A Christmas Band Sampler

Inspired by a 1740 sampler from my collection which is stitched in red and green, it reminds me so much of the holidays. It also has significant portions worked using the ‘double-running’ or Holbein stitch which we generally associate with blackwork techniques. I’ve adapted the original to feature the gifts from the 12 Days of Christmas – still lots of ‘blackwork’ stitching, plus cross stitches, eyelets, and a single row of four-sided stitches.

It really does have a nice holiday feel and is quite satisfying to stitch. Also included is a ‘mini-sampler’ version which I have shown finished as a berry!