Kits

M E Metcalfe ~ A Little Gem  is the 7th in a series of “Little Gems” from Hands Across the Sea Samplers. This sampler is suitable for needleworkers of all abilities and would make an ideal “starter” project for those wishing to explore samplers.

**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 + 10 spools of Soie 100/3 thread and 2 Tapestry Size 10 Beading Needles (Gift with Purchase)

Linen Choices:

• 37 ct Fat Eighth of Corn Tassel - 17.5" by 18"
• 38 ct Fat Eighth of Fuller's Teazel - 17.5" x 18" 
• 45 ct Fat Eighth of Foxtail Millet - 17.5" x 18"
• 53/63 Fat Eighth of Sycamore Seed Pod - 18" x 29.5"

10 Spools of Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 100/3 Kit Includes:

• SMS 025 ~ Blue green ~ dark
• SMS 072 ~ Turquoise ~ light
• SMS 232 ~ Golden brown ~ medium
• SMS 290 ~ Turquoise ~ very dark
• SMS 376 ~ Antique mauve ~ dark
• SMS 434 ~ Violet ~ dark
• SMS 499 ~ Rose ~ very deep
• SMS 524 ~ Garnet ~ very dark
• SMS 674 ~ Straw
• SMS 686 ~ Copper ~ medium

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

About the Sampler from Nicola Parkman:

"Where flowers bloom so does beauty”

 Is this sweetest of Little Gems a Mary or a Mabel? Unfortunately, we will never know as the young needleworker never recorded their full name. They may even be a Matthew or Martin!"

Mary Carter 1712 ~ the 2020 Queen of the May is another sampler from Hands Across the Sea Samplers. 

By the time Mary was taught needlework, the need to learn a great variety of stitches and complex traditional patterns had reduced. In the 1700s embroidered costumes and furnishings were replaced by extravagant woven and printed fabrics. In this century the format of English samplers was evolving, reflecting the changing perception of their purpose.

Kit Options : 

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

Full Kit options:

Includes linen of choice + 23 spools of Soie 1003  thread, Printed Chart Booklet and 2 Tapestry Size 10 Beading Needles (Gift with Purchase + Free Shipping)

Linen Choices:

• 45 ct Fat Quarter - Legacy Linen Woven Sedge - 18" x 35"
• 53/63 ct Fat Eighth of Sand Castle - 18" x 29.5"
• 53/63 ct Fat Eighth of Manuscript Vellum - 18" x 29.5"

23 Spools of Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 100/3 Kit Includes:

• SMS 072 x 3 ~ Peacock blue ~ light
• SMS 080 x 3 ~ Off white
• SMS 152 x 4 ~ Moss green
• SMS 154 x 3 ~ Tan ~ very light
• SMS 199 x 3 ~ Moss green ~ medium light
• SMS 222 x 4 ~ Plum ~ dark
• SMS 621 x 1 ~ Sky blue ~ very light
• SMS 776 x 2 ~ Topaz ~ light

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

About the Sampler from Nicola Parkman:

"Mary’s sampler was worked in the traditional bands of the 1600s on a long and narrow piece of linen. She used several reversible stitches, all exquisitely executed with skilled hands. However, we do not believe that her aim was to embroider a reversible sampler. The reverse of her sampler is extremely neat; Mary had pride in her work. There are no knotted starts and all her tail ends are neatly buried but her threads are visibly carried."

Jane Harth 1868~ A Little Gem is the 7th in a series of “Little Gems” from Hands Across the Sea Samplers.

**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 + 19 spools of Soie 1003  thread and 2 Tapestry Size 10 Beading Needles (Gift with Purchase)

Linen Choices:

• 37 ct Fat Quarter - Legacy Linen Corn Tassel - 18" x 35"
  
• 38 ct Fat Quarter - Legacy Linen Fuller's Teazel - 18" x 36"
• 45 ct Fat Quarter - Legacy Linen Foxtail Millet - 18" x 35"
• 53/63 Fat Eighth of Sycamore Seed Pod - 18" x 29.5"

19 spools of Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 Kit Includes:

• SMS 072  – Blue green ~ medium
  
• SMS 080   – Off white
• SMS 148  – Straw ~ light
• SMS 149  – Straw ~ dark
• SMS 190  – Violet
• SMS 199  – Olive green ~ medium
• SMS 249   – Emerald green ~ very dark
• SMS 277  – Peacock blue ~ very dark
• SMS 303   – Golden olive
• SMS 444  – Violet ~ very dark
• SMS 499 – Rose ~ very dark
• SMS 500  – Christmas red
• SMS 519  – Brown ~ medium
• SMS 536  – Shell pink ~ very dark
• SMS 621 – Blue green ~ light
• SMS 625  – Grape ~ very light
• SMS 647  – Moss green ~ dark
• SMS 655 (SMS 684 will be substituted for this color)– Coral
• SMS 741  – Salmon

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

About the Sampler from Nicola Parkman:

"Who was this little girl? Jane offers us very few clues in her sampler other than her name and a year.

The General Records Office holds over 260 million records, yet we are unable to find a birth having been registered for Jane Harth!

