Following our courses we have some kits which are available now for you to buy. Should you wish to purchase them please contact Sue on sue@pilgrimstitchers.org or, sue.blomley@gmail.com to make sure that the kit you would like is still available and for details of payment.

	Commemorative Tissue box cover  £50 This commemorative piece is in cream with highlights of blue and red with the occasional brown. It is to commemorate the Mayflower sailing from Southampton to Plymouth Rock. I have included the flags flown by the Mayflower and the 1777 American flag. Also included are the places and dates of where the Mayflower put in before finally leaving the UK. This will make a wonderful addition to any home and be a centre piece for many conversations. It’s easy to stitch and finish and will be a hard wearing commemoration of a very important event in both our countries history. A short history from the British perspective will also be included in the price. file
	Casandra Austen £30 We are pleased to offer a wonderful opportunity to stitch the Cassandra Austen sampler. Cassandra was Jane Austen’s elder sister and this sampler hangs in the Jane Austen House museum. In beautiful colours ranging from beige and tan to blue and greens stitched on a mushroom background, this is an exciting sampler suitable for both beginners and experienced stitchers alike. Our grateful thanks to the Jane Austen House Museum for their kind permission to reproduce this sample and it is a must for all those who treasure old samplers stitched by famous people.
	Corner book mark £15 This attractive corner book mark is stitched on plastic canvas and embroidered with a picture taken from an historic piece dated 1715. Easy to stitch, chart easy to read, plastic canvas, all silks and instructions are included.
	Home Needle Case £25 The original of this charming needle case from the early 19th century, was stitched on perforated paper. But you know me, bring it up to date, quicker to make, and something to be used. So I have taken large count linen and the original colours to give the same effect, but easier to stitch. These bright greens and cream make a lovely setting for the house and the floral lining is the garden. Using the heat bond enables you to finish quickly and easily and gain exactly the same effect as if it were perforated paper whilst being stronger and more long lasting. I believe that the old needlework needs to be preserved and copied so that we can all enjoy them, but we need to use these things so they have to be practical. Hence the house needle case came into being.
	Quaker Sampler £35 By now you know that I love antique samplers but have no more wall space, so my stitching has to be practical. I have found this lovely Quaker sampler, so small I couldn’t resist it. Stitched in black and dark green it’s obviously a tribute to a family with their initials and I fell in love with it. I stitched it over 2 and made it bigger to make a travelling jewelry case, and stitched it over 1, so the sampler was the same size as the original, and turned it into a glasses case which I trimmed with twisted chord. Everything you need to make BOTH items is in the kit, so you can choose to make one or both. Quick to stitch (must be I made two!) and practical to use, putting beautiful embroidery into everyday use, to surround us with beautiful things and so to enhance our lives.
	Jane Dennis £25 An antique sampler dated 1817 is a lovely small sampler and we have taken some of the motifs and made them to decorate a folding book which has five compartments in it. It is a similar design to that used by the Chinese Dong tribe whose women use such books for mementoes etc. The centre vase in blues and pinks is filled with oranges and supported below by two small birds. There are a further two birds above and on either side are two flower trees in green, pink and blue. All the silks are by Pearsall’s, your last chance to use their wonderful silks as they are now not making them anymore. A simple Bible verse gives this charming sampler a centre of attention.
	Lucy's Bag £55 An embroidered antique bag dating from the late 1800’s was the inspiration for this lovely updated model, the front has a floral wreath in greens and pinks with touches of cream, sienna and purple. The back is a posy of the same colours but a tighter design. The bag which is padded and fully lined in a deep peach colour, is finished with a twisted cord in peach and cream around the bag itself. The closure is a spring closure so the tabs are pulled to open it and clicked shut. One tab has initials on it and the other has the date. There is a handle which can be longer or short as I’ve made it. The smalls to be stored inside, a biscornu pincushion, a needle case, scissor fob and thimble case, pick up the colours perfectly and add a usefulness to a beautiful bag.
	Hannah Dunn £45 The original of the Hannah Dunn sampler is also in the Hampshire archives in Winchester. The original measures approx. 44 cm x 34 cm and is dated 1829, Hannah stitched this when she was just 11 years old. The colours are strong but muted. In shades of red, green and brown, with 4 alphabets and numerous crowns and initials. A large urn stands on a hill with baskets of fruit and fruit trees alongside it. In a large cartouche it also has a verse. Stunningly simple in looks it is nevertheless not so simple that it won’t present a challenge to the most experienced stitchers. It is stitched on 40 count linen over two but the verse is stitched over one.
	Note Book Cover £36 This lovely book cover is worked in half cross stitch on a 28 count linen so is achievable by a beginner and the more experienced will love the speed with which it grows. The original in the museum is also in half cross stitch and has a leather border which I have changed to a stitched one. The cornucopia on the front filled with flowers in blue, pink and red complement the back which has an anchor in blue with the same flowers woven into it as the front. The lining is black Thai Silk with a pretty notebook for the inside. The cover is held closed by a black pencil which has a Swartz crystal on the end.
	Etui £65
	King James £30 The King James needle book dates from about 1715 and therein lies the mystery. In England at this time there was no King James! Add to that the excitement when we found two secret pockets and a needle page that had never been used and we have a real conundrum. This project is based on an original needle-case in the Hampshire museum and archive centre. The original is very small measuring just 4 ½ ” x 2 ½ ”. The colours are pinks, browns with some yellow and it is lined with gold silk. There are two hidden pockets and is stitched on 35 count even weave linen and is half cross stitch over one thread.
	Stag Sampler £45 This very rare sampler is a joy to stitch on Summer Khaki even weave 30 count and stitched over 2. The stag is lying down and looking over his shoulder, all fairly common for the period of the late 18th century but Ann, who stitched this must have had a sense of humour because she has her stag eating a leaf. I have looked and looked but cannot find another sampler where this occurs. It is stitched in greens and golds with splashes of red’s, oranges, and lilac. The stitches used are cross stitch, over 2, chain stitch and lazy daisy stitch for the bee, and some satin stitch for the centre of the flowers. The hill is stitched in cross stitch but the different colours gives it real shape. This is a beautiful sampler and worthy of anyone’s collection.
	Elizabeth Smith £25 This delightful sampler is an example of Elizabeth’s learning sampler on how to mark linen. The original has cross stitches on the front and they appear as squares on the back. This is shown in the photo of the back. All in red, the cheapest of colours to produce, she would have taken this with her when applying for a job in a big house to show her skills at making the linen. A delightful sampler showing what girls had to do in order to work. A real collector’s piece.