How do I make a wedding stitched sampler?

I met Bill twelve years ago on a Sutton Trust Summer School at Cambridge and it was a real pleasure to see him marry Melanie yesterday. They’re a wonderful couple and it was a fabulous day in Wimbledon at St. Mary’s Church and Cannizaro House. As part of their wedding gift from us I made them this stitched sampler to commemorate the day. I think it took between four and five hours to complete but I wasn’t really counting and I did it over a couple of days.

So, this is how I did it…

Step 1

I put the design together on the computer using bits of patterns that I have bought from Stitching Cards, which is my greatest source of inspiration.

Step 2

Put the printed design onto a piece of white A4 card and prick each hole through with a bobbin type needle into a felt mat. This step takes care and precision. It’s really important to keep the needle straight otherwise you can end up with the hole in slightly the wrong place or pricking two holes into one.

 

Step 3

Begin stitching the design. Tape the thread to the back of the card and then concentrate really hard! It’s devastating to get most of the way through a section and then discover that you miscounted.

Step 4

Frame it, wrap it up and keep your fingers crossed that the recipients like it!

For more information on how the stitching is done see the tutorial on the Stitching Cards website.