We do find a Jane Harth born in around the year 1854 recorded in the 1871 census working as one of two servants in the household of George Shepherd, a retired grocer, and his adult son. This Jane was born in Tetney, Lincolnshire. If this was our Jane, then she would have stitched her sampler when she was 14 years old. We would not expect a humble servant to have remained in school until this age.

There is a recorded sampler stitched by Margaret Spender in 1810 that features the same distinctive vase with carnations either side of a tulip. Whilst this is much faded, it is unmistakably the same motif that Jane stitched 58 years later."

Ann Matthews~ A Little Gem  is the 6th in a series of “Little Gems” from Hands Across the Sea Samplers.

**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 + 17 spools of Soie 100/3 thread and 2 Tapestry Size 10 Beading Needles (Gift with Purchase)

Linen Choices:

• 37 ct Fat Eighth of Corn Tassel - 17.5" by 18"
  
• 38 ct Fat Eighth of Fuller's Teazel - 17.5" x 18" 
• 45 ct Fat Eighth of Foxtail Millet - 17.5" x 18"
• 53/63 Fat Eighth of Sycamore Seed Pod - 18" x 29.5"

17 Spools of Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 100/3 Kit Includes:

• SMS 002 – Sky blue ~ very light
• SMS 022 – Golden olive ~ light
• SMS 070 – Salmon ~ dark
• SMS 166 – Coffee brown ~ ultra dark
• SMS 217 – Desert sand ~ very light
• SMS 240 – Straw ~ light
• SMS 293 – Burnt orange ~ dark
• SMS 348 – Antique violet ~ light
• SMS 491 – Parrot green ~ very dark
• SMS 509 – Hunter green ~ very dark
• SMS 561 – Beaver grey ~ light
• SMS 580 – Khaki green ~ medium
• SMS 587 – Navy blue ~ very dark
• SMS 634 – Hazelnut brown ~ light
• SMS 641 – Straw ~ dark
• SMS 702 – Brown ~ light
• SMS 779 – Christmas red

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

About the Sampler from Nicola Parkman:

"Ann is a beautiful little Welsh sampler worked with a palette of bright colours that pop out from the linen. The sampler is framed by a simple but very effective border using sumptuous red and duck egg blue silks, and she continues to use some very vibrant colour combinations.

Ann lived in Glamorgan, South Wales and was born in 1849 in Aberavon near Port Talbot, which is just a few miles from Margam Church which she depicts. She tells us that she was 10 years old when she stitched her sampler in 1859. The earliest reference to Ann is from the census taken in 1851, where she is living near Margam with her father David, her brothers Morgan and John, and her sister Margaret. Her father is a widower, and his parents are living with the family, presumably to help look after the children, of which Ann at 2 years old is the youngest. Her father’s occupation is a collier (miner), and the area she lives in is dominated by coal and copper mining. 

There is no record of Ann’s mother or when and how she died. The living conditions in the towns and villages were very hard, and diseases such as cholera and typhus were commonplace."

Only One Rose, a postcard from the heart ~ A Little Gem  is the 5th in a series of “Little Gems” from Hands Across the Sea Samplers.

**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 spools of Soie 100/3 thread and 2 Tapestry Size 10 Beading Needles (Gift with Purchase)

Linen Choices:

• 37 ct Fat Quarter of Corn Tassel - 18" x 35"
  
• 38 Ct Fat Quarter of Fuller's Teazel - 17.5" x 35"
• 45 ct Fat Eighth of Foxtail Miller - 17.5" x 18"
• 53/63 Fat Eighth of Sycamore Seed Pod - 18" x 29.5"

14 Spools of Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 100/3 Kit Includes:

• SMS 022 - Golden olive ~ light
  
• SMS 061 - Forest green ~ very dark
  
• SMS 072 - Blue green ~ medium
  
• SMS 088 - Beige brown ~ ultra very light
  
• SMS 109 - Raspberry ~ very dark
  
• SMS 344 or 134 - Salmon ~ light
  
• SMS 148 - Straw ~ light
  
• SMS 401 - Pearl grey ~ very light
  
• SMS 494 - Salmon ~ medium
  
• SMS 499 - Christmas red ~ dark
  
• SMS 523 - Raspberry ~ dark
  
• SMS 656 - Pistachio green ~ ultra dark
  
• SMS 707 - Pine green ~ medium
  
• SMS 773 - Pewter grey – very dark

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

About the Sampler from Nicola Parkman:

"This sampler is a postcard from the heart. The sampler, designed and stitched by Nicola as a gift to her husband, has been inspired by samplers in her private collection and conveys several messages to her husband.

The ‘language of flowers’ was a Victorian-era means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken.

The English are famous for their roses, and roses are deeply implanted in the English heart. They bring a sweetness of fragance and beauty of colouring, the rose is the queen of an English garden blooming from early summer until the Christmas bells ring out."

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 combined.

