13 November 2014

Birthday Giveaway!!

It is my birthday at the end of next week, and I thought it would be nice to have a giveaway here on my blog to celebrate; to say thank you to everyone for reading my ramblings through this year and for taking the time to leave such lovely comments.

I am offering a Scarlet Letter chart of the fabulous Mary Hurst 1661 Sampler and a skein of Petite Treasure Braid to use for the metallic highlights. The SL charts are really well produced with a large good quality chart and detailed instructions for each of the sections. This is a photo of my chart but the draw will be for an original unopened chart.

The original sampler is held here in England in The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. This is the description from their website 'Band sampler, linen (yellowish), embroidered with linen, polychrome silks and silver metal threads in buttonhole, chain, cross, double running, plaited braid, satin and trellis stitch. The sampler comprises 16 horizontal bands which depict alphabets, 'boxers', repeat border patterns, flowering plants, a girl holding flowers, a crowned woman and the inscription which reads 'MARY HURST '.
There is a fabulous whitework section at the top which is actually worked in a pale blue
and lots of fun details in each of the bands





If you have ever wanted to stitch an heirloom sampler like this but have put it off, then now is the perfect time to start! Nicola is organising a stitch a long of this sampler starting in mid - January over on the 'Our Scarlet Letter Years' Blog she has very generously started providing tutorials for some of the more unusual stitches, and there will be lots of help available on both the blog and the FB page from more experienced stitchers and from members of the group who have already completed their versions of Mary. 

I will be stitching in silks probably on antique white linen, it will look just as stunning stitched in DMC threads on any pale linen.



Reminder the draw is for an original unopened chart of the Mary Hurst Sampler and a skein of Petite Treasure Braid. To be in with a chance of winning, leave a comment below - please make sure you are not a no-reply blogger! I am happy to post world wide. When he has finished guarding fabrics Jasper will help with the draw at the end of next week. Good Luck!

82 comments:

  1. How did you know I have been seriously looking at ordering Mary Hurst ? LOL
    It definitely is a beautiful sampler! Mary would be a great learning sampler with her variety of stitches.

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  2. Happy Birthday! Thanks for the chance to win such a beautiful sampler! :-)

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  3. Now you are becoming just as good as Nicola in tempting me into working on yet another sampler and abandoning my other projects! I was wondering if it would help to be part of the group stitching the sampler since so many are a bit apprehensive about it. Would be great to win... I am sure I can 'find' the appropriate supplies in my stash.
    Happy Birthday! and thank you for this generous offer

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    1. SAL's are a great way to stitch samplers that can seem daunting - there will be lots of help and support available as part of the group.

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    2. Happy Birthday Elaine.
      I've never realized all these old samplers contain a lot of other stitches and are not only cross stitch. Amazingly beautiful! Perhaps I just should join the stitch along..

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    3. Happy Birthday Elaine. Please put my name Paula Shelter in the drawing for the
      Mary Hurst sampler.

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  4. Happy birthday, Nicola!

    I would be thrilled to win this sampler chart. Mary is such a beauty!

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  5. Well Happy Birthday! A day of stitching planned? A sal sounds like a great idea for this sampler, would love to have a chance to stitch this, stitched in silks sounds lovely too.

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  6. Happy Birthday! What a wonderful giveaway! Fantastic sampler..it would be a fun challenge for me!

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  7. Oh my, thank you so much for the opportunity - would love to be included in the draw please. Happy Birthday!

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  8. Happy Birthday! I would love to stitch Mary Hurst....she would be perfect hanging on my living room wall one day.
    Alex from Virginia

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  9. Happy Birthday to a fellow scorpion, my birthday is This Sunday, the 16th! 🎉🎈🎉

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  10. Happy Birthday! I would love to win! Thanks!

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  11. Happy Birthday. I have never stitched anything like a Mary Hurst... would be a great way to enhance my skills. Thanks for a chance and I hope you not only have a great day but a great year. Nothing wrong with celebrating until the next one.

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  12. Happy Birthday Elaine! What a generous way to celebrate your Birthday!

