A Gathering of Quaker Samplers,(Ackworth Collection) – The Cross Stitch Guild - It A Finish!

 Yah, I have finally ffo’d my little book of Quaker Samplers!

Going back, I purchased the kit for this little book back in 1993

while visiting my first ever stitching show at Olympia, in London,  along with a few other kits which were long since stitched and finished.

Voice of the Shepheard (Home Sweet Home) - Told in a Garden

Hardanger Tile 

Time and Season - Moria Blackburn

But I was frightened to make a start on this project,
thinking that this type of finishing may have been above and beyond my skill set at the time and for that reason it sat in my sewing room until February this year collecting dust.

I think what spurred me on was stitching all the Blackbird designs from the ‘For the Birds’ Loose Feathers series, to make a heritage book that I called Family Footprints in the Sands of Time. 

I put that together as a concertina, working it out as I went and although it was constructed totally differently from this Quaker book, I felt confident enough to follow the finishing instructions and tackle it now.

I’m not sure if this will be helpful to anyone, but I thought I would show you the finishing in stages, so here goes.

These were my first Quaker squares and I found the stitching fun, with each square being small and stitched in one a solid shade of thread.

The first thing was to make the stitched pieces into individual pages and this was done by working a nun stitch all around the edge of each piece and  trimming the fabric.

The piece was then folded wrong sides together and joined around three sides with a small running stitch.

Next, it was time to tackle the front and back cover and this was the bit I was worried about because I had to pull threads and work a hem stitch around the piece.  

Baste the fold lines.

Pull the threads and weave in the ends.

Fold and work the Hem Stitch.

In actual fact it wasn’t as bad as I expected and although the corners are not as neat as they should be, I don’t think I did badly for a first try.

The next part of the instructions said to line the inside of the covers with the included red silk and then attach the individual pages to the silk.

I was concerned that the weight of the pages would pull the lining and distort it, so after a little thought I decided to do my own thing.  I added a strip of the linen to the back of the lining and stitched the same three central lines of four-sided stitch as appears  on the cover 

before attaching  the lining.

Finally, I slip stitched the pages to the inside spine on the book.

So there we have it......another little book to add to my collection.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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My Quaker Sampler Book Kit

Designer – The Cross Stitch Guild / Ackworth Collection

Fabric – 32ct Belfast Linen – Raw

Threads – 6 stranded cotton

Silk Lining fabric

A Gathering of Quaker Samplers,(Ackworth Collection) – Pages 11 to 14

 So, the final two sets of pages are finished for ‘My Quaker Sampler Book’, a kit from The Cross Stitch Guild.

I got a little carried away with these two pieces and started the Nun Stitch and finishing around the edges, before remembering that I hadn’t taken my photos, Lol, so you’re actually getting a sneek peak at how the pages go together!

There will be a full post later showing how the finishing was undertaken for anyone who’s interested in the construction.

 

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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My Quaker Sampler Book Kit

Designer – The Cross Stitch Guild / Ackworth Collection

Fabric – 32ct Belfast Linen – Raw

Threads – 6 stranded cotton

Silk Lining fabric

A Gathering of Quaker Samplers – Pages 9 & 10

 It would seem that I miscounted when I said that I only had two more pages (four motifs) left to stitch for my little book of Quaker samplers, because I realised there was one that I thought I had stitched, but hadn’t.

Never mind, I’ve now stitched pages 9 and 10 and this time really do have only two more to go.

Before I can start the construction of the book, I have to work hem stitch around each of the pages, which I think is going to take some time, so I'm thinking I should make a start on them now, before finishing the other pages.

 Perhaps I’ll pace myself and may be just do an hour each evening so I don’t get too bogged down with it……..that seems like a plan!

In the mean time……

 Happy Stitching!

Sue

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My Quaker Sampler Book Kit

Designer – The Cross Stitch Guild. /Ackworth Collection

Fabric – 32ct Belfast Linen – Raw

Threads – 6 stranded cotton

Silk Lining fabric

My Quaker Sampler Book - Pages 7 & 8 (Askworth Collection)– The Cross Stitch Guild

 I’m two more little pages closer to my finish this week.

There are just  four more of these cute little motifs to stitch and then I get to the bit I’ve been dreading, because the finishing involves hem stitching all seven of the double pages before constructing the book.

Also this past week I’ve put some more stitches into Mary Allcorn 1764, the exclusive reproduction sampler from Hobby House Press.

This was my New Years Day start and this is where I was the last time I shared it.

I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a lover of stitching alphabets, I just find them boring, especially when there are more than one in a sampler.  But I have to be honest, so far this one has been fun, so may be I’m becoming a convert, Lol!

Here’s where I am now.

There’s just something about the ghost letters that I find particularly intriguing.

I think it's also helped that the upper and lower case letters are stitched side by side, instead of stitching one full uppercase alphabet before going on to the lowercase one.  I know I'm still stitching the same number of letters but it seems quicker somehow..........well that's what I'm telling myself.

