Much to my great happiness, my 10-year-old daughter has become obsessed with all things related to the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, just as I was at the same age. She’s read all of the books (some of them multiple times), and we’re currently watching through the television series as a family. At some point this past Autumn, she turned to me and said, “Mama, all I want for my birthday is for you to design a sampler for me.” Be still, my heart! How could I say no to such a request? Once I had the design partially done, I showed it toher on my computer screen and she gasped out loud with delight. This nearly brought me to tears, if I’m being honest. At that point, I let her give input into the final version of the sampler. It was her idea to have Laura hold a fishing pole, to put in the tiny little copper penny beside the tin cup and candy cane (from Laura and Mary’s Christmas in the big woods. She requested the basket of eggs and lunch pail as well as the Grizzly Bear in the forest. I think we make a great team, don’t you? And when it came time to stitch the model, she was very intent on stitching that copper penny all by herself. I hope she treasures this sampler for the rest of her life.
The quote included in the sampler is from a letter written in 1947 by Laura Ingalls Wilder, addressed to the children that read her books. In the letter, she gave a brief update on many of the people in her stories, including herself, and closed with, “The Little House books are stories of long ago. The way we live and your schools are much different now, so many changes have made living and learning easier. But the real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong.” Good words that apply even now, another 70 years after being written.
Stitch Count: 203 x 203
Model stitched with one thread over two, one thread over one, and also includes some straight stitching.
R&R Reproductions’ 35ct. Classic Homespun
Weeks Dye Works threads: Beige, Straw, London Fog, Havana, Palomino, Dirt Road, Sage, Garrison Green, Caper, Molasses, Dolphin, Baked Apple, Deep Sea, Gold, Sanguine, Sand
Conversion to DMC included with the chart.
The lovely frame is by Valley House Primitives.
This design is now available in my etsy shop, and will soon be in the hands of my distributors and the shops on my auto ship list. If you prefer to bypass etsy and order directly through me, you can send me an email: beth@heartstringsamplery.com
