Agnes Binnie was born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, on March 22, 1808, to Robert Binnie and Mary Addie. She married James Barclay on March 16, 1832, in Falkirk, Stirlingshire. The couple had at least six sons and three daughters. Around 1870 they emigrated to Scotland Township in McDonough, Illinois.... Read more
This wonderfully symmetrical English sampler features a pair of silky floating swans and large twin sunflowers, executed in a rich natural palette of color. Birds fly over the tops of three flower-trees in the top third. A sumptuous basket of fruit is stitched between the golden swans, and towering... Read more
This is a reproduction of an English sampler made in Bradford, Yorkshire, that shows distinct influences of Scottish needlework traditions, particularly in the illuminated alphabets. The bold primary colors were reproduced from the front of the original sampler, which retains its amazing... Read more
The original Scottish antique sampler had never been framed and so it was in excellent condition with the same vibrant, unfaded colors on the front as well as on the back. An unusual, elaborate four-sided undulating floral and leaf border surrounds a central reserve with a brief moral verse. Adam... Read more
The original sampler, made in England in 1848, was stitched with cross, counted satin, petit point, and eyelet stitches on an extremely fine glazed linen of approximately fifty threads per inch.
It is unusual to find such a meticulously and finely stitched sampler at this late date, when... Read more
This design was excerpted from the top of an early nineteenth-century English sampler. It features an unusual and amusing hunting scene with a solo hunter on horseback pursuing a single hapless stag with a pack of ten spotted hounds on its trail.
The verse reads:
Give me O Lord thy early... Read more
This English sampler comes from the collection of the late Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Jarrett, who established Witney Antiques. It was featured in one of their exhibition catalogs in December 1996 titled "All Creatures Great and Small."
The work is extremely fine and accomplished,... Read more
This mid-eighteenth-century Scottish band sampler features many classic seventeenth-century patterns, executed in cross, eyelet, double running, counted satin, back, and queen stitches.
The virtually unfaded color was reproduced from the front of the sampler. Six pattern bands precede... Read more
This is a reproduction of a Quaker sampler made in Chester County, Pennsylvania consisting of alphabets, numerals, ligatures* and lineal patterns executed in a variety of stitches. The uppermost border with the dangling central flower is often seen on American Quaker samplers of this period (see... Read more
This English sampler features a three-sided floral border surrounding thirteen lines of alphabets, neatly cross-stitched in several different lettering styles. Mary Wagstaff was likely born in Huyton, Lancashire in 1809, completing this sampler when she was ten years old. She passed away in... Read more
A sampler from the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England.
Skill and expertise in sampler-making did not necessarily peak in the mid-to-late seventeenth century and then wane during what is often called the "golden age" of English sampler-making. These skills... Read more
This amazing, unprecedented English sampler illustrates so many unique and bold elements of design, stitched in a balanced way inside a four-sided strawberry border. In all my decades of study I've never seen an antique sampler with quite this much bizarre personality.
This is an expansive English sampler with an unusual four-sided leafy branch and floral border, centering a very busy reserve filled with baskets of fruits and flowers, stylized trees and plants, birds, lions rampant, butterflies, rabbits, and stags. A large building/mansion/institution is at the... Read more
Flora and fauna were highly celebrated in nearly all 17th and 18th century pictorial embroideries. Executed entirely in cross or tent (half cross) stitches, the embroidered pictures embellished cushions and furniture and reflected a changing attitude toward domestic comforts, by serving to brighten... Read more
The canvaswork piece from which this bell pull was derived is a book cover, and dates to the first quarter of the 17th century. square tent stitched vignettes, reproduced here in the panels of the bell pull covered the book's spine vertically. It seems appropriate that the allegorical figures of... Read more
This extraordinary piece of seventeenth century needlework was originally executed with fine silks on a linen ground, in tent stitch, and is composed of many different slips" or spot motifs, cleverly fitted together. Many of these motifs have symbolic and/or heraldic significance, and they can... Read more
Note from designer: I bought the original sampler two years ago at market from Dawn Lewis of The Needle's Work Antiques. I fell in love immediately with the organic nature of the sampler. My reproductions come with a page inside where I talk about the sampler, things I noticed, elements that are... Read more
Note from designer: This chartpack is a companion to Pennsylvania Christmas Deer, which came out a few months ago. It was one of my most popular charts of the whole year, so I thought I would release the other two sections from a Pennsylvania show towel in my collection. These are from a cutwork... Read more
Note from the designer: This primitive marking sampler just captured my heart. The colors, the tone on tone, the rich patina and the whimsicalness of it. How can a marking sampler be whimsical you ask? Well, just look at the script K, L & M. They seem to be kicking up their heels and skipping along.... Read more
Pattern is stitched on 36 ct Cocoa using Weeks Dye Works, Classic Colorworks and Southern Fried floss. Stitch count is 199 x 201.
