$49.95 $34.95
Hands Across the Sea Samplers are proud to present to you, a beautiful reversible band sampler from the private collection of Nicola Parkman. Bathya’s sampler has a remarkable history and takes pride of place in Nicola’s collection.
There is so much to delight in her sampler. She used a wide repertoire of stitches of varying intricacy. The variety of stitching techniques in the rows of the sampler are a testament to Bathya’s embroidery skills. Such skills were considered particularly important, not only to the management of the young maker’s future household and family, but they would also have served as evidence of her education and of her parents’ ability to provide her with one.
The stitches include two different versions of reversible cross stitch. One forms a cross on the reverse with a vertical stitch on the left, and the other a four sided stitch on the reverse. Bathya also used double back stitch and diagonal double back stitch. These stitches appear plaited from the front and as two parallel rows of back stitch on the reverse. You might know them as closed herringbone.
Others stitches used were double sided Italian stitch, alternating double back stitch in groups of three, which represents the Trinity, detached buttonhole, French knots, four sided stitch, satin stitch, stem stitch, eyelet, running stitch and Holbein stitch (double running stitch). The alphabet towards the top of the sampler demonstrates her ability to mark household linen. It was common practice to include initials and numbers on household linens so that women could track their household goods when they were laundered.
Bathya’s whitework bands are particularly elegant. Narrow whitework bands were an important part of a stitcher’s repertoire, they were used on collar bands both as an adornment and as stiffening so that the collars would stand proud. On some samplers whitework bands were stitched with linen thread that had been withdrawn from the actual ground.
If you would like to stitch Bathya’s sampler reversibly there is an extensive online workshop that can be purchased separately directly from Hands Across the Sea.
This beautiful reversible band sampler has been reproduced with Au Ver à Soie d’Alger silks based on the vibrant colours found on the front of the sampler today. The skein quantities have been calculated based on 1 strand on 36ct fabric. We have included a Soie 100.3, DMC and NPI conversion below. We have not specified a particular brand or colour of linen. However, the original sampler was executed on uneven linen that is closest in colour to the DMC shade 3782. The original sampler is approximately 7.50” x 26.50”.
Soie d’Alger / 100.3 / DMC / NPI
2926 x 1 / 2646 x 1 / 221 x 1 / 226 x 1 ~ Shell pink – very dark
4645 x 1 / 278 x 1 /315 x 1 / 712 x 1 ~ Antique mauve – medium dark
3812 x 1 / 154 x 1 /437 x 1 / 692 x 1 ~ Tan – light
F20 x 2 / 088 x 1 / 543 x 2 / 877 x 2 ~ Beige brown – ultra very light
2144 x 2 / 325 x 1 /580 x 2 / 243 x 2 ~ Moss green – dark
3814 x 1 / 303 x 1 / 680 x 1 / 694 x 1 ~ Old gold – dark
2224 x 1 / 199 x 1 / 733 x 1 / 313 x 1 ~ Olive green – medium
2136 x 3 /491 x 2 / 895 x 3/ 358 x 3 ~ Hunter green – very dark
1713 x 1 / 072 x 1 / 932 x 1 / 321 x 1 ~ Antique blue – light
1746 x 1 / 710 x 1 / 3750 x 1 / 325 x 1 ~ Antique blue – very dark
111 x 1 / 714 x 1 / 3753 x 1 / 876 x 1 ~ Antique blue – ultra very light
2633 x 2 / 093 x 1 / 3772 x 2 / 205 x 2 ~ Desert sand – very dark
1753 x 1 / 022 x 1 / 3852 x 1 /474 x 1 ~ Straw – very dark
4541 x 1 / 217 x 1 / 3864 x 1 / 202 x 1 ~ Mocha beige – light
Blanc x 1 /Blanc x 1 / 3865 x 1 / 991b x 1 ~ Winter white
LINEN SIZES
The design area is 140 (w) x 490 (h). Our calculations have included a 3” margin for finishing and framing.
32 ct – Design: 8.75″ x 30.63″ Fabric: 14.75″ x 36.63″
36 ct – Design: 7.78″ x 27.22″ Fabric: 13.78″ x 33.22″
40 ct – Design: 7.00″ x 24.50″ Fabric: 13.00″ x 30.50″
46 ct – Design: 6.09″ x 21.30″ Fabric: 12.09″ x 27.30″
$27.00
Nicola has generously made this design available for download (via email) now via our store. ...
$17.95
"There is always music amongst the trees in the garden, but our hearts must be...