Soie d'Alger

Alice M Tippett, 1894 is an adorable, small historical Sampler from Hands Across the Sea

The sampler is suitable for needleworkers of all levels of ability. The sampler is stitched with cross stitch over two threads 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 Eighth  - Victoria Sponge Cake -17.5" x 18" ~ Recommended for Soie d'Alger Threads only 
• 37 ct Fat Eighth - Russian Tea Cake -17.5" x 18" ~ Recommended for both Soie d'Alger and Soie 1003 threads
  
• 45 ct Fat Eighth -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 kit includes 9 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

• SDF 524
• SDF 1844
• SDF 2533
• SDF 2916
• SDF 2932
• SDF 2936
• SDF 4112
• SDF 4623
• SDF 5381

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 9 spools. Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or higher.

• SMS 022
• SMS 109
• SMS 217
  
• SMS 241
• SMS 307
• SMS 494
• SMS 523
• SMS 621
• SMS 654

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

About the Sampler from the Designer

"Alice records on her sampler that she attended St Ervan’s Board School. When the Elementary Education Act of 1870 came into force, school boards, public bodies in England and Wales, established and administered elementary schools in England between 1870 and 1902. Education was not free but the fees of the poorest children were paid by the parish. The schools were non-denominational and were not to impose any religious education, other than simple Bible reading.

We know that when Alice attended the Board School the headmistress was a Miss M M Winsor, and her assistant was Miss Dora Rowe who taught the infants. We suspect that it was Miss Winsor who taught Alice needlework.

Alice was born to William Tippett, a stone mason and his wife Mary Jane, née Parsons. Her birth was registered in the first quarter of 1883; however, she was not baptised until July 23 at the Bible Christian Church in the village of Penrose. The village is in the parish of St Ervan which can be found a short distance inland on the North Cornish coast. Tippetts can be found living in this beautiful part of Cornwall today and all the way back to the early 1600s.

William and his brother James built the chapel, and the foundation service was held on 24 May 1861.

The Bible Christian Church was a Methodist denomination founded by William O’Bryan, a local Wesleyan Methodist preacher, on 18 October 1815 in North Cornwall. Members of the Church were sometimes known as Bryanites, after their founder.

William died in 1893, and sadly, three years later, on 13 June 1896 Alice died at the very young age of 13 years. Her death certificate records the cause of death as diphtheria. In the 1800s diphtheria was a major cause of death. Though mostly a disease associated with the poor and a particular threat to children, diphtheria did not discriminate by class and age. Its cause, spread and a cure remained a mystery until the last part of the 19^th century."

Needlework From Distant Shores – Márta Kauser and Maggie Burridge are two small beautiful, small historical Samplers from Hands Across the Sea.

The sampler is suitable for needleworkers of all levels of ability. The sampler is stitched with cross stitch over two threads 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: 

• 37 ct Fat Quarter - Russian Tea Cake -18 x 35" ~ Recommended for both Soie d'Alger and Soie 1003 threads
  
• 45 ct Fat Quarter - Foxtail Millet - 18" x 35" ~ Recommended for Soie 1003 Threads 
• 48 ct Fat Quarter - Bride Cake - 18" x 35"    ~ Recommended for Soie 1003 Threads 
  

Thread Options:

 Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 37 ct version includes 2 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

 Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 30 ct version includes 5 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or lower.

• SDF 2924 x 2 (5 skeins for 30 ct)

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 2 spools. Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or higher.

• SMS 664 x 2

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

About the Sampler from the Designer

"Márta’s sampler was stitched in Budapest, Hungary in 1905 and Maggie’s in Pretoria, South Africa in 1900. Whilst the girls lived some 7,447 miles apart, they both stitched a primer sampler as part of their education.

We have made contact with Márta’s family, and they tell us that Márta Sarolta Lujza Mária Kauser was born in Budapest on May 6, 1895. Her parents were Nepomuk János Kauser and Sarolta Kölber. The Kausers and the Kölbers were wealthy families. They often married each other, sometimes for financial reasons. The Kölber family was given a noble title by Franz Joseph I. The Kausers were architects. The most well-known was Jozsef Kauser, who designed numerous public buildings, among them the interior of St. Stephen’s Basilica, a landmark of Budapest.