Recommended Southern Fried Floss:Bay Leaf and Spiced Cider
Cross stitch pattern from Samplers Not Forgotten featuring a lovely sampler with the phrase "Thou, before whose face the children's angels stand grant me a helpless child the grace that thy angelic band. May watch my ways and guard my bed and minister to me till I in death shall bow my head and... Read more
This sampler is an adaptation from a sampler in my collection. This chart contains the pattern for the scissor fob shown along with all finishing instructions.
Model stitched over two threads on 36 ct Straw from Weeks Dye Works using Weeks Dye Works threads. Stitch count is 204w x 76h. Finished size is 11.33" x 4.22". Finished Size of Pinkeep: 5"w x 3.50"h.
A charming Autumn sampler done for a friend who doesn't like to go too Halloweeny!
Pattern is stitched on 36 ct Wren from Picture This Plus using Gentle Arts and Classic Colorworks threads. Stitch count is 192 x 180. Finished size is 10.7" x 10".
Pattern is stitched on 36 ct Vintage Pecan Butter from Lakeside Linen using Weeks Dye Works and Gentle Arts threads. Stitch count is 116 x 116. Finished size is 6.5" x 6.5".
I love the simplicity of this little sampler. Eliza was 10 years old when she completed her sampler and beautifully hem stitched the edges.
Pattern is stitched on 40 ct Vintage Buttercream from Lakeside Linens using Gentle Arts threads with DMC conversion. Stitch count is 127 x 120. Finished size is 6" x 5.75".
"Teach me to feel another's woe To hide the fault I see That mercy I to others show That mercy show to me." The saying on this sampler was written by Alexander Pope (1688-1744) who is considered to be one of the greatest English poets of the 18th century. Sarah stitched this sampler on... Read more
Delicate and colorful sampler filled with insects, flowers and fruit! Standard DMC colors are used for this pattern. Pattern is shown in easy-to-read full color blocks with symbols. Stitch count is 96 x 99.
This cross stitch pattern from Stitchy Prose features a beautiful sampler with bees, beehives and the saying "Busy bees bustling to each fragrant flower, small honey craftsmen."
The model was stitched over 2 threads on 36 Ct. Milk and Honey by Fiber on a Whim with Classic... Read more
A pattern inspired by a certain little person my son! This bell pull is the perfect stitch for anyone welcoming new life or wanting to decorate a nursery (especially if it is woodland themed like ours).
"Beneath the pines, where breezes sway. A newborn comes to greet the day. The... Read more
Model can be stitched on 28 or 32 Ct. Platinum Belfast Linen using DMC floss and Mill Hill beads. Stitch Count: 68W x 146H. Comes with embellishment pack.
This super sweet sampler features three bright and happy flowers which are synonymous with springtime: a tulip, a daffodil, and a crocus. Along with a soft monotone grey for the letters and numbers, this design is sure to earn a spot in your cross stitch garden!
This is a revised version of an old design (#113). The original 2015 design has been out of print and I decided to rework it. JABC buttons are included. A cardinal is perched atop a basket of winterberry leaves berries.
Pattern is stitched on Fog Cashel using DMC threads. Stitch count is 80 x 112.
This collection by Teresa Kogut has 3 different designs! Each design features a different gathering of flora and fauna, and uses the same color threads and symbols. "ABC 123" and "Sally Emerson" do not use DMC 435, 611, 822, and 3781.
"The best thing about the future is it comes one day at a time." Model stitched over 2 threads on 28 Ct. Bramble linen with Weeks Dye Works, Classic Colorworks and DMC floss. Stitch Count: 137W x 137H. Design Size: 9.25" x 8.75"
Model stitched over 2 threads on 30 Ct. Cocoa Weeks Dye Works linen with Weeks Dye Works and DMC floss. Stitch Count: 163W x 83H. Approximate finished size: 10.5" x 5.25".