Hands Across the Sea - Sarah Milthorp, 1834 ~ Silk Thread Kit

Pre Order Available.

William Curtis 1826 ~The 2026 Lord of the May is a beautiful English sampler from Hands Across the Sea.

The sampler is suitable for needleworkers of all levels of abilities but it should be noted that the sampler is not suitable for working on Aida.

Choice of purchasing thread kit only or as full kit with linen. 

Full Kit options:

Includes linen of choice +  Soie d'Alger or Soie 1003 threads + Chart (+Free Shipping). 

Linen Choices:

• 30 ct Fat Half - Victoria Sponge Cake -35" x 36" ~ Recommended for Soie d'Alger Threads only  
• 37 ct Fat Half Corn Tassel - 35" x 36" ~ Recommended for both Soie d'Alger and Soie 1003 threads
• 37 ct Fat Half Russian Tea Cake - 35" x 36" ~ Recommended for both Soie d'Alger and Soie 1003 threads
  
• 45 ct Fat Eighth -Foxtail Millet - 17.5" x 18" ~ Recommended for Soie 1003 Threads 
• 48 ct Fat Eighth - Bride Cake -17.5" x 18" ~ Recommended for Soie 1003 Threads  

Thread Options:

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 37 ct version includes 14 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 30 ct version includes 15 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 30 ct or lower.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 14 spools. Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or higher.

Soie 1003 Colors:

• SMS 061
• SMS 080
• SMS 289
• SMS 354 
• SMS 376 
• SMS 486 
• SMS 493
• SMS 562 
• SMS 601 
• SMS 620 
• SMS 621 
• SMS 624 
• SMS 656 
• SMS 723

Soie d'Alger Colors Include:

• SDF  115  -  Wedgwood blue
  
• SDF  204  -  Aquamarine
  
• SDF 236  - Forest green
  
• SDF 1343  -   Blueberry
  
• SDF 1436  -  Pewter grey
  
• SDF  1714   - Antique blue
  
• SDF 1836   -  Pistachio green (2 skeins for 30 ct)
  
• SDF 2644  -  Alizarin
  
• SDF 4533  -  Mocha brown
  
• SDF  2756  -  Grey green
  
• SDF  4536   - Micha brown (dk)
  
• SDF 4643  -  Antique mauve (lt)
  
• SDF 4645  -  Antique mauve (dk)
  
• SDF  F17 -   Ecru 

***Please note, this item is excluded from any discounts or sales. 

About the Sampler from the Designer

"In England, May Day celebrations marked the arrival of spring, a time of renewal, growth, and community gathering. Central to these festivities was the Queen of the May, a young girl chosen to represent beauty, youth, and the promise of the season. She was crowned with flowers and presided over the celebrations.

Less often remembered, but equally present in historical accounts, was her counterpart — the Lord of the May. In some communities, a boy was chosen to stand alongside the May Queen, sharing in the ceremony and embodying balance within the festivities. Together, they represented youth, continuity, and the turning of the year.

It is in this spirit that we present William Curtis. His sampler, worked with such care and intention, stands as a fitting companion to the tradition of the May Queen — a rare and compelling example of a boy’s voice expressed through needle and thread.

William’s sampler is a study in learning and progression. Beginning with cross stitch over two threads of linen, he moves through four-sided stitch and eyelets, before working his verse in cross stitch over a single thread. Satin stitches complete the sequence, demonstrating a confident command of technique at such a young age.

The composition is structured and disciplined, with repeating motifs and a carefully controlled colour palette that brings clarity and balance to the design. His verse, stitched in his own hand, speaks directly to the viewer with humility and aspiration — a voice preserved exactly as it was formed.

The sampler is signed as his work, leaving no ambiguity as to authorship. This is not a name recorded on behalf of a child, but a declaration of effort, learning, and identity.

Samplers worked by boys are not unknown, but they are not common. Needlework was most often associated with the education of girls, while boys were directed towards literacy and numeracy. William’s sampler therefore stands apart, offering a rare insight into the breadth of early nineteenth-century childhood education and the values of discipline, obedience, and perseverance that shaped it.

Although many boys named William Curtis were born in 1817, it has not been possible to securely identify the maker within surviving records. What remains is his work — a lasting record of a young boy’s skill and determination."

Pre Order Available. Estimated Ship Date: 1-2 weeks

Ann Watson 1839 ~ The 2026 Queen of the May is a delightful  Cumbrian sampler from Hands Across the Sea.

Choice of purchasing thread kit only or as full kit with linen. 

Full Kit options:

Includes linen of choice +  Soie d'Alger or Soie 1003 threads, + Chart (+Free Shipping). 

