The sampler will be presented in two parts starting this month. The second half of the instructions for the sampler will be available in two months. You may choose to use the color scheme shown below, or pick your own favorite colors.

1 skein Caron Watercolours, color shown is Wildberries
1 skein Needle Necessities Spring II #346
1 skein Silk & Ivory #65/Iris
1 skein Felicity’s Garden #035/Ripe Raspberry

#18 tapestry needle
small scissors
tape measure
sewing thread in a bright color that does not match any of your thread colors

If you would like to change the colors in the sampler pick one skein of each of the following types of threads:
Caron Watercolours - this is the base color scheme for the sampler
Needle Necessities Spring II - should compliment the Caron Watercolours
Silk & Ivory - should compliment the Caron Watercolours
Felicity’s Garden - should compliment the Caron Watercolours

Now choose a canvas color that goes with your thread choices, or use eggshell like the sampler above.

Note:
The threads in the sampler are fun to try, but if you can’t find them in your area, or they are too costly, substitute whatever type of threads that you would like. Mark the directions with your new thread choices so that you don’t get confused.

Step 1
Important Information Before Starting Your Stitching

Each horizontal section of different stitches in the sampler is called a band. The first band is the Bargello Stitch. The second band is the Straight Stitch Flower. The third band is the Waffle Stitch Variation and the Initials and Date. These bands will be covered in this set of directions. The directions for the remaining bands will be presented in an installment in two months.

A stitching length of thread is about 18".

The threads and the number of plies that you will need to use to stitch your sampler:

• Caron Watercolours -From here on referred to as Watercolours. This is a 3 ply thread, so after you cut your stitching length pull one strand out from the bundle.
    
• Needle Necessities Spring II - From here on referred to as Spring II. This is a single ply thread, and you will use only one ply at a time to stitch.
    
• Silk & Ivory - This is a single ply thread. You should use only one ply at a time.
    
• Felicity’s Garden - This is a single ply thread. You should use TWO plies at a time to stitch.

Tape the edges of the canvas with masking tape to prevent fraying. Using a staple gun, or brass thumb tacks, attach the canvas to the stretcher bars.

Using the tape measure, measure 3 inches down from the top and 3 inches in from the left side of the canvas. Mark this spot somehow, perhaps tying a short length of sewing thread to the canvas here -- this is where you will begin stitching.

Samplers are presented in charts, so you will be learning to read charts. The important information that you will need to understand in order to read a chart is the distance between certain stitches or bands, measured in the number of threads on the canvas, and the length of a stitch, measured in the number of threads long or wide that a stitch covers. As shown in the diagram below, a line on the chart represents one canvas thread on the canvas. This can be either a vertical or a horizontal thread.

Many times you will need to count the distance between bands or between stitches, this concept is illustrated below with the numbers 1 and 2. The distance between the number 1 and the number 2 is 3 canvas threads because there are three horizontal lines between the numbers 1 and 2. At other times you will need to count the length of a stitch on a graph and then stitch that on your canvas. The red line on the graph below represents a stitch that covers 2 canvas threads because there are two horizontal lines between the start of the stitch and the end of the stitch.

One complete pattern

The second row is stitched in the Watercolours; make sure that the rows are completed without any canvas showing between them as shown on the right. Only a portion of the bargello wave pattern is shown, but you should complete as many patterns as you did for the first row. Remember to go up in the hole marked 1 and down in the hole marked 2. Go up in the hole marked 3 and down in the hole marked 4.

Complete the remaining two rows in a similar manner.

Cut an 18" length of your sewing thread and thread your needle. Find the center of the bargello band, the middle stitch of the third wave, as shown on the right.

From this point, stitch a straight line down to the bottom of the canvas, leaving long tails of thread at both ends so that if you accidentally pull on the sewing thread, it will not come all of the way out. You can stitch this line over as many canvas threads as you like, perhaps going over 5 threads and under 5 threads at a time. This is the center line of your canvas and will be important in starting some of the remaining bands.

Center of canvas

Next, thread your needle with the Spring II and begin again with an away waste knot. Using the diagram below, complete the stitches numbered 9 through 16. These stitches will lie next to and over your previous stitches.

Again, end your thread in the stitches you just completed on the back of the canvas and then cut off the away waste knot and secure that thread on the back of the canvas in the same way.

Next, thread your needle with the Watercolours and begin again with an away waste knot. Using the diagram below, complete the stitches numbered 17 through 24. These stitches will lie next to and over your previous stitches.

Again, end your thread, securing it on the back of the canvas in the stitches that you just completed and then cut off the away waste knot and secure that thread in the same way.

You will be stitching the Waffle Stitch Variation twice more, the numbers are shown on the diagram above, but the stitched lines are not shown for the sake of clarity. Next, thread your needle with Felicity’s Garden and begin again with an away waste knot. Using the diagram above, complete the stitches numbered 25 through 32. These stitches will lie next to and over your previous stitches. End your thread in the same way as before.

Next, thread your needle with the Silk & Ivory again and using the diagram above complete the stitches numbered 32 to 40. Begin and end your thread in the same way as before.