Hands Across the Sea - Maria Ewin ~ the 2023 Queen of the May - Soie d'Alger Thread Kit

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger is a lustrous thread made from a spun silk. 
Made in France by the Au Ver a Soie company, whose quality has remained steadfast since 1820.

• Soie d'Alger consists of a single strand with 7 plies which is easily divided
• Each skein is 5 meters (5.5 yards) of silk thread
• Can be used for cross stitch, needlepoint and hand embroidery on linen
• Soie d'Alger is durable for canvas work
• All seven plies cover tent stitch on 13 mesh canvas
• Soie d'Alger makes beautiful cording and tassels for needlework finishing

If there is a color you are interested in that is not listed or if you would like additional quantities, please reach out to us at hello@hoopandframe.com and we can order it for you. 

Please note, this product is excluded from any discounts or promotions

Sarah Spencer, c 1870" is the 3rd in a series of “Little Gems” from Hands Across the Sea Samplers. Sarah is suitable for needleworkers of all abilities and would make an ideal “starter” project for those wishing to explore sampler.

**Please note, Sampler Kit does not include chart. Purchase is required separately on Hands Across the Sea.**

Kit Options : 

Choice of purchasing thread only OR as full kit.

Full Kit options:

• 37 ct option for 1 strand: Includes linen of choice + 9 skeins of Soie d'Alger threads and 2 Tapestry Size 26 Needles (Gift with Purchase)
• 30 ct option for 2 strands : Includes linen of choice + 10 skeins of Soie d'Alger threads and 2 Tapestry Size 28 Needles (Gift with Purchase)

Linen Choices:

• 30 ct Fat Quarter  - Pecan Shortbread - 18" x 35"
• 37 ct Fat Eighth - Corn Tassel - 18" x 17.5"
  
• 38 ct Fat Eighth - Fuller's Teazel - 18" x 17.5"

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger Silk Thread colors include:

• SDF 945 - Garnet (2 skeins for 30 ct version)
• SDF 2216 - Avocado green - dark
• SDF 2532 - Straw - light
  SDF 2636 - Terracotta
• SDF 3734 x 2 - Khaki green - dark
• SDF 4622 - Salmon
• SDF 4623 - Salmon - very dark
• SDF 5383 - Grey Green
• ***Please note, this item is excluded from any discounts or sales.
  

About the Sampler from Nicola Parkman:

"Sarah Spencer is a very common name in England so we were unable to research our Sarah. You will note the reversed “S” in Sarah. It is not unusual for young children to reverse letters when they read and write but Sarah stitched the letter correctly in her surname. She could have simply got it wrong and did not take the time to correct her mistake. However, that does not tally with the neatness of her stitching and the diligence she showed in completing her sampler. We think it could be her way to record that although her name was spelt with an “S” it is pronounced differently like a soft vibrated “Z”."

Mary 395, is a reproduction sampler from Hands Across the Sea Samplers.

Kit Options : Choice of 30 ct, or 37 ct thread kit. 

30 ct kit includes two full 45 meter hanks of your favorite red.

or 

37 ct option includes a 45 meter hank of your favorite red + 1 skein extra in case you have to rip anything out.

Soie d'Alger Red Silk Thread color options include:

• SDF 926 
• SDF 2923
  
• SDF 945 
• SDF 946 

Optional purchase for full kit which includes linen of choice, Printed Chart + silk thread and 2 Tapestry Size 26 Needles (Gift with Purchase)

• 30 ct Fat Half of Mariner's Map - 35" by 36"

• 37 ct Fat Half of Corn Tassel - 35" by 36"

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

About the Sampler from Nicola Parkman:

"Regrettably, Mary did not record her surname on the sampler she so diligently stitched. The only clues she left behind are the year she finished her sampler “1869” and the number of the bed she occupied “395.” Each orphan has a heart-wrenching story to tell but our little girl, identifying herself by a bed number, has touched me deeply from the first moment I saw her."

Mary Eliza McMillan, 1869" is the 4th in a series of “Little Gems” from Hands Across the Sea Samplers. The Mary Eliza McMillan sampler is suitable for needleworkers of all abilities, no speciality stitches are required.

**Please note, Sampler Kit does not include chart. Purchase is required separately on Hands Across the Sea.**

Kit Options : 

Choice of purchasing thread only OR as full kit.

