This piece was inspired by an early Pennsylvania fraktur done in watercolors.  I've had a photo of the fraktur sitting on my computer's desktop for more than a year.  I loved it more each time I saw it, but was thoroughly intimidated by the task of turning it into needlework.  And, it truly was as difficult as I imagined it might be!  I set it aside three times and finally buckled down and finished it in early April.  It was not exactly a labor of love, but more of a “struggle of love!"  The sampler is stitched on 40 Count Shiloh from Needle & Flax using Needlepoint Silks.  Cross stitch is used throughout with the exception of the large alphabet which is stitched in Smyrna Cross stitches.  The stitch count is 176 Wide by 255 High.  Needlepoint Silks used are:  224, 227, 352, 353, 354, 356, 512, 513, 695, 696, 993.  Two skeins of 224 will be needed.  A conversion to DMC is provided.