~ medium
154 ~ Tan ~ very light
210 ~ Blue green ~ very dark
226 ~ Topaz ~ medium
242 ~ Golden brown ~ medium
278 ~ Shell pink ~ medium light
325 ~ Avocado green ~ light
348 ~ Lavender ~ medium
444 ~ Violet ~ very dark
463 ~ Violet ~ dark
468 ~ Beaver grey ~ medium
494 ~ Salmon ~ medium
519 ~ Brown ~ medium
550 ~ Blue green ~ dark
523 ~ Salmon ~ very dark
537 ~ Pistachio green ~ ultra dark
601 ~ Wedgwood ~ very dark
631 ~ Christmas red ~ medium
641 ~ Straw ~ dark
687 ~ Plum
707 ~ Pine green ~ medium
755 ~ Antique blue ~ very dark
Soie d’Alger 1 strand on 36ct to 46ct linen524 ~ Straw ~ dark
1043 ~ Plum
1326 ~ Violet ~ very dark
1435 ~ Antique blue
1446 ~ Wedgwood ~ very dark
1736 ~ Antique blue ~ very dark
2126 ~ Avocado green ~ medium
2144 ~ Avocado green ~ light
2532 ~ Yellow beige ~ medium
2545 ~ Topaz ~ medium
2915 ~ Salmon ~ medium
2916 ~ Salmon ~ very dark
2936 ~ Christmas red ~ medium
3044 ~ Plum ~ light
3315 ~ Violet ~ dark
3334 ~ Lavender ~ medium
3423 ~ Beaver grey ~ medium
3425 ~ Blue green ~ dark
3724 ~ Pine green ~ medium
3725 ~ Pistachio green ~ ultra dark
3745 ~ Golden Olive ~ dark
3822 ~ Tan ~ very light
3836 ~ Beaver grey ~ very dark
4122 ~ Brown ~ medium
4236 ~ Golden brown ~ medium
4246 ~ Hazelnut brown ~ very dark
4622 ~ Shell pink ~ medium light
5025 ~ Blue green ~ very dark
Soie d’Alger 2 strands on 28ct linen524 ~ Straw ~ dark
1043 ~ Plum
1326 ~ Violet ~ very dark
1435 ~ Antique blue
1446 ~ Wedgwood ~ very dark
1736 ~ Antique blue ~ very dark
2126 x 3 ~ Avocado green ~ medium
2144 ~ Avocado green ~ light
2532 ~ Yellow beige ~ medium
2545 ~ Topaz ~ medium
2915 ~ Salmon ~ medium
2916 ~ Salmon ~ very dark
2936 ~ Christmas red ~ medium
3044 ~ Plum ~ light
3315 x 3 ~ Violet ~ dark
3334 x 3 ~ Lavender ~ medium
3423 ~ Beaver grey ~ medium
3425 ~ Blue green ~ dark
3724 x 2 ~ Pine green ~ medium
3725 ~ Pistachio green ~ ultra dark
3745 ~ Golden Olive ~ dark
3822 ~ Tan ~ very light
3836 ~ Beaver grey ~ very dark
4122 ~ Brown ~ medium
4236 ~ Golden brown ~ medium
4246 x 2 ~ Hazelnut brown ~ very dark
4622 ~ Shell pink ~ medium light
5025 ~ Blue green ~ very dark
DMC 2 Strands on 36ct linen152 ~ Shell pink ~ medium light
210 x 2 ~ Lavender ~ medium
304 ~ Christmas red ~ medium
327 x 2 ~ Violet ~ dark
347 ~ Salmon ~ very dark
433 ~ Brown ~ medium
470 ~ Avocado green ~ light
500 ~ Blue green ~ very dark
501 ~ Blue green ~ dark
550 ~ Violet ~ very dark
645 ~ Beaver grey ~ very dark
647 ~ Beaver grey ~ medium
718 ~ Plum
738 ~ Tan ~ very light
783 ~ Topaz ~ medium
830 ~ Golden Olive ~ dark
869 x 2 ~ Hazelnut brown ~ very dark
890 ~ Pistachio green ~ ultra dark
930 ~ Antique blue
937 x 2 ~ Avocado green ~ medium
976 ~ Golden brown ~ medium
3046 ~ Yellow beige ~ medium
3363 ~ Pine green ~ medium
3607 ~ Plum ~ light
3712 ~ Salmon ~ medium
3750 ~ Antique blue ~ very dark
3820 ~ Straw ~ dark
3842 ~ Wedgwood ~ very dark
DMC 2 Strands on 28ct linen152 ~ Shell pink ~ medium light
210 x 2 ~ Lavender ~ medium
304 ~ Christmas red ~ medium
327 x 2 ~ Violet ~ dark
347 ~ Salmon ~ very dark
433 ~ Brown ~ medium
470 ~ Avocado green ~ light
500 ~ Blue green ~ very dark
501 ~ Blue green ~ dark
550 ~ Violet ~ very dark
645 ~ Beaver grey ~ very dark
647 ~ Beaver grey ~ medium
718 ~ Plum
738 ~ Tan ~ very light
783 ~ Topaz ~ medium
830 ~ Golden Olive ~ dark
869 x 2 ~ Hazelnut brown ~ very dark
890 ~ Pistachio green ~ ultra dark
930 ~ Antique blue
937 x 2 ~ Avocado green ~ medium
976 ~ Golden brown ~ medium
3046 ~ Yellow beige ~ medium
3363 x 2 ~ Pine green ~ medium
3607 ~ Plum ~ light
3712 ~ Salmon ~ medium
3750 ~ Antique blue ~ very dark
3820 ~ Straw ~ dark
3842 ~ Wedgwood ~ very dark
Linen Sizes
The model was stitched on linen overdyed to a shade of Marbled Khaki from xJuDesigns. Another linen to consider is Woodsmoke from Tabbycat Linen, which is an excellent match. However, we do recommend that you stitch the sampler on your preferred colour and count of Aida, Linaida, or linen.
The design area is 385 stitches (w) x 281 stitches (h). Our calculations have included a 3" margin for finishing and framing.
28ct: Design: 27.50" x 20.07" Fabric: 33.50" x 26.07"
32ct: Design: 24.06" x 17.56" Fabric: 30.06" x 23.56"
36ct: Design: 21.39" x 15.61" Fabric: 27.39" x 21.61"
40ct: Design: 19.25" x 14.05" Fabric: 25.25" x 20.05"
46ct: Design: 16.74" x 12.22" Fabric: 22.74" x 18.22"
56ct: Design: 13.75" x 10.04" Fabric: 19.75" x 16.04"
Chart Corrections
Correction #01
There is an error in the original thread legend. All the numbers are correct, however, three colours were shown out of order with their symbols. Please see the correction below. PDF downloads after 09.27hrs on January 22, 2022 have been corrected. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Correction #02
There was a drag mark on the purple flower below. This flower should be stitched exactly as the other purple flowers in the border.
Correction #03
There was a placement error for some of the vine leaves across the top border and in one vine leaf in the bottom border of the printed graph. The circled area in the second photo below shows the correct placement and the stitches that form the curlicue.
