Ruth’s sampler is brought to you as a printed booklet and as an instant pdf download. Details of the instant pdf download can be found HERE.

Ruth Gibb is a very sweet little sampler stitched entirely in cross stitch over 2 threads and using only one colour – a rich, deep red, which concentrates the eye. The stitches pop out from the linen like jewels.

The lacy border frames the alphabets which are stitched in a very pretty font. The capital letter alphabet has an anomaly in the sequence of letters. The line ends with V X, and the W Y Z are stitched below. Either this was an error by Ruth, or it seems more likely to be by design, as the number of stitches needed to stitch the W would make it too big for the space at the end of the row. Perhaps she stitched the border first and then realised it wouldn’t fit and improvised. We’ll never know, but you can decide which way you think it was.

A lovely endearing feature of this sampler is the very different font style that Ruth has chosen to stitch her name. This closely matches Ruth’s own written signature on the Register of Marriage, 20 years later. It is as though, even at 11 years old, she was practising signing her name for the future.

Ruth was born on August 20, 1871 in Chiddingly, Sussex. We have been able to follow Ruth’s journey through life and have provided several pages of information and a photograph of Ruth within her booklet. We hope you enjoy stitching Ruth; she is a true delight. Even the smallest and simplest of samplers can have such a big story to tell.

With grateful thanks to Susan Hyde who lovingly stitched the model of Ruth’s sampler, researched her story, and found just the right words to tell her story.

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.

The sampler is stitched with cross stitch over two threads of linen and has been rated as suitable for needleworkers of all abilities.