That border is no joke either.  There are so many colour changes and the frog has already been to visit on a few occasions, but at least it keeps me on my toes.  

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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 My Quaker Sampler Book -  Kit

Designer – The Cross Stitch Guild / Ackworth Collection

Fabric – 32ct Belfast Linen – Raw

Threads – 6 stranded cotton

Silk Lining fabric

 

Mary Allcorn 1764

Designer – Hobby House Press

Fabric – 36ct ‘Thornfield’ – Needle & Flax

Threads – Gloriana Silks & Classic Color Works Belle Soie Silks

A Gathering of Quaker Samplers – Pages 5 & 6

With the finish of pages 5 & 6 of my 'Quaker Sampler Book', a kit from The Cross Stitch Guild, I've hit the half way mark of the project at last.

It was this time last year, when joining in with the 'Winter Cross Stitch Camp, that Sherrie, the Colorado Cross Stitcher hosts, that I chose this as my project for the month.  The brief had been to stitch something with an animal or bird on, hence the swan, but once I had finished the first two pages of the book, I continued on and stitched the next two pages as well.    

At that point I put it away and didn't pick it up again for the rest of the year, but it saw the light of day again thanks to my quest to work on every wip I have in January this year.

 As I stitched  on pages 5 & 6, which are now also finished,

I remembered how much I love the muted colours of the threads in this kit and it's spurred me on to get this little book finished over the next couple of months, with a little bit of luck.

 My Quaker Sampler Book Kit

Designer – The Cross Stitch Guild / Ackworth Collection

Fabric – 32ct Belfast Linen – Raw

Threads – 6 stranded cotton

Silk Lining fabric

Happy Crafting!

Sue

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Hand Knitted Socks and a Wip Parade of sorts.

I started knitting this pair of socks using the ‘Seeing Stripes’ sock pattern from West Yorkshire Spinners and Rico, Supeba Fair Isle 4 ply, back in February last year and almost made it 

 down to the toe on the first sock.  But because I wasn’t particularly happy with my choice of yarn, I put it to one side and couldn't bring myself to pick it up again.  That feeling didn't go away and lasted for the rest of the year, so it wasn't until I set myself a challenge for January, that I went back and picked them up again.

So what was the big challenge?

I decided that I was going to work on every wip (work in progress) that I have during the month, something I’m able to achieve because I only had 7  brought forward from 2024 and the plan was to put at least one thread  in each of the six cross stitch projects and finally finish the part knitted socks.

I won’t lie, I had to force myself to pull them out, but once I did, I finished the first sock and completely knitted the second sock in just two days.

But can you spot the mistake?

Silly me started the first sock with a 1 x 1 rib and the second sock with a 2 x 2 rib, but fortunately they are for me and there’s no way I’m going to pull one out and re-knit it.

 Moving on to the cross stitch wip’s that I carried over; 

The first thing I pulled out was the ‘Bee Contained Stitching Box' by Betsy Morgan from the Inspirations ‘Helping Hands 2’ book.

I started this in August 2023 and didn’t pick it up at all last year.  I think the 1 over 1 stitching was putting me off but once I got back into it, I really enjoyed working on it and have nearly finished the largest piece of the stitching.

Next, I worked on Log Cabin Christmas from Little House Needleworks, which I started in April last year.  

This is a 9 part piece, so I had a mini new start for this and stitched on part 4 – In The Woods Bear.

The next project was another multi part piece and that was ‘ A Gathering of Samplers’ from the Ackworth Collection, which consists of 12 little Quaker Samplers that go together to make a book.

Again, it involved another new start and that was pages 5 & 6 of the book.  I came very close to a finish on this too.

Sing For Joy from Cottage Garden Samplings was next up

and I had not stitched on it since starting it as part of my 12 in12 New Years Eve starts in December 2023.

Project 6 was another Christmas stitch, ‘Toy Shopee’,  which is a Diamentions Kit.

I started it November 2024 and got to here,

but it’s hard going as anyone who has stitched one of these kits  knows, …….the changes of stitches and number of threads used for those stitches can be a bit confusing sometimes.

None the less, I made some good progress on it.

Last up was ‘My Stitching Box’, another multi part project from Jeanette Douglass.

Again, it involved another mini start for part 2, which was the lid of the box.

If I had to choose a favourite designer, I think hands down it would have to be  Jeanette.  I just love how delicate her designs look  and the subtle colours she uses.

So, it's not been a bad start to the year, but that wasn’t it for January.   I also had 3 other new starts, one of which was the year long stitch-a-long ‘ All Year Round Sal.

Then there was my 12 in 25 Christmas ornament

and my new Chatelaine

and last but not least I had one fully finish, which was the Country Charm Cushion.

I wonder if I can keep the pace up during February…..you’ll have to watch this space!

 

Happy Crafting!

Sue

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