20 Spools of Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 100/3 Kit Includes:

• SMS 022 - Olive green ~ medium
• SMS 072 - Turquoise ~ light
• SMS 037 - Antique mauve ~ very light
• SMS 099 - Beaver grey ~ ultra dark
• SMS 107 - Salmon ~ very dark
• SMS 274 - Khaki green ~ dark
• SMS 303 - Straw ~ dark
• SMS 335 - Garnet ~ dark - (previously SMS 2646)
• SMS 356 - Antique blue ~ medium
• SMS 376 - Antique mauve ~ dark
• SMS 425 - Old gold ~ light ~ Will be substituted with SMS 506
• SMS 486 - Grey green ~ dark
• SMS 500 - Christmas red
• SMS 510 - Antique blue ~ very dark
• SMS 524 - Dusty rose ~ ultra very dark
• SMS 542 - Brown ~ light
• SMS 621 - Grey green ~ light
• SMS 634 - Hazel nut brown
• SMS 654 - Blue green ~ dark
• SMS 741 - Salmon

***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. "

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 kit only or as full kit. 

Includes linen of choice + 14 spools of Soie 1003 and 2 Tapestry Size 10  Beading Needles (Gift with purchase)

Linen Choices***:

• 37 ct Fat Eighth of Corn Tassel - 17.5" x 18"
• 37 ct Fat Eighth of Russian Tea Cake - 17.5" x 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. 

Optional choice of purchasing just thread kit without linen.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 100/3 Silk Thread colors include:

• SMS 022 - Mustard ~ medium
• SMS 029 - Grey green ~ medium
• SMS 093 - Desert sand
• SMS 115 - Shell grey ~ dark
• SMS 124 - Antique mauve ~ medium
• SMS 149 - Straw
• SMS 197 - Fern Green
• SMS 199 - Olive green ~ medium
• SMS 224 - Tan ~ very light -  ** 147 may be substituted**
• SMS 523 - Straw
• SMS 561 - Beaver Grey ~ light
• SMS 647 - Moss green ~ dark
• SMS 702 - Brown ~ light
• SMS 773 - Pewter grey ~ very dark

***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."

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.**

Choice of purchasing thread only or as full kit.

Full Kit options:

Includes linen of choice + 8 spools of Soie 1003  thread and 2 Tapestry Size 10 Beading Needles (Gift with Purchase)

Linen Choices:

• 37 ct Fat Eighth- Legacy Linen Corn Tassel - 18" x 17.5"
  
• 38 ct Fat Eighth - Legacy Linen Fuller's Teazel - 18" x 18"
• 45 ct Fat Eighth - Legacy Linen Foxtail Millet - 18" x 17.5"
• 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”."

This cute Sampler is the second in a series of "Little Gems" from the popular Hands Across the Sea Samplers.

The Chequerboard House, EB 1860 sampler is the second in a series of “Little Gems” from Hands Across the Sea Samplers.

**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 spools of Soie 1003  thread and 2 Tapestry Size 10 Beading Needles (Gift with Purchase)

Linen Choices:

• 37 ct Fat Eighth of Corkscrew Willow - 17.5" x 18"
• 45 ct Fat Eighth - Woven Sedge - 17.5" x 18"
• 53/63 ct Fat Eighth of Sand Castle - 18" x 29.5"

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 100/3 Silk Thread colors include:

• SMS 022 - Mustard - Medium
• SMS 048 - Hazelnut brown - very dark
• SMS 176 - Shell pink - very light
• SMS 197 - Blue green
• SMS 199 - Olive green - medium
• SMS 217 - Desert sand - light
• SMS 224 - Old gold - light - ** SMS 147 will be substituted**
• SMS 338** - Shell grey - dark *SMS 011 will be substituted
• SMS 393 - Melon - dark
• SMS 430 - Navy blue
• SMS 524 - Raspberry - very dark
• SMS 597 - Beige Brown - dery dark
• SMS 674 - Straw - Dark
• SMS 682 - Copper - Medium
• **Please note that the model was stitched using #338. The shade has since been discontinued

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

About the Sampler

The sampler features a brick house with a lawn stitched in Turkey work / Ghiordes knot that can be found in many Scottish samplers. The stone blocks the young girl used to “build” her house in a checkerboard pattern gives the sampler a distinctive look of its own.

This great first Sampler for beginners is the latest from popular Hands Across the Sea samplers.

Mary Stead 1824, "A sweet sampler" is the first in a series of “Little Gems” from Hands Across the Sea Samplers.

**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 + 5 spool of Soie 1003 thread and 2 Tapestry Size 10 Beading Needles (Gift with Purchase)

Linen Choices:

• 37 ct Fat Eighth of Wild Honey - 17.5" by 18"
• 37 ct Fat Eighth of Russian Tea Cake - 17.5" by 18"
• 45 ct Fat Eighth of Jersey Cream - 17.5" x 18"
• 53/63 ct Fat Eighth of Gothic Ivory - 18" x 29"

5 spool of Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 100/3 Kit Includes: 

• SMS 029 - Grey Green
• SMS 108 - Fern Green
• SMS 240 - Autumn Gold
• SMS 702 - Mahogany
• SMS 2646 - Shell Pink ~ 2646 is now 335

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