Northwoods Sampler

Description

Northwoods Sampler from the American Journey Series.  This lovely celebration of the American Midwest includes several variations for different states (Michigan, Great Water, with orchard motifs, or Wisconsin, Grassy Plains, with farm, cheese wheel, and violets). The Minnesota variation is shown (loons, ladyslippers, Land of Ten Thousand Lakes). This sampler has a special place in my heart, being from Wisconsin and living in Minnesota. It was the first design of Jeannette’s I ever stitched – I did it in a week at a cabin in the Boundary Waters. Delightful!

The sampler contains 22 bands, done in a palette of over-dyed silk and cotton. Many “specialty” stitches are used – there are diagrams and written instructions for all of them, making this design approachable – if you have patience (and Google), your initial skill level with specialty stitches will not be important.

Each band is described both in terms of how to execute the stitches, and in its significance or symbolism to the sampler as a whole. Jeannette includes wonderfully interesting tidbits of science, history and lore behind each subject. You will feel the fresh, piney air of the woods as you work each band.  As Jeannette says,

This was first done … as a class in Minnesota, it was a great journey by vehicle to Minneapolis and took my friend and myself 2 days to drive from Calgary, it is only then that one realizes how big the North American continent really is and how we become so connected to our own little space.

Designed by Jeannette Douglas, © 2005.

Supplies Needed to Stitch “Northwoods Sampler”

Stitched on 32 count Flax Cashel linen from Wichelt Imports (2 over 2).

There are no known corrections to this pattern. If you suspect an error, please contact Jeannette Douglas.