return on creativity: shift key sampler

I love the history of embroidery samplers.  Imagine little girls practicing stitches taught by their moms or grandmas (some undoubtedly enjoying it more than others); and women showing off a bit mastering their craft.  I have a piece of old lacework that my great grandma made, but unfortunately no samplers...

This is an updated sampler with a modern, clean font (Arial).  I'm seeing ampersands and @ symbols everywhere lately, so I decided to use the shift-key symbols rather than the alphabet.

This really is a practice piece, my first try at the satin stitch.

I used my light box to trace the symbols onto my fabric with a water soluble marker.

Here's my pattern.

To start the satin stitch I first backstitched around the symbol.

Then I completed my symbol with a satin stitch.

This was a great project for practicing the satin stitch; straight lines, circles, and negotiating curves.