Midsummer Sprigs ABCs Cross Stitch Sampler Pattern

This counted cross stitch sampler was inspired by the cut-paper flower mosaics made by 18th-century English artist Mary Granville Delany. Mary Delany began making her gorgeous collages at the age of seventy-two, and over the next sixteen years (until her eyesight failed at age eighty-eight) created over one thousand botanically accurate paper flowers. This is my tribute to her work. It is stitched on 28-count Cashel linen made by the Zweigart company in Germany, with variegated hand over-dyed six-strand cotton embroidery floss from Weeks Dye Works, a family-owned and -operated company in North Carolina. Because the floss is naturally variegated, each element of the sampler contains variations of color and hue, giving it the most gorgeous, textural quality with very little effort on your part.

Finished size of design area: 12" x 12" (30.5cm x 30.5cm)

This pattern contains:

• Stitching instructions and color cross-stitch chart 

You will need: 

• One 18" x 18" (46cm x 46cm) piece of 28-count Cashel linen in Black 
• Weeks Dye Works hand over-dyed 6-strand cotton embroidery floss 
• OR DMC 6-strand cotton floss
• White dish towel to put on your lap while you stitch so that you can see the holes in the fabric
• #24 tapestry needle(s)
• Embroidery scissors
• 4" (10cm) embroidery hoop
• Thread organizing supplies
• Frame and framing supplies 

*Color substitutions for DMC 6-strand embroidery floss are also included 

Please note: This pattern is available as a downloadable PDF pattern only. You will need Adobe Reader to view and print this pattern on your home computer.