Linen Choices:

• 30 ct Fat Half - Victoria Sponge Cake -35" x 36" ~ Recommended for Soie d'Alger Threads only  
• 37 ct Fat Half Corn Tassel - 35" x 36" ~ Recommended for both Soie d'Alger and Soie 1003 threads
• 37 ct Fat Half Russian Tea Cake - 35" x 36" ~ Recommended for both Soie d'Alger and Soie 1003 threads
  
• 45 ct Fat Half -Foxtail Millet - 35" x 36" ~ Recommended for Soie 1003 Threads 
• 48 ct Fat Half - Bride Cake - 35" x 36" ~ Recommended for Soie 1003 Threads  

Thread Options:

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 37 ct version includes 28 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 30 ct version includes 41 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 30 ct or lower.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 23 spools. Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or higher.

Soie 1003 Colors:

• SMS 067 ~ Antique mauve
• SMS 072 ~ Grey green (lt)
• SMS 089 ~ Copper
• SMS 148 ~ Straw
• SMS 179 ~ Olive green
• SMS 211 ~ Mocha brown
• SMS 223 ~ Mauve
• SMS 274 X 2 Khaki green
• SMS 277 ~ Peacock blue
• SMS 307 ~ Rose
• SMS 329 ~ Olive green (lt)
• SMS 335 ~ Terracotta
• SMS 439 ~ Antique violet (lt)
• SMS 493 ~ Alizarin
• SMS 499 ~ Garnet
• SMS 517 ~ Mocha beige
• SMS 557 ~ Antique violet
• SMS 621 ~ Beaver grey
• SMS 628 ~ Beige brown
• SMS 702 ~ Desert sand
• SMS 703 ~ Grey green
• SMS Noir ~ Black

Soie d'Alger Colors Include:

• SDF 946 ~ Garnet (2 for 30 ct)
• SDF 1444 ~ Peacock blue
• SDF 1745 ~ Grey Green
• SDF 1814 ~ Beaver grey
• SDF 2212 ~ Olive green (lt) (2 for 30 ct)
• SDF 2644 ~ Alizarin
• SDF 2543 x  2 ~ Straw
• SDF 2646 x 2 ~ Terracotta (3 for 30 ct)
• SDF 3046 ~ Mauve
• SDF 3433 ~ Mocha beige
• SDF 3435 ~ Beige brown
• SDF 3733 ~ Olive green
• SDF 3734 x 4 ~ Khaki green (9 for 30 ct)
• SDF 4111 ~ Mocha brown
• SDF 4142 ~ Desert sand
• SDF 4612 ~ Copper (2 for 30 ct)
• SDF 4623 ~ Rose (2 for 30 ct)
• SDF 4634 ~ Antique mauve
• SDF 5112 ~ Antique violet (lt)
• SDF 5114 ~ Antique violet (2 for 30 ct)
• SDF 5383 x 2 ~ Grey green (lt) (3 for 30 ct)
• SDF Noir ~ Black (2 for 30 ct)

***Please note, this item is excluded from any discounts or sales. 

About the Sampler from the Designer

"For 2026, we are delighted to present Ann Watson 1839, a truly exceptional Cumbrian sampler worked by an eleven-year-old girl.. We chose Ann’s work for its balance and compositional confidence, its rich symbolic language, and its clear connection to place. It is a sampler that speaks with quiet authority — one that rewards close looking and thoughtful stitching.

Ann’s sampler is a study in balance and intention. A broad floral border frames the work with rhythmic symmetry, enclosing a carefully composed arrangement of motifs. At its centre, a devotional verse — taken from the writings of Isaac Watts — speaks of faith, discipline, and the shaping of a young heart. Above, a garden unfolds: trees, birds, flowering urns, and a watchful stag arranged with quiet assurance. Within this ordered landscape, subtle references to the Garden of Eden invite reflection on innocence, choice, and moral formation.

Below, a red-brick house anchors the composition — a symbol of stability and aspiration — surrounded by delicate motifs that evoke domestic harmony. Dividing bands guide the eye, creating a sampler that reads with clarity from top to bottom.

At its base, Ann stitched her name:

“Ann Watson’s Work finished in her 11 year Anno 1839.”

In that line, a young girl declares her presence across time.

Ann was baptised in Whitehaven in 1829, a busy coastal town shaped by industry, faith, and community. Like many girls of her time, her life is only faintly recorded in the archive. Yet through her needlework, she remains.

This sampler forms part of a wider group of Cumbrian work stitched in the shadow of Scafell Pike, where patterns were taught, repeated, and passed from one generation to the next.

Ann’s sampler is not only a beautiful design — it is a record of education, discipline, and identity. A quiet but enduring voice from 1839.

The sampler has been painstakingly reproduced and the model exquisitely stitched by Lisa Brown. 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."

