Counted Cross Stitch Pattern, The Needlework of Dorcie Sampson, Reproduction Sampler, Antique Repro, Hands Across the Sea, PATTERN ONLY

This is for the PATTERN ONLY.

Counted Cross Stitch pattern, The Needlework of Dorcie Sampson. Dorcie Elizabeth Sampson was born in 1892 in Kintbury, Berkshire. She was the eldest of five children born to George John Sampson, a carpenter and joiner, and his wife Sarah, née Norris. There were two fee-paying boarding schools in the village together with Anglican and Wesleyan Methodist Sunday schools. Dorcie recorded on her 1905 sampler that she attended St Mary’s School which was a daily school founded 1831.

A friend who is a needleworker was born in the village of Kintbury and lived there until she married in 1963. She wrote to me to tell me “… the name Sampson was quite common in the village, and I was (unsuccessfully) given piano lessons by a Mrs Sampson in the 50s; her family were farriers with a smithy in the nearby village of Elcot and another in the village of Hamstead Marshall. Her son Geoff was farrier for Royalty and had a Royal Warrant from the late Queen Mother, as he shod her racehorses.”

Dorcie married Albert Jubilee Beavis in 1916. In the 1911 census return, Albert can be found boarding with the Sampson family in Church Street, Kintbury. Albert’s occupation was recorded as a farrier and Dorcie’s as a draper’s assistant.

Dorcie died on April 4, 1949 at The War Memorial Hospital Andover, Hampshire. Albert died two years later in 1951. We have found no record of them being blessed with children. When Albert died, his estate was left to one of Dorcie’s brothers. We wonder how Dorcie’s childhood needlework stayed together down the years. If only we could ask her!

When reproducing Dorcie’s three samplers, the “Honesty” sampler was finished into a mattress pin cushion. For the base of the pin cushion, we stitched out the border pattern used on the three larger panels that are charted within this booklet. You may wish to add your own name to the base panel using the alphabet Dorcie stitched in her marking sampler.

We finished the pin cushion by whip stitching the backstitched blue lines together and used crushed walnut shells to fill the pin cushion.
The samplers are worked with cross stitch over two threads of linen and some Algerian eyelets. They have been rated suitable for all levels of abilities and can be worked on Aida or linen.

Dorcie’s three samplers have been reproduced with a palette of 10 colours from Au Ver à Soie’s range of Soie 100.3. We have provided conversions for Soie d’Alger (SDA) and DMC below. Only one skein or spool is required on 36 to 56ct linen for the two samplers and the “Honesty” motto sampler (when finished as a sampler). If you stitch the two samplers, and the “Honesty” motto sampler is finished as a pin cushion, you will need two skeins of DMC when working on 36ct linen and two skeins of SDA when working on 36 and 40ct linen. No extra spools of Soie 100.3 are required.

The 1906 Sampler

100.3 / SDA / DMC ~ Colour

067 / 3312 / 316 ~ Antique mauve

77 / 2914 / 3833 ~ Raspberry

109 / 2936 / 815 ~ Garnet

152 / 2143 / 581 ~ Moss green

427 / 1433 / 318 ~ Steel grey

491** / 2136 / 3345 ~ Hunter green ** this shade is in short supply we recommend 079 as a substitution

647 / 2125 / 470 ~ Avocado green

679** / 544 / 743 ~ Yellow ** this shade is in short supply we recommend 674 as a substitution


The 1905 Sampler and the “Honesty” Motto Sampler

100.3 / SDA / DMC ~ Colour

313 / 1716 / 311 ~ Navy blue

664 / 1026 / 321 ~ Christmas red

The models were stitched on a Zweigart-based linen overdyed to the shade “Lallybroch” by Tabbycat Linens. The samplers have been rated as suitable for needleworkers of all abilities and are worked in cross stitch over 2 threads of linen along with eight-legged eyelets over 4 threads of linen. They can be worked on Aida, Linaida, or linen. Our calculations have included a 3″ margin for finishing and framing unless specified.

1905 sampler ~ 107 stitches (w) x 140 stitches (h). 36ct linen: Design: 5.94″ x 7.78″ Fabric: 11.94″ x 13.78″

40ct linen: Design: 5.35″ x 7″ Fabric: 11.35″ x 13″ 46ct linen: Design: 4.65″ x 6.09″ Fabric: 10.65″ x 12.09″

1906 sampler ~ 103 stitches (w) x 115 stitches (h). 36ct linen: Design: 5.72″ x 6.39″ Fabric: 11.72″ x 12.39″

40ct linen: Design: 5.15″ x 5.75″ Fabric: 11.15″ x 11.75″ 46ct linen: Design: 4.48″ x 5″ Fabric: 10.48″ x 11″

Honesty motto sampler ~ 99 stitches (w) x 46 stitches (h). 36ct linen: Design: 5.5″ x 2.56″ Fabric: 11.5″ x 8.56″ 40ct linen: Design: 4.95″ x 2.3″ Fabric: 55.5″ x 8.3″ 46ct linen: Design: 4.3″ x 2″ Fabric: 10.3″ x 8″

Honesty pin cushion ~ the overall size of fabric required will depend on how you lay out the six panels that form the pin cushion. We recommend that for finishing you allow a 1″ margin for each of the six panels


PLEASE NOTE: Patterns are NOT returnable to protect the copyright of the designer.

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