Erica Michaels Designs ~ Constant Companion

This was one of my personal favorites that I saw at the Nashville Market in March of 2020.  Both are absolutely stunning!!!

LINEN Model:

Stitch count:

147 x 145

Threads:

The Gentle Art/Simply Wool: Antique Rose, Baby Spinach (3 skeins), Buckeye Scarlet (2 skeins), Copper, Dungarees, Fragrant Cloves, Honey Dew, Morning Glory, Oatmeal
The Gentle Art/Simply Shaker: Onyx

NOTE: Dye lots in the wool thread sometimes vary widely. Gentle Art and DMC cotton alternates are provided in the chartpak.

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SILK GAUZE Model:

Stitch Count:

147 x 145
Silk gauze is not included.

Threads:

Weeks Dye Works: Blue Jeans, Carrot, Hibiscus, Jay Bird, Monkey Grass, Onyx, Turkish Red, Wasabi
Dirt Road and Sandcastle (10 yards) are both used for filling the background on the silk gauze.

Stitching Level:

Experienced

From Linda - 

Inspired by a charming little antique, Constant Companion uses the vibrant border stitched by Margaret Farms in 1854. I wasn’t a fan of her rather pious verse so have instead highlighted two stitching related quotations, which showcase her design quite nicely.

The original sampler’s border is stitched in wool and the verse in cotton; I mirrored that in the model shown here on linen. The pretty cream-colored linen certainly makes the colors pop and the verse comes from 19th century author, Nathanial Hawthorne.

The model on silk gauze uses exactly the same border, but looks completely different! Colors are similar, but the background highlights the design in a very distinctive manner. You would get a similar look if you use darker linen should you elect not to stitch on the silk gauze.

The quotation here really speaks to me as I cannot imagine ever putting down my needle. It comes from the introduction to The Ladies’ Work-Table Book; Clear and Practical Instructions in Plain and Fancy Needleworkpublished in 1844, ten years before Margaret stitched her sampler.