Dutch Merklap Sampler – Cross-Stitch Pattern

Dutch Merklap Sampler – counted cross-stitch pattern

An alphabet sampler in the Dutch tradition. A full-colour cross-stitch chart made from an open-access museum image, matched to DMC stranded cotton and cleaned up by hand so you aren't left with hundreds of single stray stitches.

What you get

- PDF pattern in A4 and US Letter (13 pages each)

- Colour chart and black-and-white symbol chart (4 parts each), with bold 10-stitch grid, numbered rows and columns, centre arrows and a page map

- Thread key with DMC numbers, colour names, stitch counts and skein estimates for 14- and 18-count

- Chart overview, stitching guide and a page about the original artwork and its source

Pattern details

- Design size: 121 × 171 stitches (3,898 full cross stitches)

- Colours: 6 DMC colours

- Difficulty: Beginner-friendly

- Finished size on 14-count aida: 8.6 × 12.2 in (22.0 × 31.0 cm)

- Finished size on 18-count aida: 6.7 × 9.5 in (17.1 × 24.1 cm)

- Suggested fabric: Linen-coloured, cream or ecru aida (background left unstitched)

- Full cross stitch only, no backstitch or fractional stitches

About the artwork

Dutch girls learned to mark household linen by stitching a merklap: rows of letters and numbers, followed by motifs such as crowns, birds, tulips and trees of life. This is our own design in that tradition, drawn stitch by stitch and inspired by Dutch samplers like the one Gesina Hendrica Galman stitched in 1829 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). Replace the year or add your own initials with the alphabet in the top rows.

Source: Our own design, charted stitch by stitch. Inspiration: Dutch samplers such as the 1829 merklap by Gesina Hendrica Galman (The Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Good to know

- This is a digital PDF pattern. No fabric, thread, hoop or kit is shipped; the hoop and frame photos are illustrations.

- Screen and printed colours differ from real thread. Go by the DMC numbers.

- Licence: for your own stitching. You're welcome to sell or give away pieces you stitch by hand from it, but please don't share or resell the PDF or the chart.

- The artwork is in the public domain. The chart, colour selection and layout are by Bright Sheets Gallery. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any museum or by DMC.

Support

Questions? gallery@brightsheetsstudio.com – Bright Sheets Studio

Instant digital download. By purchasing you agree the download starts immediately, which waives the 14-day withdrawal right for digital content.