Inspired by a subtle selection of colours and fabrics often associated with New England folk designs, this delightful design is embellished with tiny buttons and beads
by Jane Iles
photos by Ian Cole

What you need

  • 22 x 28 cm 14 count Zweigart Aida in grey (shade 304)
  • Tiny scraps of gingham and checked fabrics in muted maroon, light and dark blue
  • DMC stranded cotton (1 skein each) 322 Blue, 3325 Pale blue, 3834 Purple, 3849 Pale jade
  • Cream sewing thread
  • Selection of tiny pearl-finish buttons in maroon, blue and natural
  • Tiny golden scissors, buttons or charms (available from large haberdashery departments)
  • DMC seed beads 01223 Pale coral 03563 Light sea green
  • 2.5 mm pearl and seed beads by Trimits
  • Small embroidery frame

Preparation

  • Mark the centre of the Aida lengthways and widthways with a line of tacking stitches
  • Mount the Aida fabric into the embroidery frame and stretch tightly, ensuring the grain of the fabric is straight (see Back to Basics)

What you do

Use 3 strands of stranded cotton throughout. Use double cream sewing thread and a very fine beading needle to attach the beads.

  1. Begin by stitching the outer border of the design.
  2. Next, stitch the two top corner patches, adding the tiny buttons as indicated on the chart.
  3. Continue working the stitched patches. When working the two sections that have seed beads, work all the cross stitches of each patch and then stitch the seed beads in position with a half cross stitch.

  1. Attach the tiny scissors with double cream sewing thread.
  2. Cut out the small pieces of gingham fabric to fit the remaining patches of the sampler. If necessary make a small paper template to help you achieve the correct size. Remove a few threads from the edge of each small piece of gingham to create frayed edges. Attach the fabric pieces to the sampler using a combination of french knots, straight stitches, cross stitches, buttons and pearls, as suggested in the chart. Use the pattern of the fabric to guide you. (If you look closely at the sampler illustration you will see that the maroon and dark blue pieces of fabric have a stretched oblong pattern rather than a squared check pattern.)


Finished size: Stitched area 11 x 16 cm
Closer view


Diagram
Closer view

322 Blue, 3325 Pale blue, 3834 Purple, 3849 Pale jade

To complete

  1. Remove the tacking thread
  2. Press lightly on the wrong side of the embroidery to avoid flattening the stitches
  3. Stretch and mount the finished embroidery onto a piece of firm card (see Back to Basics) and frame as desired.

Suggestions

Create a very different colour scheme by using bright rainbow colours on white 14 count Aida.

On white Aida, use scraps of netting and satin fabric (bright acid green and fuchsia pink look good together) in place of the gingham.

Use individual sections of the design to produce some quick and very effective greetings cards.

Use different buttons or charms.