*NEW* The Strawberry Collection

There aren’t very many people who don’t delight in strawberry season that arrives each Spring. For some, that season is already coming to an end, but here, green berries are just starting to form on our bushes, and my mouth is watering at the thought of that anticipated first bite.

I started designing the Strawberry Band Sampler a year or two ago, working on it now and then, but never quite feeling that it was finished. I finally gave up and decided to start again from scratch, using the same elements, but re-arranging them to create the Strawberry Bower Sampler. But again, the design felt like it was lacking. I picked away at both designs for what felt like forever, and wouldn’t you know it, both decided to co-operate and be “just right” at the very same time. Now what was I supposed to do about THAT? Well, release them together as a collection, of course!

Knowing I could never get both samplers finished in time for this year’s Strawberry season, I put out a call for help. I will be forever thankful for the talented fingers of Charity Watral and Christie Mock, who so generously offered their time. Although these two live far away from each other, and to my knowledge don’t even know each other, both samplers arrived on my doorstep the very same day. Now how is that for timing?

I decided to stitch up a Strawberry Pinbook panel as a bonus piece to go along with the samplers. Stitched to a folded piece of vintage cutter quilt, it is a sweet way to transport pins when I’m on the go.

Included in this pattern packet you will find charts for 2 samplers and 1 pinbook, as well as instructions for completing the pinbook. It will arrive in a plastic zip-close envelope for safe keeping.

I will also make available to anyone purchasing this pattern a free downloadable .pdf tutorial for finishing the pinbook; in the tutorial there are step-by-step instructions with color photographs.

The lovely frames on the model samplers were made by Dona, the owner/operator of www.homecraftframing.etsy.com These frames are made one at a time at her home by herself and her husband. They are not available for wholesale purchase, but are well worth the effort of placing a custom order and doing the framing yourself (or taking to your favorite framer to do the work for you). Stop in at her etsy shop to see her ready-made frames, or to place a custom order, and tell her I sent you!

Strawberry Bower Sampler
Stitch Count: 161 x 131
Weeks Dye Works 40ct. Putty linen

Strawberry Band Sampler
Stitch Count: 136 x 182
Northern Cross 35ct. Tea linen

Strawberry Pinbook
Stitch Count: 77 x 58
R & R 35ct. Espresso linen and vintage quilt scrap

Flosses used:
Weeks Dye Works 1332 Red Pear, 2201 Moss

The Gentle Art 0420 Gold Leaf, 7000 Harvest Basket,
7019 Pomegranate, 7041 Apple Cider, 7049 Lambswool,
7050 Baby Spinach, 7080 Endive

This design is now available in my etsy shop, and will be going out to my distributors and the shops on my automatic shipments list soon. If you prefer to bypass etsy and order directly through me, you can send me an email: beth@heartstringsamplery.com