They Strangled Women Not Witches in Scotland — A5 Sewing Sampler and Large finished piece

Between 1563 and 1736, approximately 2,500 people were executed as witches in Scotland — and around 84% of those accused were women. So let’s be clear: they didn’t kill witches. They killed women. The Scottish Witchcraft Act stayed on the books until 1736, and this piece sits with that fact for a while. It’s heavy. It should be.

This one is *massive* — both in scale and in time spent. I really wanted to use it as a way to explore the different effects you can achieve with fabric and thread choices, especially in pieces with historical or emotional weight. The top half is stitched with a variegated cotton, which is beautifully textured but — I won’t lie — a bit of a beast to work with. Cotton’s clean, strong, and it eats thread like nobody’s business, so it takes longer but gives a finer finish.

The bottom half, though, is where things got interesting (and a little chaotic): I used a variegated aran wool. Gorgeous. Warm. Terrible tensile strength. It’ll start to fray if you’re pulling it through calico too many times — so if you’re inspired to try something similar, I recommend either tapestry wool or using much shorter lengths to avoid the heartbreak of snapping fibres halfway through a piece.

On top of that, I added a red drop shadow in Aran (because drama), and a variegated silk red over the cotton section — partly for contrast, partly because I wanted to show just how different the final result can look depending on what materials you go for. Even the same phrase can land differently, depending on how you treat it.

This sampler isn’t just decorative — it’s experimental, instructional, and a little bit furious. A love letter to texture. A quiet scream.

Stitch your rage. Stitch your reverence.

What’s Included:
* A5 printed fabric sampler (calico)
* Embroidery needle

Optional Extras (Select Below):
* Wooden Embroidery Hoop – Keeps your fabric taut and easier to work with
* Thread Selection – Choose a colour palette that suits your interpretation
* Sheet of Felt Backing – Adds thickness and structure for easier stitching and display