Mary Wills 1750 ~ Reproduction Sampler Pattern by Hands Across the Sea Samplers

It is always a thrill to discover a Quaker band sampler and particularly so when the young girl who created the sampler can be identified. Between the linen and the backing board of the framed sampler there had been recorded a name and an address “Waterfall, Gore House, Bradpole” and that Mary Wills was the daughter of Mary Wilson and John Wills and the year “1738.” We had a puzzle to be solved, i.e. what linked the two pieces of information?

We have used the ten vibrant colours found of the reverse of the sampler as those are the colours that Mary chose to stitch her band sampler with. Mary executed her beautiful sampler with reversible stitches; however, we do not believe that the reverse of her sampler was intended to be shown as she carried her threads and did not start and end her threads invisibly. The model was stitched non-reversibly using cross stitch over 2, satin stitch, double running stitch, back stitch and Algerian eyelets. Alternatively, you could stitch the band sampler reversibly using the same stitches as Mary – two different versions of marking stitch (reversible cross stitch), satin stitch, Algerian eyelet, alternating double back stitch and double running stitch.

Thread Legend

The sampler has been reproduced using Weeks Zweigart 46ct linen in Straw with 1 strand of Au Ver à Soie 100.3 silks. The spool quantities used have been listed in the thread legend below. We have provided conversions for DMC based on 36ct with 2 strands and Au Ver à Soie d’Alger on 36ct with 1 strand.

We have used the vibrant colours found of the reverse of the sampler as those are the colours that Mary chose to stitch her band sampler with.

100.3 / d’Alger / DMC ~ Colour Description
061 x 3  / 1835 x 4 / 3818 x 4 ~ Emerald green ~ ultra very dark
309 x 1 / 112 x 1 / 3753 x 1 ~ Antique blue ~ ultra very light
318 x 1 / 4134 x 1 / 898 x 1 ~ Coffee brown ~ very dark
325 x 1 / 2125 x 1 / 470 x 1 ~ Avocado green ~ light
356 x 1 / 1434 x 1 / 931 x 1 ~ Antique blue ~ medium
358 x 1 / 1012 x 1 / 407 x 1 ~ Desert sand ~ dark
384 x 2 / 3025 x 3 / 777 x 3 ~ Raspberry ~ very dark
510 x 1 / 1426 x 1 / 336 x 1 ~ Navy blue
702 x 1 / 4543 x 1 / 301 x 1 ~ Mahogany ~ medium
Noir x 1 / Noir x 1 / 310 x 1 ~ Black

LINEN SIZES 

The design area is 273 stitches (w) x 357 stitches (h). Our calculations have included a 3” margin for finishing and framing.

28ct ~ Design: 19.50″ x 25.50″ Fabric: 25.50″ x 31.50″
32ct ~ Design: 17.06″ x 22.31″ Fabric: 23.06″ x 28.31″
36ct ~ Design: 15.17″ x 19.83″ Fabric: 21.17″ x 25.83″
40ct ~ Design: 13.65″ x 17.85″ Fabric: 19.65″ x 23.85″
46ct ~ Design: 11.87″ x 15.52″ Fabric: 17.87″ x 21.52″
56ct ~ Design: 9.75″ x 12.75″ Fabric: 15.75″ x 18.75″