Introducing Hannah Cummins

Recently I sent my newest designs to shops on my automatic order list.  These shops are the first to receive my designs when they are released, and the shops are indicated as such on the shop page of my website. 

Today I want to introduce you to my newest reproduction sampler, Hannah Cummins. Hannah was 9 years old when she stitched her charming sampler in Stockton, England.  She stitched it using silk threads on an uneven linen of 32 threads per inch horizontally and 38 threads per inch vertically. Her sampler measures 10-1/8 inches wide by 12-1/4 inches high.

The antique has suffered some expected fading, and some threads have additional color changes due to decades of contact with a wooden mounting frame. I chose the best-preserved colors from the reverse side where changes appear to be minimal. Because I was unable to replicate the linen Hannah used, I chose 35-count Straw linen from Weeks Dye Works for my model. My reproduction measures 9-5/8 x 13-3/4 inches.

Much care was taken to give you the most accurate reproduction possible of  little Hannah’s charming work.   Hannah had a number inconsistencies and irregularities in her sampler, and I've listed those in the directions.  In addition, I have provided you with a small photo of the antique sampler. 

Here is an example of a problem Hannah had with getting part of the verse to fit and how she handled the problem.  Don't you love that?  I think it adds charm to the work done by this nine-year old girl.  I guess she figured, I'm sure not going to rip things out to make this fit.

I hope that you'll like Hannah's sampler as much as I did reproducing it.  I particularly love the wonderful verse she stitched, and  I'm also quite fond of those deer and the wonderful large birds.

Often I get inquiries from needleworkers asking to be a model stitcher.  I stitch all of my own models.  In fact, that is the part of the process I enjoy the most.  After Tom and I have written the directions and checked and rechecked them, we send the product off to two reviewers who then go over them very carefully to check for anything we may have missed. (Both of these gals are unbelievable!  Thank you!)  Our goal is to present you with a wonderful product that will give you much stitching pleasure!  We hope we've been successful in that attempt.