Márta died five months after her wedding in 1923 as a result of contracting the Spanish Flu.

Maggie Burridge has remained elusive. In a search of family history records, the family name of Burridge appears several times in the Transvaal. However, we cannot find a Maggie/Margaret. Maggie recorded that she stitched her sampler at Abingdon National Girls’ School, Pretoria in the June of 1900. This was during the Boer War.

The origins of the Boer War lay in Britain’s desire to unite the British South African territories of Cape Colony and Natal with the Boer republics of the Orange Free State and the South African Republic (also known as the Transvaal). The discovery of gold in the South African Republic (SAR) in 1886 raised the stakes. A large number of English-speaking people, called Uitlanders (literally ‘Outlanders’) by the Afrikaners, were attracted by the gold fields. This worried the Boers, who saw them as a threat to their way of life.

Maggie’s formative years were dangerous times for people of all races in South Africa. At the same time Maggie finished her sampler, the British launched an offensive to relieve the siege of Pretoria.

We hope that both samplers will bring you and your needle much joy and will soon adorn your red sampler wall."

Mary Ann Groom, 1876 is a beautiful historical Sampler from Hands Across the Sea

The sampler is suitable for needleworkers of all levels of ability.

The sampler is stitched with cross stitch over two threads of linen with a satin stitch sawtooth border that encloses the verse.

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 Eighth  - Victoria Sponge Cake -17.5" x 18" ~ Recommended for Soie d'Alger Threads only 

• 37 ct Fat Eighth - Russian Tea Cake -17.5" x 18" ~ Recommended for both Soie d'Alger and Soie 1003 threads

• • 45 ct Fat Eighth -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 kit includes 6 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

• SDF 1422
• SDF 2144
• SDF 2533
• SDF 3415
• SDF 4624
• SDF 5413

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 6 spools.

Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or higher.

• SMS 072
• SMS 109
• SMS 149
• SMS 152
• SMS 188
• SMS 416 - will be substituted with 382

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

About the Sampler from the Designer

"We are delighted to present to you this sweet sampler that was worked by Mary Ann Groom in the year 1876 when she was ten years old. We particularly liked the border that frames the young maker’s stitching. Mary Ann worked with a limited palette, yet she has created a colourful sampler with some very pretty motifs.

Although Mary Ann did not record her age or location on the sampler, her granddaughter Jackie carefully noted on the reverse of the frame that

“This was done by my grandmother, mother of Robert Edward Wesley Whitbread, my Dad. Bless him”

Jackie also included her name, address and telephone number. We telephoned Jackie, and she told us that she had inherited the sampler and only sold it when she downsized. Jackie knew very little about her grandparents as they were never talked about. She believed they had died when her father was a child.

Mary Ann was born on April 24, 1866 in Tebworth, a hamlet located in Central Bedfordshire. Her parents were Thomas Groom, a labourer, and his wife Charlotte. She was baptised in the Methodist church in Toddington.

The 1891 census return records that as a young woman Mary Ann worked as a straw-hat maker."

Elizabeth Dinsdale, 1846 is a beautiful historical Sampler that includes a primer from Hands Across the Sea

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

• • 45 ct Fat Quarter - Foxtail Millet - 18" x 25" ~ Recommended for Soie 1003 Threads 

• • 63/63 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 21 skeins ~ e.g. 15 skeins for the Sampler + 6 skeins for the Primer.. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

 Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 30 ct version includes 24 skeins ~18 skeins for the Sampler + 6 skeins for the Primer.. Recommended linen for this thread is 30 ct or lower.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 version kit includes 15 spools for the Sampler + 6 spools for the Primer. Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or higher

The Sampler

• SDF 526 ~ Golden olive (2 skeins for 30 ct) - will be substituted with SDF 525
• SDF 2225 ~ Olive green
• SDF 2924 ~ Christmas red
• SDF 2941 ~ Peach
• SDF 3341 ~ Beige grey
• SDF 3346 ~ Mocha brown ~ dark
• SDF 3422 ~ Fern green
• SDF 3716 ~ Green grey
• SDF 3734 ~ Khaki green
• SDF 3821 ~ Old gold
• SDF 3833 ~ Mocha brown
• SDF 4535 ~ Beige grey ~ dark (2 skeins for 30 ct)
• SDF 4541 ~ Tan
• SDF 4612 ~ Mahogany
• SDF Noir ~ Black (2 skeins for 30 ct)

The Primer:

• SDF 926 ~ Coral red
• SDF 3423 ~ Blue green
• SDF 3745 ~ Golden olive
• SDF 4126 ~ Beige brown
• SDF 4242 ~  Hazelnut brown
• SDF 4622 ~ Shell pink

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 15 spools for the Sampler + 6 spools for the Primer.

Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or higher.

The Sampler:

• SMS 089 ~ Mahogany
  
• SMS 147 ~ Old gold
  
• SMS 176 ~ Peach
  
• SMS 179 ~ Olive green
  
• SMS 196 ~ Fern green
  
• SMS 274 ~ Khaki green
  
• SMS 323 ~ Tan
  
• SMS 378 ~ Green grey
  
• SMS 597 ~ Mocha brown ~ dark - will be substituted with SMS 697
  
• SMS 603 ~ Mocha brown
  
• SMS 616 ~ Golden olive
  
• SMS 673 ~ Beige grey ~ dark
  
• SMS 681 ~ Christmas red
  
• SMS 740 ~ Beige grey
  
• SMS Noir ~ Black

The Primer:

• SMS 031 ~  Hazelnut brown
  
• SMS 060 ~ Shell pink
  
• SMS 073 ~ Blue green
  
• SMS 129 ~ Golden olive
  
• SMS 592 ~ Beige brown
  
• SMS 779 ~ Coral red

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

About the Sampler from the Designer

"It is with great pleasure that we present to you the needlework of Elizabeth Dinsdale. It is so unusual for three pieces of a young girl’s needlework to stay together through the centuries. We feel honoured to be the present custodians of Elizabeth’s work.

Two of the three samplers bear the date “May the 26^th 1843” and three very poignant words “LIFE IS SHORT” emphasised in capital lettering.

Contained within this booklet are two reproductions. Elizabeth’s simple primer worked when she was 12 years of age and the sampler she worked three years later. Several motifs in the sampler have been taken from the third sampler. Note the three urns of flowers and the pairs of deer.

A curious feature of the primer and the unreproduced sampler is that they both have the exact same date. Would Elizabeth have been working both projects at the same time, finishing them on the same date? How we wish we could ask her!"

Sarah Daws, circa 1840 is a gorgeous sampler from Hands Across the Sea.

Sarah stitched her sampler with cross stitch mainly over 2 threads. The lowercase letters of the verse are stitched with cross stitch over 1. There is a scattering of cross stitches over one on a flower stalk. Backstitch has been used to outline the two ladies’ eyebrows and lips.

Whilst a large sampler with some 72,000 stitches it is suitable for all levels of ability.

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 1 yard - Victoria Sponge Cake -72" 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
  
• 45 ct Fat Half -Foxtail Millet - 35" x 36" ~ Recommended for Soie 1003 Threads 
• 48 ct Fat Half - Marchpane - 35" x 36" ~ Recommended for Soie 1003 Threads 

Thread Options:

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger version includes 34 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 25 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

"Sarah’s exquisite sampler is worked almost entirely in cross stitch with the exception of a handful of backstitches. Sarah did not include a date on her sampler, however, from other dated samplers in Nicola’s collection, which include some of Sarah’s distinctive motifs, we are able to date the sampler to around 1840.

Worked in brightly coloured silks the sampler clearly shows the influence of the Berlin woolwork patterns which became so popular in Victorian England. The sampler is contained within a particularly beautiful and intricate floral border that captivates and delights. When viewing the sampler the eye is drawn to the lower section of the sampler where Sarah stitched a truly splendid parrot flanked by two pretty young ladies. Sarah incorporated 3 seashells into her design."

"

Elizabeth Stephenson, 1854 is a gorgeous sampler and the Queen of the May for 2025 from Hands Across the Sea.

The sampler is executed with cross stitches laid over two threads of linen. There are a small number of cross stitches that Elizabeth “squeezed in”, and these are laid 2 threads wide and one thread wide. The sampler is suitable for needleworkers of all levels of ability.

