About this Product
Eliza Jane was only 12 years old when she created such an elegant sampler with the most unusual rose border. Eliza Jane is from Ireland, and not much is known about her life. She most likely attended Mrs. Leathem's School in Londonderry (called Derry) - a very similar sampler exists stitched by Frances Jane Hill. Jane stitched this at a time when the Poor Law was instated and right before the Great Hunger in 1845, almost 1 million lives were lost to famine. During this period almost 1.5 million Irish sailed for America. Eliza was baptized Presbyterian, Killinchy, Down, Ireland, and died at age 61 in Coleraine. It is no surprise with all the turmoil during that time. Considering she went to a finishing school and was able to create such a beautiful piece that her parents were not poor. Her father's name was William and I was unable to find anything on her mother.
The model was stitched on 36ct "Wheat" by Fiber on a Whim fabric (FOAW)
There are two versions included, one for Aida (no over-one stitching) and one for linen.
Stitched Area 285 wide by 321 high
Below are the measurements of the design, and the cut fabric sizes that allow for finishing
14ct/28ct 20.5" x 23" - cut fabric 26 x 29
16ct/32ct 17.75" x 20" - cut fabric 24 x 26
18ct/36ct 15.75" x 17.75" - cut fabric 22 x 24
***Flower is not recommended for smaller counts than 18/36ct and uses only one strand.
The chart is 32 pages and includes single-page charts for Pattern Keeper Thank you and happy stitching! ©The Wishing Thorn. All Rights Reserved
The Wishing Thorn
Meet the Maker
One of my favorite quotes is by Honoré de Balzac
“From the manner in which a woman draws her thread at every stitch of her needlework, any other woman can surmise her thoughts.”
I am passionate about sampler stitching and saving some of their histories. This is a lifelong journey that I love sharing with you. I want you to see the different stitches and think of ways you can change them to suit you.
I was born in Germany, and girls were required to learn stitching and sewing skills from the first grade onward – so yes I have 50+ years of skill to draw from. I excelled in stitching, knitting, and crochet.
My mother was a master seamstress and always encouraged me to make my own designs. Upon entering college I majored in art. What does one do with an art degree? Why, design and carve graveyard headstones, of course! Painting, carving, and sculpting were my creative outlets but did not provide me with what my soul yearned for. I was reintroduced to the world of stitching and discovered Eileen Bennett and Darlene O’Steen, they were the beginning of my spirited adventure. Creating wall-worthy reproductions and original designs made me fall in love all over again with stitching.
I adore combining old-world stitchery and techniques with new designs, using inspirational colors and artful organization to forge unusual, one-of-a-kind creations. For a time I sold my patterns through my company, Moonlight Stitches, reflective of my habit of staying up through the wee hours to finish “just one more section.” That company sadly closed after some life-altering events.
I have never been far from my love of stitching and designing, waiting for the right time to share the boundless ideas again. With the opening of The Wishing Thorn, I am able to realize my dream of sharing my creative talents with you once again. Helping to preserve history of these lovely ladies' work and sharing this path with you. Hoping it brings you just as much joy.
New Patterns are always in the making, it is a slow process as I try to stitch as many of my own patterns as I can. We all know we can never have too many patterns in our stash!
My soul is fed with needle and thread, the thread that connects historic needlework to contemporary needle art ❤️
much love,
Birgit
How it’s Made
This pattern is for personal use only. The pattern/chart was created by ©The Wishing Thorn and is protected by Copyright law, therefore partial or total reproduction of the pattern is prohibited, as well as distribution in any form, including any form electronic copy.
©The Wishing Thorn, Birgit Tolman. All Rights Reserved
Shop Policies
Since your purchase is a digital product, it is deemed “used” after download or opening, and all purchases made on thewishingthorn.com are non-refundable or exchangeable.
However, we stand behind our products and your satisfaction with them is important to us. If you change your mind about your purchase and you have not downloaded our product, we will happily issue you a refund upon your request.
Refund requests made after you have downloaded our product are handled on a case-by-case basis and are issued at our sole discretion. Refund requests, if any, must be made within thirty (30) days of your original purchase.
To start a refund request, you can contact us at birgit@thewishingthorn.com.
