Elizabeth Beaven 1835 is a charming Scottish sampler suitable for intermediate stitchers. The 24 page chart comes in booklet form, is beautifully illustrated throughout and the graph is in full colour. The stitches used are mainly cross stitch over two with the verse and dedication in cross stitch over one. There are small freehand accents worked in satin stitch and within the booklet there is a five page detailed stitch guide.

The design area is 311 stitches (w) x 461 stitches (h). The model was stitched on 40ct Lakeside Linen Sand Dune.

The sampler was charted with Au Ver à Soie® Soie d’Alger silks.

The model was stitched on 40ct Lakeside Linen Sand Dune. You'll find the counts of Sand Dune (Regular and Vintage) in our online fabric catalog.

LINEN SIZES

The design area is 311 stitches (w) x 461 stitches (h). Calculations have included a 3” margin for finishing and framing.

32ct – Design: 19.44″ x 28.81″ Fabric: 25.44″ x 34.81″ (Stitcher's Half 35x27)

36ct – Design: 17.28″ x 25.61″ Fabric: 23.28″ x 31.61″(Stitcher's Half 35x27)

40ct – Design: 15.55″ x 23.05″ Fabric: 21.55″ x 29.05″(Stitcher's Half 35x27)

From the designer:

Who was Elizabeth ?

Elizabeth Joanna Beaven, the daughter of James Beaven and Janet Mackechnie, was born on July 22, 1822 in Greenock, a busy port on the banks of the River Clyde in Scotland. The Clyde was only navigable by small inland and coastal craft and so Glasgow and Paisley were dependent for their access to the sea on Greenock, Dumbarton and Port Glasgow.

By the early 1800’s Greenock had grown from a fishing village in the shadow of a castle that has long since disappeared, to a major port of embarkation for Scottish emigrants crossing the Atlantic to the USA and Canada. The town’s growth was based largely on trade with the Americas. Sugar cane from the Caribbean was processed in Greenock’s sugar refineries which supplied half of the British market. Shipbuilding was also a significant employer along the shoreline.

During Elizabeth’s childhood Greenock was reputed to have some of the worst slums in Europe. With no clean water, appalling sanitation and overcrowded housing, epidemics of fever, smallpox and cholera raged through the town. The ingenious Shaw’s Water Scheme was begun in 1825 to bring clean drinking water to Greenock from the Renfrewshire Hills, and this allowed water-powered textile mills to develop in the town. Much of their output was in printed calicos for the export market, particularly using a red dye known as Turkey Red for which west central Scotland became famous.

Handloom weaving continued in the region for specialist and quality products, such as the well-known Paisley shawls with their distinctive Kashmiri pattern. In the late 1830s demand collapsed and many weavers were left without work. The young Queen Victoria tried to set an example by encouraging the wearing of Paisley shawls amongst the wives and daughters of courtiers to stimulate demand. Spinning and weaving survived and prospered to the end of the century.

Paisley also became well known for its thread from the Anchor and Ferguslie mills of the Coats and Clarke families. Throughout the century it was one of the most important employers of female labour. The ‘scalling’(going home) of mill girls pouring from factory gates at the end of a day’s work was a common sight in many communities.

Skein quantities below are calculated based on 1 strand on 36ct fabric. The designer has provided a DMC conversion based on 2 strands on 36ct fabric.

Click on the thread type below to go to the order page for each thread type.

Soie d’Alger/ DMC

4245 x 1 /420 x 1 – Hazelnut brown – dark

3816 x 2/434 x 2 – Brown – light

3823 x 1/ 437 x 1 – Tan – light

1846 x 4/500 x 4 – Blue green – very dark

3835 x 1/ 610 x 1 – Drab brown – dark

2542 x 3/677 x 3 – Old gold – very light

4622 x 1 /760 x 1 – Salmon

4624 * see note/816 * see note – Garnet

4136 x 2/838 x 2 – Beige brown – very dark

1745 x 1/931 x 1 – Antique blue – medium

3735 x 1/ 936 x 1 – Avocado green – very dark

4524 x 1/3045 x 1 – Yellow beige – dark

3724 x 2/3363 x 2 – Pine green – medium

3344 x 1/3790 x 1- Beige grey – ultra dark