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
• 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 
• 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 24 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 30 ct version includes 31 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.

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

About the Sampler from the Designer

"

Elizabeth finished her stunning sampler on Wednesday, February 1, in the year 1854. The sampler would have been worked as part of her education. It would have taken many hours to complete and is an amazing achievement. A bobby dazzler of a sampler! Elizabeth created a cohesive, engaging, and visually balanced sampler. The sampler draws the viewer’s eye.

Regrettably, Elizabeth did not record her age or a location on her sampler; without this information we could not identify our Elizabeth as there were numerous girls of that name born in the 1840s. We do know that Elizabeth was born in the very early years of the Victorian era. This was a time of strict social structure, traditional gender roles, and rigid expectations, particularly for women and young girls. A Victorian girl’s life was largely shaped by her family’s social class, but across all classes, she was expected to be modest, obedient, and well-mannered. Her upbringing revolved around domestic skills, education, and preparation for marriage and motherhood.

While wealthy girls were groomed for lives of refinement and marriage, working-class girls often faced hard labour and limited opportunities. Regardless of status, most Victorian girls grew up in a world that emphasised obedience, modesty, and domestic skills over personal ambition or independence. Though their experiences varied, they all lived under the rigid expectations of a society that saw their primary role as future wives and mothers."

"

Magdalena Outhwaite 1833 is a beautiful sampler from Hands Across the Sea.

Magdalena had a good eye for colour and composition; her sampler is visually very pleasing. There are some very pretty motifs to delight your needle.

The sampler is worked mainly in cross stitch over two threads of linen. Magdalena’s name, age, and the year are worked in cross stitch over one thread of linen. The sampler is suitable for needleworkers of all levels of ability.

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
• 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 23 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 30 ct version includes 27 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.

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

About the Sampler from the Designer

"Magdalena was born in 1820 in Sutton in Holderness, Yorkshire to George and Mary Outhwaite. The rural village is now a suburb of the city of Hull and known as Sutton on Hull. Magdalena was baptised on May 28 of that year. George died in 1827 and life was no doubt hard for his widow raising her five children.

By the time Magdalene worked her sampler she had lost her father and a sister. The verse and aphorisms that she so diligently stitched would have brought her comfort when there was much to fear.

Magdalena’s life was one of domestic service. In the census returns between the years 1841 to 1881 she is recorded as a domestic servant, a cook, and a housekeeper. She never married and in the 1891 census she can be found as an elderly maiden aunt in the household of her niece. She died shortly after the 1891 census return.

We hope that Magdalena was beloved and that, throughout the many hardships she faced, her confidence was strong."

Maria Wales Newson 1838 is a beautiful sampler from Hands Across the Sea that will feature a stitch along on Jan 1, 2026

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
• 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 Quarter - Bride Cake - 18" x 36" ~ 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 30 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 30 ct version includes 33 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 30 ct or lower.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 22 spools. Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or higher.

Soie 1003 Colors: 
SMS 031 ~ Hazelnut brown (lt)
SMS 048 ~ Drab brown (dk)
SMS 070 ~ Salmon (dk)
SMS 073 ~ Grey green (md)
SMS 088 ~ Peach (vy lt)
SMS 134 ~ Terracotta (vy lt)
SMS 142 ~ Yellow beige (lt)
SMS 148 ~ Golden olive (vy lt)
SMS 199 ~ Olive green (md)
SMS 210 ~ Blue green (vy dk)
SMS 236 ~ Avocado green (dk)
SMS 284 ~ Rosewood (lt)
SMS 323 ~ Tan (vy lt)
SMS 376 ~ Antique mauve (md dk)
SMS 491 ~ Hunter green (dk)
SMS 633 ~ Shell pink (vy dk)
SMS 634 ~ Yellow beige (dk)
SMS 647 ~ Avocado green
SMS 656 ~ Pistachio green (vy dk)
SMS 696 ~ Black brown
SMS 703 ~ Grey green (dk)
SMS 755 ~ Antique blue (dk)

Soie d'Alger Colors Include:

