*NEW* How Can I Keep From Singing?

Inspired by the lovely words of a hymn and sunny scenes found on old samplers.

The first known publication of the words now known as the hymn “How Can I Keep From Singing?” was on August 7, 1868, in The New York Observer. Titled "Always Rejoicing", and attributed to "Pauline T.", the text reads:

My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth's lamentation,
I hear the sweet, tho' far-off hymn
That hails a new creation;
Thro' all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul—
How can I keep from singing?

What tho' my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What tho' the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

I lift my eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smooths,
Since first I learned to love it;
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing;
All things are mine since I am his—
How can I keep from singing?

One year later, the words were set to music and published by Robert Lowry in the 1869 song book, Bright Jewels for the Sunday School.

I've taken the liberty of creating my own verse using selections from each stanza.

The model was entirely cross-stitched with one thread over two with the exception of the grass, which was tent-stitched, and the verse, which was cross-stitched over one.

Stitch Count: 186 x 175
Stitched on Picture This Plus 28ct. Ale

Using thread from The Gentle Art: 0450 Corn Husk, 0511 Country Redwood, 7045 Mountain Mist, 7060 Picnic Basket, 7061 Caramel Corn, 7079 Heirloom Gold, 7082 Piney Woods

Using flosses from Weeks Dye Works: 1092 Grits, 2200 Kudzu, 3960 Teal Frost

Frame by Valley House Primitives.

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

And be sure to check out my other new design, Snow Zone, which was released simultaneously.

Your Kind of String

Based on the lack of comments on yesterday's post, I'd say that you would prefer I stick with posting about that other kind of string. You know, the kind used to make a whole bunch of painstaking little x's that usually result in a fabulous finished piece of art? Let's face it, we've all stitched not-so-fabulous designs, haven't we? Some of my own earlier designs make me shake my head today.

Hopefully this up-and-coming yet-to-be-released sampler will only bring about head nods...

Watch for a release date early in August.