Whether at her mother’s knee, from a governess, or in a dame or charity school, one of the most important things a young girl could learn was embroidery. The daughter of a grand duke and a destitute orphan both learnt to sew.
Samplers have been used as a teaching tool for many centuries. They range in size, pattern, and imagery. Wikipedia describes a sampler as:
A needlework sampler is a piece of embroidery or cross-stitching produced as a specimen of achievement, demonstration or a test of skill in needlework. It often includes the alphabet, figures, motifs, decorative borders and sometimes the name of the person who embroidered it and the date. The word sampler is derived from the Latin exemplum, which means “example’.
At a time when a woman’s education was thought of as something to prepare her for marriage or a life of servitude, needlework was important to her future. Marking a scrap of linen with a very simple font of alphabets, initials and numerals was where a young girl began her needlework journey
The four graphs included in the download are:
Graph 1 ~ A one-page colour symbol graph suitable for linen.
Graph 2 ~ A one-page colour symbol graph suitable for Aida.
Graph 3 ~ A three-page colour symbol graph suitable for linen.
Graph 4 ~ A three-page colour symbol graph suitable for Aida.
Graph 5 ~ A blank sheet of graph paper for you to work out the placement of your name.
Nicola stitched her primer on Legacy Linen’s Sycamore Seedpod; you should choose either linen or Aida in the count and colour that appeals to you. The project has been designed so that it is suitable for needleworkers of all levels of ability. The stitches are cross stitch over 2 threads and running stitch.
On the version that Nicola stitched the placement of the stitches makes it unsuitable for stitching on Aida. There are many stitches placed off the standard count. Therefore, a second version has been provided for those who prefer stitching on Aida.
Thread Legend
Tickled Pink has been stitched with a palette of 5 colours from Au Ver à Soie’s range of Soie 100.3. We have provided conversions for Soie d’Alger and DMC. Only one spool or skein of each colour is required. We want you to have fun with this little design, and we welcome you to play with your favourite colours. Through experimenting we learn and grow.
“What works for one artist doesn't necessarily work for another - try anything and everything and go with what works for you.” ~ Paul Dixon
Soie 100.3 /
Soie d’Alger / DMC ~ Colour Description303 / 2243 / 729
~ Old gold ~ medium
344 / 2913 / 224
~ Shell pink ~ very light
378 / 3735 / 3051
~ Green grey ~ dark
384 / 3026 / 777
~ Raspberry ~ very dark
494 / 2932 / 3712
~ Salmon ~ medium
Linen Sizes
The design area is 155 stitches (w) x 80 stitches (h). Our calculations have included a 3" margin for finishing and framing.
28ct: Design: 11.07" x 5.71" Fabric: 17.07" x 11.71"
30ct: Design: 10.33" x 5.33" Fabric: 16.33" x 11.33"
32ct: Design: 9.69" x 5.00" Fabric: 15.69" x 11.00"
36ct: Design: 8.61" x 4.44" Fabric: 14.61" x 10.44"
40ct: Design: 7.75" x 4.00" Fabric: 13.75" x 10.00"
46ct: Design: 6.74" x 3.48" Fabric: 12.74" x 9.48"
56ct: Design: 5.54" x 2.86" Fabric: 11.54" x 8.86"
Stitch Guide
The project has been designed so that it is suitable for needleworkers of all levels of ability. The stitches are cross stitch over 2 threads and running stitch.
On the version that Nicola stitched the placement of the stitches makes it unsuitable for stitching on Aida. There are many stitches placed off the standard count. Therefore, a second version has been provided for those who prefer stitching on Aida.
Cross stitch ~ When working cross stitch the top stitch should always lie in the same direction for a neat and uniform finish.
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/tools” section.