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  13. Happy birthday! November is my birthday month and would love to win this sampler. SL samplers are the best! Beautiful colors too. Thank you for thinking of others! Happy stitching! Pam in Iowa

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  14. i am just now trying to get into samplers. this sounds like a cool one to start with. Happy Birthday to you.

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  15. Happy Birthday for next week. I would love to be entered into this wonderful giveaway as I am going to be doing the SAL with Nicola. I'm so happy that you are too.

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  16. happy birthday!!! Mine is actually tomorrow.. This is beautiful!!!

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  17. Hope you have a wonderful Birthday !! This is a beautiful sampler and what a generous gift you are giving for YOUR BIRTHDAY !!!

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  18. The chart is beautiful and may I wish you a very Happy Birthday as far as your ramblings I love hearing some one voice my own thoughts at times. Thank you for the chance to win this very awesome chart!!!

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  19. Happy Birthday Elaine!! Hope you have many more blessed days!! This weekend is my birthday, so that means I must be older than you hahaha.... ;) Thanks for the chance to win the beautiful chart too! I just love your blog! Lydia

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  20. Oh my goodness how generous of you! thank you so much for this drawing!!

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  21. I love the idea of this giveaway. I love this beautiful sampler.thank you for the opportunity.

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  22. Happy Birthday! Don't put me in the draw, though - I am already in a situation of Stash Nearly Exceeding Life Expectancy!

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  23. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to win the gorgeous sampler! :-)

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  24. Happy Birthday Elaine! This is a beautiful sampler and is on my Wish List!

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  25. Happy Birthday but with this give away, I feel like it could be my birthday!

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  26. Happy Birthday! What a wonderful
    way to celebrate! I love samplers and this one is gorgeous, thank you for the opportunity.

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  27. What a wonderful giveaway! Would love to stitch this sampler! :-)

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  28. Happy Birthday and I would love to win your beautiful chart!!

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  29. Happy Birthday Elaine. I would love to be included in the drawing!

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  30. Happy Birthday! Thank you for the opportunity to win this lovely sampler!

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  31. Happy Birthday Elaine!! Please, please enter me in the drawing for the sampler. I would so love to get to own and stitch this sampler! Hope you have a wonderful day!!

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  32. Happy Birthday, Elaine. Thanks for the opportunity to win this beautiful chart. Hugs to Jasper...what a cutie.

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  33. Happy birthday to you.. .. Happy birthday to you ... Happy birthday, happy birthday! Happy birthday to you!! This sampler is a treasure. ..you are so generous!

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  34. happy birthday to you, and good luck to everyone :)

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  35. Happy, Happy birthday, Elaine! Would love the chance to win this beautiful Mary Hurst sampler! Thanks for the opportunity!

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  36. Happy Birthday Elaine! What a generous way to celebrate your birthday. Mary Hurst is such a beautiful sampler and maybe just the one to push me out of my safe zone and tackle some speciality stitches :)

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  37. Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Thank for your very generous gift to us! Wishing you love, laughter, good health, and time spent with needle pulling thread!

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  38. Wishing you much happiness on your special day! Thank you for the opportunity to possibly receive the beautiful chart.��

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  39. Happy Birthday to you hon!!! Thank you for offering up such a generous gift ..... and to encourage us to do the SAL with Nicola!!

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  40. I will would love the opportunity of winning this chart and join the SAL. How very generous of you to make this offer.

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  41. Happy HAPPY Birthday! What a lovely give-away. From the time I can remember my Mother had me give a gift to some unsuspecting person on my birthday every year. She is in Heaven now, but I still find someone that I don't know each year and give them with a present. Last year I took myself out for breakfast and at the end after I payed my bill I gifted the waitress with a small basket of needlework supplies. She was over-the-moon thrilled. Thankfully she was a stitcher! It makes my heart sing! That's exactly what you are doing with this "gift!"

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  42. Happy Birthday! What a generous give to share in honor of it! I lust after this sampler and hope one day to complete it! Best wishes in the coming year!

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  43. Happy Birthday from another Elaine! I adore Mary Hurst - thanks for the generous offer! :) Your blog is such a pleasure. <3

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  44. What a great give-away! Love the colours, the design... but I just comment to wish you a happy birthday!