Hannah Whitaker Thorne, 1821 0 An Ackworth Quaker Style Antique Sampler by Cross Stitch Antiques

Stitch Count: 297 wide x 455 high

Model Finished Size: 12.91 inches wide x 19.78 inches high

Original: 12 ¾ inches wide x 17 ½ inches high silk on 48 count linen

Stitches Used: Cross stitch over two, over one for verse, name, place and date

Choice of purchasing thread kit only, Printed Chart only or as full kit with linen. 

Full Kit options:

Includes linen of choice, Printed Chart Booklet + 21 colors of either Soie d'Alger or Soie 1003 threads (+ Free Shipping). 

Linen Choices*:

• 37 ct Fat Quarter - Corn Tassel -  18" x 35" 
• 45 ct Fat Eighth - Foxtail Millet - 17.5" x 18"
• 45 ct Fat Eighth - Bridecake - 17.5" x 18"

*Linen sizes assume 3" border 

For over one stitch choice, you can reduce the piece down to a Fat Eighth for 37 and 45 cts, feel free to contact us for questions. 

Thread Options:

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 21 spools. Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or higher.

***Please note, this item is excluded from any discounts or sales. 

Attention customers, conversion to 1003 is only provided if you purchase the thread kit. Purchase of chart only will not provide conversion to Soie 1003. 

Spot Motif, circa 1640 is a gorgeous seventeenth century needlework sampler from The Scarlet Letter. 

Stitch count: 455 x 296

Choice of purchasing thread kit only, Printed Chart only or as full kit with linen. 

Full Kit options:

Includes linen of choice, Printed Chart Booklet + 34 colors of either Soie d'Alger or Soie 1003 threads (+ Free Shipping). 

Linen Choices*:

• 30 ct Fat Half - Victoria Sponge Cake - 35" x 36" - Recommended for Soie d'Alger threads
• 37 ct Fat Half - Corn Tassel -  18" x 35" -  Recommended for Soie d'Alger or Soie 1003 threads
• 45 ct Fat Quarter - Foxtail Millet - 18" x 35" - Recommended for Soie d'Alger or Soie 1003 threads

*Linen sizes assume over two stitch choice.

For over one stitch choice, you can reduce the piece down to a Fat Eighth for 37 and 45 cts, feel free to contact us for questions. 

Thread Options:

 Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger includes 35 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

 Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 34 spools. Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or higher.

***Please note, this item is excluded from any discounts or sales. 

About the Sampler from the Designer

Attention customers, conversion to 1003 is only provided if you purchase the thread kit. Purchase of chart only will not provide conversion to Soie 1003. 

Sarah Tatum, 1800 is a gorgeous Quaker sampler from The Scarlet Letter and features Quaker school design elements from the Ackworth School.

The project is recommended for any level of skill. Only cross stitch is required to complete the sample. 

Stitch count: 345 width x 370 height. 

Choice of purchasing thread kit only, Printed Chart only or as full kit with linen. Full Kit options:

Includes linen of choice, Printed Chart Booklet + 19 spools of Soie 1003 threads or 21 skeins of Soie d'Alger (+ Free Shipping). 

Linen Choices*:

• 30 ct Fat Half - Victoria Sponge Cake - 35" x 36" 
• 37 ct Fat Eighth  - Russian Tea Cake -  17.5" x 18"
• 45 ct Fat Eighth - Jersey Cream - 17.5" x 18"
• 48 ct Fat Eighth - Bride Cake - 17.5" x 18"

*Linen sizes assumes a 3" border

Thread Options:

 Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger includes 21 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

 Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 19 spools. Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or higher.

***Please note, this item is excluded from any discounts or sales. 

About the Sampler from the Designer

he Quaker Friends School at Ackworth in Yorkshire, England, was founded in 1799 and was closely linked with the famous American Quaker schools at Westtown in Pennsylvania and the Nine Partners school in New York state. After this pivotal date (1800) most of the motifs on Ackworth samplers are similar to those on American Quaker school samplers with perhaps the exception of the floral and geometric medallions which continued to be more popular in England. Many of these motifs were used on small pincushions, stitched or sometimes knitted, that the girls enjoyed making and exchanging as gifts.

This particular example made by Sarah Tatum is replete with trademark Quaker School design elements including the very clear Roman style of lettering, floral sprays, paired birds, a swan, geometric/floral/animal centered medallions, both complete medallions and segments, all neatly organized and fitted together. An especially interesting design element in this sampler is the way she has randomly scattered the 26 letters of the alphabet and numerals 1 through 9, all about the body of the sampler. It’s interesting to puzzle out the location of all the letters, tucked in and around the various motifs, sideways, upside down and right side up. This quirky element of design appears on other Quaker samplers of this same period.

Only cross stitch is required to complete the sampler, which will measure approximately 17-1/4″ a 18-1/2″ on 40 count linen. The project is recommended for any level of skill. The original antique sampler was formerly in the collection of The Scarlet Letter.