Cross Stitch Antique Style Samplers

by Jane Greenoff

Historically authentic sampler designs inspired by the author's own collection. In recent years, embroidered samplers have become highly collectible. Jane Greenoff uses her own historical sampler collection as the inspiration for over 30 unique antique style cross stitch designs so that you can begin a collection of your very own. Each project chapter is inspired by a popular sampler style. Samplers were traditionally used to teach young girls a variety of skills: darning samplers improved mending skills while alphabet samplers helped with literacy and samplers with improving mottoes instilled morality. Band and spot motif samplers were used to record the stitches they had learned. Many of the superb designs are complemented by additional counted thread stitches to encourage you to extend your stitching repertoire, including drawn and pulled thread techniques.

Genres: Crafts, Nonfiction

104 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2005

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

So lovely and passionate. Very clear step by step instructions and really nifty designs - the book is also laid out well. I want my own copy post haste!

[Kate prefers books to people · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually hate samplers and I don't see why anyone grown would actually want to work on one... but this might have inspired me to work on one someday. I grabbed this hoping that they'd have included some good alphabet charts. There are some letters, but my favorite parts were a) the background on the historical/geographical origins of styles and b) the stich library with a handful of specialty stitches. There are full charts included, but since I'm fully dependent on the pattern keeper app, I'm not sure I'll ever use these. Definitely worth flipping through even for someone who doesn't stitch.

[Vivian Wiltshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful cross stitch book....lovely illustrations and great instructions as well...a great book with plenty of historical references. A real treasure trove on beautifully charted patters and plenty of ideas and suggestions of ways to stitch these patterns. loved this book and gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars and I will be stitching a few of these!

[Angelica LeMinh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great historical reference.

It's great for reference and there are some pretty patterns, though nothing that I am dying to try.

I am sure that I will experiment with some of the letter grids and like the different fonts.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent books. Lovely samplers designs and beautiful antique samplers! Will be trying most of these ones out and trying to incorporate some of the antique motifs and stitches in other projects.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

From a well-known English needleworker, this is a good resource for starting samplers. Charts, history, stitching explanations.

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

would've been better if there was a corresponding pattern to every sampler pictured

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book combined the practicality of most cross-stitch pattern books (there are probably 8-10 samplers with charts of how you can make them) WITH the historical and aesthetic interest of showing photos of several very old samplers. Some of them are so quaint, and the sayings the young girls stitched onto them are kind of precious. A fun book. I'm just finishing up a different cross-stitch sampler right now (3 colors of blue embroidery thread...fun) so I don't really want to do another sampler just yet; but this is a nice source if I decide I want something new in the future. There are a zillion cross-stitch books out there (and most reside at my public library, seemingly!) so I'm in no danger of not having enough of them around; this one just sort of caught my eye when I was shelf-reading the last time I checked out books.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely cross stitch book with some really interesting historical (mostly British and European) information about the history of cross stitch samplers. Some lovely picks of original samplers, new recreations and charts for making one's own, and some good, easy to understand 'basics' of stitches and other xstitch techniques in the back. Definitely a book for xstitchers world wide.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many lovely patterns included in this book. I would love to make them all, but just don't have the time. I really like the additional information about samplers in general which was included in the book. I will definitely be making some of these in the future.

[Gwnhwyfer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though there are a few of Jane Greenoff's designs (both within the book and others I've seen elsewhere) that I like, for the most part, I'm not a fan of her work.

The best part of this book? The antique samplers.

[Mckinley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like any of the patterns enough to keep book.

[Luwanda Dunfee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a nice book. It was straight forward with the patterns and information.