AH 1895 French Sampler PDF Pattern

AH 1895 is a beautiful French alphabet sampler worked entirely in red and blue. Its wonderfully ornate letters are embellished with tiny flowers, bows and leafy sprigs, surrounded by decorative borders and a floral wreath enclosing the stitcher’s initials and date.

I procured the original sampler from two lovely ladies in Paris, and one of the details I especially love is a small mystery hidden in its stitches. A few letters were worked in red wool rather than cotton. Over the years, that wool faded considerably, leaving those letters much paler than the surrounding red. Perhaps she was using what remained in her sewing basket, or perhaps the threads were supplied by her school. We may never know.

The sampler has a stitch count of 352 stitches wide by 439 stitches high and may be stitched on either Aida or linen.

The model was stitched on Vintage Smokey White linen by Zweigart. It may be worked with DMC cotton floss or Classic Colorworks overdyed cotton.

Thread List

DMC 816 Garnet — 17,082 stitches, 5.4 skeins
Classic Colorworks CCT 276 Caroling

DMC 3750 Antique Blue, Very Dark — 16,114 stitches, 5.1 skeins
Classic Colorworks CCT 075 Wavy Navy

Thread estimates are based on the charted stitch count; individual usage will vary.
PDF works with Pattern Keeper

Thank you and happy stitching!
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