Hands Across the Sea - Mary Choaks, a Cornish vanity sampler ~ Silk Thread Kit
HATS_CHOAKS_SDF30CT
Regular price
$120.00
Save $-120.00
Mary Choaks is a beautiful Cornish Historical Sampler from Hands Across the Sea
The sampler is suitable for needleworkers of all levels of ability. Mary executed her sampler predominantly with cross stitches laid over two threads of linen together with Algerian eyelets, backstitches, and rice stitches.
Choice of purchasing thread kit only, Printed Chart only or as full kit with linen.
Full Kit options:
Includes linen of choice, Chart Booklet + 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 only
37 ct Fat Quarter - Russian Tea Cake- 18" x 35" Recommended for both Soie d'Alger and Soie 1003 threads
38 ct Fat Quarter - Fuller's Teazel- 18" x 35" Recommended for both Soie d'Alger and Soie 1003 threads
45 ct FatEighth -Jersey Cream- 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 16skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 30 ct or lower.
Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 13 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
"Mary finished her sampler on November 22 but, alas, the last two digits of the year have been removed. This is what is known as a vanity sampler. Later in life, when a samplermaker did not want to reveal her true age, she would remove or alter the date on her needlework.
Without the decade the sampler was worked in, we thought that we would not be able to find our Mary Choak(s). However, the research gods were smiling down on us. A search of family history records for baptisms in the 1800s resulted in 17 hits. Through our knowledge of sampler styles in this century we discounted those born before 1810 and after 1880. This left us with three Marys. Two were born in Cornwall, and one was born in London to Cornish parents who returned to Cornwall where they raised their daughter.
All three girls we found were raised in or around Helston which is the town nearest to where Nicola lives. We strongly suspect that our Mary is Mary Ann Choaks who was born in 1841 in the village of Mawgan-in-Meneage, just south of Helston on the Lizard Peninsula. Within the booklet there is detauled information about Mary’s life."
Hands Across the Sea - Sarah Spencer, 1870 – A Little Gem - Soie 100/3 Thread Kit
HATS_SPENCER_SMS
Regular price
$43.00
Save $-43.00
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 doesnot include chart. Purchase is required separately on Hands Across the Sea.**
Choice of purchasing thread only or as full kit.
Full Kit options:
Includes linen of choice + 8 spools of Soie 1003 threadand 2 Tapestry Size 10 Beading Needles (Gift with Purchase)
53/63 Fat Eighth of Sycamore Seed Pod - 18" x 29.5"
Optional choice of purchasing just thread kit without linen.
Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 100/3 Silk Thread colors include:
SMS 072 - Grey Green
SMS 148 - Straw - light
SMS 177 - Salmon
SMS 274 - Khaki green - dark
SMS 295 - Terracotta
SMS 499 - Garnet
SMS 523 - Salmon - very dark
SMS 531 - Avocado green - dark
***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”."
Hands Across the Sea - Sarah Spencer c. 1870 – A Little Gem - Soie d'Alger Thread Kit
HATS_SPENCER_SDF_30CT
Regular price
$68.00
Save $-68.00
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 doesnot 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”."
Hands Across the Sea - Sarah Milthorp, 1834 ~ Silk Thread Kit
HATS_Milthorp_SDF30CT
Regular price
$158.00
Save $-158.00
Sarah Milthorp, 1834 is a beautiful Historical Sampler from Hands Across the Sea.
The sampler is suitable for confident beginners through to advanced needleworkers.
The reproduction of Sarah’s sampler is predominantly worked with cross stitch laid over two threads of linen together with some Algerian eyelets. The verse is worked in cross stitch over one thread of linen.
Choice of purchasing thread kit only, Printed Chart only or as full kit with linen.
Full Kit options:
Includes linen of choice, Chart Booklet + 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 only
37 ct Fat Half - Corn Tassel- 35" x 36" ~ Recommended for both Soie d'Alger and Soie 1003 threads
38 ct Fat Quarter - Fuller's Teazel- 18" x 35" ~ Recommended for both Soie d'Alger and Soie 1003 threads
45 ct FatEighth -Foxtail Millet- 17.5" x 18" ~ Recommended for Soie 1003 Threads
53/63 ct Fat Eighth Sycamore Seed Pod - 18" x 29" ~ Recommended for Soie 1003 Threads
Thread Options:
Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 37 ct version includes 15 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.
Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 30 ct version includes 21skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 30 ct or lower.
Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 15 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
"The sampler that Sarah stitched when she was 12 years of age in 1834 is most certainly decorative. The young girl showed great diligence in working the intricate border and cartouche surrounding her name. We were strongly drawn to Sarah’s sampler the moment we glimpsed her in an auction catalogue. The red house takes centre stage.
The geometric motifs flanking the verse were another focal point of interest. Although we have seen these on other samplers, they are not common place. Sarah showed great industry with her needle and filled her sampler with many beautiful motifs, she would have been hard pressed to squeeze another motif in.
On March 2, 1822 Sarah Milthorp was baptised in Darrington. This small village and civil parish is located in the heart of the industrial West Riding of Yorkshire. Sarah’s father Thomas Milthorp was an agricultural labourer. Life as an agricultural labourer was hard work. Wages were usually low and housing standards often poor as labourers worked extremely long hours to scrape a living. Thomas’ children would have been expected to work on the land from as young as six years old, particularly at harvest time when everyone lent a hand making hay or harvesting crops."
Hands Across the Sea - Mary Stead 1824 – A Little Gem - Soie 100/3 Thread Kit
HATS_STEAD_SMS
Regular price
$31.00
Save $-31.00
This great first Sampler for beginners is the latest from popular Hands Across the Sea samplers.
SMS 079 ~ Avocado green ~ medium - Will be substituted with SMS 491
SMS 088 ~ Desert sand ~ light
SMS 091 ~ Pumpkin ~ pale
SMS 147 ~ Old gold ~ very light
SMS 183 ~ Shell grey ~ dark
SMS 199 ~ Olive green ~ medium
SMS 242 ~ Topaz ~ ultra very dark
SMS 303 ~ Old gold ~ dark
SMS 344 ~ Salmon
SMS 524 ~ Garnet ~ very dark
SMS 525 ~ Mahogany ~ medium
SMS 616 ~ Golden olive ~ very dark
SMS 621 ~ Grey green ~ light
SMS 659 ~ Avocado green ~ light
SMS 664 ~ Christmas red
SMS 710 ~ Grey green ~ very dark
***Please note, this item is excluded from any discounts or sales.
About the Sampler from Nicola Parkman:
"What a feast for the eyes! It is such a shame that the child who created this winsome sampler did not include her name. All that is recorded are the initials WJ, PH, and the year 1888.
We sense that the sampler’s maker was industrious and enjoyed stitching her sampler. She used wool on 18ct Penelope canvas. The child certainly had an ebullient sense of colour and a vivid imagination.
The giant pear and rose, completely out of proportion, flank the red house. With smoke billowing from all its chimneys, the viewer is invited into the house through its open side door. A family home is definitely at the heart of this sampler."
Two swans catch the eye. White swans symbolise light, grace, beauty, love, and purity. The swan is an emblem of feminine beauty and softness. Fairy tales feature swans as emblems of devotion, loyalty, and monogamy; this comes from the fact that the swan mates once in a lifetime."
