How Do You Feel About Thread Colors?

I finally got a start on the Margaret Doyle sampler a few days ago -- I finished up a Christmas gift that I stitched on 19 count Cork linen (over-two....so, like 9 1/2 count!) Then I moved onto 40 count, and it was like, OH MY GOODNESS! These stitches are so tiny!

One of the decisions designers make when reproducing a sampler is how to choose colors. Oftentimes, the colors on the front of a sampler have faded significantly over the decades, especially if the sampler has been on display. When I reproduce, I like the faded colors on the front, and typically reproduce samplers from 1840 or earlier, when natural dyes were used.

But, once chemical dyes were formulated, samplers not only became much more colorful, but they stayed colorful for longer, like the Margaret Doyle sampler. And I think it's so much fun to have a project with cobalt blues and cheerful pinks. No doubt the young stitchers of the time also liked the rainbow of colors at their fingertips.

What do you like when you stitch a reproduction? I like both brighter colors and muted/faded colors. But most of what I stitch is muted, so picking up a sampler like Margaret's is a real treat!