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  45. Many happy returns for your birthday next week! What a fascinating sampler and wonderful giveaway - it is beautiful :)

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  46. Just wanted to say Happy Birthday for next week :)

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  47. Its like our lottery .....you can t win if you are not in ! Fingers crossed for everyone, and especially for myself. happy birthday to your good self.

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  48. Happy Birthday and Every Day! What a lovely way to celebrate! Love, love, love band samplers. This one is particularly beautiful.

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  49. Happy Birthday. I am enjoying following your progress on this beautiful sampler. I have never done the plaited braid or trellis stitch. Would love to learn them and to stitch this lovely sampler.

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  50. Happy Birthday Elaine!

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  51. Happy Birthday! Thanks for including me!

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  52. Happy Birthday!!! Thank you for this opportunity, now I just have to cross my fingers and hope. ;)

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  53. Happy Birthday! Would love to win.

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  54. Happy Birthday! Oh my, I was going to order this on the weekend. I would be overjoyed to win it!

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  55. Happy birthday! I've been trying so hard to avoid seeing the stitch along that Nicola has organized. I'm just so thrown by things like montenegrin. But she's a gloriously beautiful piece. Sigh. Sure, I'd love to be included in your giveaway. And I have to think on whether to join in or not.

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  56. Happy Birthday! What a lovely birthday gift you are giving to us! Please include me in the drawing😊

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  57. Happy Birthday! Thank you for such a generous give away!!

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  58. Happy birthday to you! And this is such a generous giveaway. I had not ever seen this design until you posted. I love it!

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  59. I have a birthday this month too. Happy Birthday to you, may your year be full of stitches.

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  60. Happy happy birthday! I have always wanted to stitch Mary Hurst, but she is a little intimidating. But with all the good, experienced stitchers there to help us, I think it would be a good challenge to join the SAL. How do we join? Do we need to let Nicola know? I am stitching Marsha's Four Angels Mourning Sampler right now. It is a lovely SL sampler with lots of over one. Be sure and have a very happy birthday!

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  61. Happy birthday, Elaine and thank you for the chance to win this simply beautiful chart.

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  62. I hope you have the best birthday ever. This is a very generous giveaway- who would not want to win it?

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  63. I hope you have a wonderful Birthday!! Thank you so much for the chance to win this beautiful sampler and be involved in my very first stitch along!! I've so wanted to do a band sampler for so many yrs. Thank you!!

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  64. I hope you have a great birthday and your day is filled with fun and blessings.I have never seen the sampler, it is so wonderful.

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  65. happy birthday! hope you have a great day thanks for the chance to win this beautiful sampler

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  66. I would love to be entered into your birthday give-away - that is, if you can get past your guard dog. Ole Jasper looks pretty fierce. LOL

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  67. HaPpY BiRtHdAy!! How generous for you to surprise some other stitcher on YOUR birthday - very generous!. This would be an amazing project to work on. Thanks for the chance

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  68. Returned to embroidery after many years, just finished an afternoon apron bought by a friend in the 1950's! Of no practical use whatsoever but loved doing it. A sampler would be a great project.

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  69. Would love to work this beautiful sampler...have been following Nicola's blog and the colors are
    just glorious....so glad it will be attempted after the holidays.

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  70. Happy Birthday to you! It would be amazing to stitch this gorgeous sampler, please enter me!
    Thanks for the chance :)

    kimberlybreid at hotmail dot com

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  71. Happy Birthday, Elaine thank you for sharing your day with this wonderful SL sampler giveaway.
    It will be wonderful to join Nicola's Mary Hurst SAL.

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  72. I was trying really hard to ignore all the posts Nicola was making about this sampler. It is not one in my stash, because it is so daunting, but I have nearly 100 others and I think I should be happy with that, don't you?? But, if I win the drawing, I will take it as a sign and jump right in with the rest of you and maybe even learn a new trick!! Hope you have a wonderful birthday!! Laura

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  73. Happy birthday! I'm a beginner but I love a challenge.

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  74. What a lovely thing to do for YOUR Birthday !!! The sampler is beautiful and I would love the opportunity to stitch this !!!!

    Happy Birthday next week !

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  75. Happy Birthday! Your cottage sampler is delightful!

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  76. Happy Birthday! Your cottage sampler is delightful!

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