SDF 1726 ~ Grey green (dk)
SDF 1746 ~ Antique blue (dk)
SDF 1836 ~ Pistachio green (vy dk)
SDF 2125 ~ Avocado green
SDF 2135  x 2 ~ Hunter green (dk) (3 skeins for 30 ct version)
SDF 2143 x 2 ~ Olive green (md)
SDF 2242 x 2 ~ Golden olive (vy lt)
SDF 2633 ~ Rosewood (lt)
SDF 2644 x 2 ~ Shell pink (vy dk) (3 skeins for 30 ct version)
SDF 2757 ~ Grey green (md)
SDF 2911 ~ Peach (vy lt)
SDF 2912 ~ Terracotta (vy lt)
SDF 2915 ~ Salmon (dk)
SDF 3416 x 2 ~ Black brown
SDF 3735 x 2 ~ Avocado green (dk)
SDF 3745 ~ Drab brown (dk)
SDF 4242 ~ Hazelnut brown (lt)
SDF 4541 x 2 ~ Tan (vy lt)
SDF 4645 ~ Antique mauve (md dk)
SDF 5025 x 2 ~ Blue green (vy dk) (3 skeins for 30 ct version)
SDF F08 ~ Yellow beige (lt)
SDF F09 ~ Yellow beige (dk)
 

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

About the Sampler from the Designer

"We are delighted to present to you  a stunning sampler that was completed by Maria Wales Newson in the year 1838 when she was 13 years old .There is much to delight your eye and needle in this Bobby Dazzler."

Barbery Butcher 1802 is a beautiful Norfolk sampler from Hands Across the Sea.

The sampler is worked with cross stitches laid over two threads of linen, with seven cross stitches laid over one thread of linen.

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 (+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 Quarter - Bride Cake - 18" x 36" ~ Recommended for Soie 1003 Threads  

Thread Options:

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 37 ct version includes 9 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 38 ct or lower.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie d'Alger - 30 ct version includes 16 skeins. Recommended linen for this thread is 30 ct or lower.

Au Ver a Soie®, Soie 1003 includes 7 spools. Recommended linen for this thread is 37 ct or higher.

Soie 1003 Colors:
SMS 029
SMS 224
SMS 274
SMS 376
SMS 523
SMS 654
SMS 752

Soie d'Alger Colors Include:
SDF 1845 x 2 (3 skeins for 30 ct)
SDF 2522 (3 skeins for 30 ct)
SDF 2757
SDF 2916
SDF 3734 x 2 (4 skeins for 30 ct)
SDF 4534 (2 skeins for 30 ct)
SDF 4645 (2 skeins for 30 ct)

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

About the Sampler from the Designer

"We are delighted to present this exquisite reproduction of a Norfolk sampler, originally completed on 14 December 1802 by Barbery Butcher, when she was just nine years old.

Worked with remarkable diligence and charm, the original sampler is filled with a rich array of motifs contained within a meandering floral border, heavily laden with blooms. Throughout the sampler there are many thoughtful details that speaks to the young maker’s creativity and skill.

Barbery Butcher was baptised on 8 November 1793 in the parish of Gressenhall, Norfolk, England, during the Georgian era, a period marked by profound social, political, and cultural change. This was the age of the early Industrial Revolution, the rise of Romanticism in art and literature, and the expanding influence of the British Empire. Her parents were Robert Butcher and Frances (née Cliffen), who married on 1 August 1785 at Hoe, Norfolk. Parish records show that Robert was literate, signing his name with confidence, while Frances made her mark with an “X,” a poignant reminder of the educational divide of the time.

Barbery was one of four children—three girls and one boy—and was noted in the baptismal register as being “privately baptised.” Such baptisms were performed at home when an infant was thought unlikely to survive, underscoring the fragility of early life in the late 18th century.

In 1820, Barbery married William Backlog, an agricultural labourer, in Honningham, Norfolk. Backlog is an unusually rare surname, with census records showing only 21 individuals bearing the name in 1881, most of them in Norfolk. Barbery and William had two children, a son and a daughter. Following William’s death in 1848, Barbery lived as a widow in Folly Lane, Gressenhall, where she appears in the 1851, 1861, and 1871 census returns, residing with her son Henry and his family. Like his father, Henry worked as an agricultural labourer."

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."

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."