Full Kit options:

Includes linen of choice + 14 skeins of Soie d'Alger thread and 2 Tapestry Size 26 Needles (Gift with Purchase)

Linen Choices:

• 30 ct Fat Quarter of Pecan Shortbread - 17.5" x 35"
• 37 ct Fat Eighth of Corn Tassel*** - 17.5" by 18"
  
• 37 ct Fat Eighth of Corkscrew Willow*** - 17.5" by 18"

***This fabric cut gives you a 2" margin on the top and bottom of the Sampler. If you would like a larger cut, please purchase a Fat Quarter and the thread kit alone. 

1 each of Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger Silk Thread colors include:

• SDF 523 - Mustard ~ medium
• SDF 2125 - Moss green ~ dark
• SDF 2143 - Olive green ~ medium
• SDF 2757 - Grey green ~ medium
• SDF 3343 - Beaver Grey ~ light
  
• SDF 3414 - Shell grey ~ dark
• SDF 3423 - Fern Green
• SDF 3445 - Pewter grey ~ very dark
• SDF 3822 - Tan ~ very light
• SDF 4224 - Straw
  
• SDF 4545 - Brown ~ light
• SDF 4611 - Desert sand
• SDF 4623 - Straw
• SDF 4633 - Antique mauve ~ medium

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

About the Sampler from Nicola Parkman:

"Mary Eliza McMillan has been in Nicola’s private collection for some time and has been whispering in her ear to be reproduced. Now, as we hunker down in isolation and time has lost any meaning, it seemed the right moment to do so.

Rather than a carefully planned symmetrical sampler, Mary’s needlework is very much a one-off example of a young child’s nonsensical art. Very similar to the scraps of crinkled, paint-smudged paper that can be found in countless homes today proudly displayed on fridge doors.

There is often a variety of wisdom and information to be found on samplers. Some samplers convey a message, others knowledge. Samplers illuminate the lives of their makers when they document moral issues, family histories, personal experiences, and national events."

Jane Fiddes, 1835 is another sampler from Hands Across the Sea Samplers. Jane’s sampler is possibly Irish in origin and is filled to bursting with motifs that vibrate with color. The more you study the sampler the more you will see. 

Jane’s sampler has been rated as suitable for intermediate and advanced needle workers but is not beyond a confident beginner. The sampler is an ideal choice for those who wish to expand their repertoire of stitches.

Kit Options : 

Choice of purchasing thread only, chart only or as full kit.

Full Kit Options:

Includes linen of choice + 21 skeins of Soie d'Alger threads, Printed Chart Booklet and 2 Tapestry Size 26 Needles (Gift with Purchase + Free Shipping)

Linen Choices:

• 30 ct Fat Half  - Victoria Sponge Cake - 35" x 36"
• 37 ct Fat Quarter - Corn Tassel - 18" x 35"

1 each of Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger Silk Thread colors include:

• SDF 944 - Christmas red
• SDF 1434 - Antique blue ~ medium
• SDF 1436 - Antique blue ~ very dark
• SDF 1745 - Grey green ~ dark
• SDF 1814 - Grey green ~ light
• SDF 1845 - Blue green ~ dark
• 2 Skeins - SDF 2146 - Khaki green ~ dark
• SDF 2213 - Olive green ~ medium
• SDF 2234 - Straw ~ dark
• SDF 2645 - Salmon ~ very dark
• SDF 2914 - Salmon
• SDF 2926 - Garnet ~ medium
• SDF 3026 - Dusty rose ~ ultra very dark
• SDF 3846 - Beaver grey ~ ultra dark
• SDF 4236 - Brown ~ light
• SDF 4524 - Hazel nut brown
• SDF 4644 - Antique mauve ~ very light
• SDF 4645 - Antique mauve ~ dark
• SDF 5384 - Turquoise ~ light
• SDF F18 - Old gold ~ light

Kit Option 2: 21 Skeins of Soie d'Alger Only

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

About the Sampler from Nicola Parkman:

"On first viewing the sampler, when it was listed in an auction catalogue, we thought that the sampler was Scottish. There are numerous sets of initials scattered throughout the sampler, together with a house with the lawn below executed in Turkey work, and both features are characteristic of Scottish samplers.

When the sampler arrived, in an old but not necessarily original frame, we discovered on the backing board a label that indicated that the sampler had been framed in Dublin, Ireland. Was Jane born in Ireland, did she or one of her descendants marry an Irishman, was the sampler acquired by a collector who took the sampler to Ireland? Regrettably, we shall never know as we cannot link the initials Jane diligently stitched to the Janes that appear in family history records.

This charming sampler has been mainly executed with cross stitch over two threads with a small amount of cross stitch over one thread for Patch the dog. Other stitches used are double running stitch, satin stitch, Algerian eyelet stitch, four-sided stitch, plait stitch and stem stitch. "