The Hamlet Sampler

PDF cross stitch chart - Design size: 242 stitches wide by 242 stitches high

Model stitched on 40 count linen from Fox and Rabbit in the colorway "Flannel Flower."

Floss used: 13 colors of DMC floss

The model was stitched using one strand of floss over two on 40 count linen.

The Hamlet Sampler is a faithful reproduction of an antique sampler stitched in 1809. The original sampler was stitched on a fine linen using silk floss. The floss has faded with sunlight and time, and the colors were selected based on the back of the sampler which remained more vibrant. The sampler is signed by Catharine Belcher, but we have been unable to locate her in the history records with any confidence. The central cartouche of the sampler features a verse from Act II, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Hamlet where Hamlet pontificates on the human condition in a monologue. Catharine used primarily regular cross stitch and Algerian eyelets to complete her sampler. The largest alphabet is stitched solely in Algerian eyelets but can be completed with regular cross stitch if desired. Catharine ran out of room at the bottom of the cartouche when stitching Hamlet's monologue and had to get "creative" to get the last line to fit. These few words are not stitched over one, but rather over one but down two - essentially an elongated vertical cross stitch but "over one." The stitches and placement are clearly illustrated on the chart.

The original sampler features "ghosting" of one color. This color almost matches the background fabric. I used DMC 842 to achieve the right balance of "blending" into the fabric but still being visible. Based on your dye lot or if you select a different fabric, you may need to audition a few colors of cream/ecru floss to find the right tone for your fabric to achieve a similar ghosting effect. 

This listing is for a PDF chart pattern that includes a color and a black and white version of the pattern.