Cross Stitch Samplers with a Historic Twist

It’s funny that even though most of the cross stitch designers I’ve been profiling lately came to me from a list I’m picking from at random, quite a few of them have been designers who focus on samplers (see, for example, Scattered Seed Samplers, Elegant Thread, Fox and Rabbit Designs, to name a few).

This week I’m taking a peek at another sampler company, this time it’s UK-based Historical Sampler Company. Joanne and Suzanne started out creating cross stitch patterns based on historical sampler designs, then branched out to include birth and wedding samplers with a traditional feel, as well as more modern designs.

They have a range of Christmas samplers, which include trees, birdhouses, patchwork designs that look a bit like quilts and a couple of sampler designs that look like advent calendars. I love the Ho Ho Ho cross stitch design because of the black fabric and the fun, colorful graphics. Each little design looks like a postage stamp!

The anniversary samplers (some of which would also work for weddings) are really sweet and would make a great gift to celebrate long-lasting love.

Their patterns are available as PDFs or printed and shipped paper patterns. If you’re in the UK or willing to wait for shipping, you can also purchase kits or deluxe boxes from them. The regular kit includes the required fabric and pre-sorted thread, a copy of the pattern, a gold-plated needle and a red gift bag. The gift box includes all that and large and small project bags, a needle minder and thread organizer and other treats (food, tea and otherwise) that vary with the seasons.

Historical Sampler Company also does a Christmas stitchalong and advent calendar, which can be purchased as a PDF (with clues sent in email as the stitchalong goes on), as a kit or in an advent calendar style with 24 little gifts for you to open.

Check out all their designs at Historical Sampler Company.

[Photo: Historical Sampler Company]

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45+ Free Disney Inspired Cross-Stitch Patterns

I love mini cross stitch patterns any time of the year, but they’re especially nice as we head toward the holidays and you might want to make some last-minute gifts. Mini Christmas cross stitch patterns are super cute as ornaments, or you can make them into bookmarks, little pins, add them to napkins, or whatever else you might like to add a bit of cross stitch to.

They’re also great because they’re usually sold as a set so you’re getting a bunch of patterns you can use together or separately all in one.

For example, Cross Stitch by Coconut has a collection of 100 mini holiday cross stitch patterns, which would be so cute stitched as a whole bunch in a sampler style, or as the border of another project, etc. Most of the individual designs are around 20 by 20 stitches and will take less than an hour to stitch up.

If 100 patterns sounds a little overwhelming, try Stitchonomy‘s mini collection, which has 30 tiny designs. I love the variety in this little collection, which has everything from Santa to a mug of hot chocolate, a Christmas pudding and a snow globe. The largest ones in this set are 31 by 31 stitches.

Purple Kitty Yarns has a collection from an old Coats & Clark leaflet designed by Barbara Swanson (and used by permission) that includes a couple of cute borders, ornaments, a wreath and other cute stuff.

These minis from Cross Stitch Inn Shop are meant to be ornaments, but you could use them for other little projects as well. It includes 16 patterns, all of which are smaller than 2 inches. The most complex ones use seven colors, but most only use two or three.

And these cute little projects from X Cross Stitch Pattern X on Etsy are all meant to fit in three-inch hoops. The largest size is around 35 by 35 stitches, and several of these are more winter than Christmas so you can use them as decor even after the season is over.

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