Home of a Needleworker by Little House Needleworks has been in my stash for quite a few years now. The Little House Needleworks Facebook group offered a Samplers Sunday SAL for 2020 and I figured this might just be the encouragement I needed to get started. The official starting date was December 29, 2019 and while I had my supplies assembled, I did not actually start stitching until January 4, 2020.

I chose to stitch this one on 16ct Heartland aida from Picture This Plus using Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe threads.

• DMC Ecru/VMSS Olde Buttercream
• DMC 355/VMSS Autumn Bounty Dark
• DMC 356/VMSS Autumn Bounty Light
• DMC 420/VMSS Primitive Stitching
• DMC 729/VMSS Dried Cinnamon
• DMC 869/VMSSS titching Together
• DMC 3051/VMSS Fern Fronds
• DMC 3052/VMSS Spring Grass
• DMC 3371/VMSS Harvest Brown
• DMC 3828/VMSS Summer Playhouse

I put the final stitches in this piece on April 30, 2020. I’m going to have a friend help me finish it as a quilted wall hanging.

I went to visit my friend, Beryl Lawson, who is a quilter and fabric collector. I wanted to see if she had anything in her fabric collection that might work with this piece as a wall hanging. Look at this beautiful fabric she gave me.

Now I need to get to work finishing this piece which I am going to hang on the door of my craft room/office.

And here it is finished and ready to hang. I had a hard time sewing a straight line because of my poor eyesight and I could not hold the IPad straight enough to get a good picture.

I first saw Bristol Grace posted in a group as part of a discussion on Bristol Orphanage Samplers. I was intrigued with it and the monochromatic color scheme which appealed to me as well as the smaller size.

This sampler is in the style of the samplers stitched by the girls living in the Muller Orphan Homes in Bristol, England. It is not a reproduction of an original 1800’s sampler. All the alphabets and motifs in this design were stitched in orphan needlework. This design is a tribute to the intricate and amazing original Bristol samplers.

The stitch count for this sampler is 133w x 175h and the recommended fabric was 14ct or 28ct over 2. I chose to use 16ct antique white aida that I had in my stash. The recommended floss was Caron Wildflowers. I am going to use Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss Berry Wine which is a variegated cranberry color.

Dutch Treat Designs

Started Stitching: December 26, 2019

November 2020 This past week, I decided to go on a framing binge. I had four pieces I had stitched but not framed. Right now they are just pined and ready to go into the frames but I still need to order glass and spacers. I used a slightly different process this time so am including pictures of that process.

First I measure each piece and use a running stitch all the way around so that I have a line to follow since I cannot see the holes without using a magnifier. I pin each piece to the foam core on all four sides.

Once I am sure everything is even, I flip the piece and use stitchery tape to hold down the excess fabric and hand sew all four corners so they lay flat.

I then check to make sure all little pieces of thread or dog hair is removed from the front of the stitched piece.

Next I would assemble the entire project, glass, spacers, stitched piece and backing board. Since I am missing some of the supplies, the stitched piece is just sitting in the frame which is black.

Echoing Evergreens is another of the beautiful designs offered by Deborah Dick who is Tempting Tangles Designs as a SAL. I had already stitched three of her other designs:

• Swans and Shears Mystery SAL
• Wildflower Woodland Quaker
• Catch the Wind Mystery SAL

and I knew I wanted to add this one to my collection. Her SAL’s are only $5 for the chart presented in 16 parts. I faithfully downloaded each piece of the project as offered but never really got the chance to start it although I had figured out the fabric and perhaps floss I wanted to use.

The design size of the entire project is 124 x 124 and the recommended fabric was Wichelt 28ct Jobelan Queen Anne’s Lace which is a mottled white and pale green. I knew I would never be able to see well enough to grid the fabric so chose a light green 14ct Aida I had in my stash.

The project calls for Dinky Dyes thread but I wanted to try some of the Valdani 3ply floss. Another stitcher sent me some to try out. It is beautiful but was a bit to thick for my fabric and kept knotting so I decided to switch it out for my favorite floss by Nancy Turner of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe. I love her floss and have used it on many projects now. The colors I selected were:

• Mountain Pines (very dark green)
• In My Garden (lighter green)
• Kansas Cone Flower (orange/brown/gold color)

I started stitching on September 4, 2019.

Finished Stitching: September 16, 2019

July 2022 – Echoing Evergreens has been freed from the “prison drawer” and framed.

Come Into My Garden was introduced at the Summer Stitch Camp held at the Country Sampler in Spring Green WI in June 2019. It is available exclusively from that shop as a kit. Please note, the sampler in the picture is not finished as Barb ran out of time but the full chart is included.

I wanted to stitch this piece but did not want to purchase it as a kit as it came with 36ct linen which I cannot see to stitch on and I wanted to change out much of the floss for Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss. I was luck enough to find another stitcher who was willing to let me borrow her chart.

I ordered a piece of 16ct Wren by Picture This Plus and selected the floss I wanted to use. On 16ct, the design size is larger measuring 15 3/8 by 15 5/8.

The recommended colors with my changes are listed below:

• WDW adobe/VMSS Rust
• WDW Bee’s Knees/VMSS Barnwood Tan
• WDW Caper/VMSS Mountain Laurel
• WDW Chickpea/VMSS Spiced Cider
• WDW Cinnabar 10 yards (I need more since I am stitching with 2 strands
• WDW Confederate Gray/VMSS Frog Prince
• WDW Deep Sea
• WDW Dirt Road/VMSS 1840 Brass
• WDW Dolphin/VMSS Twitterpated
• WDW Oscar 10 yrds/VMSS Rosebud Leaves and VMSS Hollyhock Leaves. I used Rosebud Leaves for the border and Hollyhock Leaves for all the plant stems and leaves to make sure I had enough. The two colors are almost identical.
• WDW Pelican Gray/VMSS Toad Spell
• WDW Sandcastle/VMSS Desert Grass
• WDW Schneckly/VMSS Memory Quilt
• WDW Sanguine
• WDW Straw/VMSS Golden Sand

I started stitching this on August 14, 2019.

I finished stitching this piece on August 31, 2019 with the exception of adding my mother’s name. Trying to decide on Mom’s Garden, Marge Little, or Mrs. L which was my father’s nickname for her.

And here it is October 27, 2019 and the project is now pinned and laced and in the frame. This is one of my favorite framed I have ordered and used in the past. Unfortunately, I think it is being discontinued.