“Mary Ann is my name and in this I wrought the same, and by this you plainly see what great care my parent took of me.”

Mary Ann, at only eight years of age, finished her sampler in the year 1826. An amazing achievement for one so young!

The sampler has been mainly executed in cross stitch over two linen threads with a small amount of cross stitch over one linen thread for the verse and dedication. There is a small amount of satin stitch. Mary Ann’s sampler has been rated as suitable for confident beginners through to advanced needleworkers.

Jane Hardy 1840 sampler is brought to you as part of a series of “Little Gems” that are available as a .pdf download by Hands Across the Sea Samplers.

Who can resist a red house sampler? Jane’s colourful sampler glows with good cheer. Contained within a stylised red carnation border is a delightful scene of a sturdy redbrick house surrounded by urns of fruit, four birds and auriculas. The parkland abounds with deer, two small dogs and an aristocratic cat with tail held high. The three chimneys, with smoke billowing, create a feeling of “home is where the hearth is” and adds to the overall feeling of warmth the sampler conveys.

The sampler is stitched entirely in cross stitch over two and can be stitched on Aida, Linaida or linen. Jane is suitable for needleworkers of all abilities.