Tuesday, April 3, 2012

A 19th Century Sampler


My grandmother loved making samplers and handing them out like candy to her grandchildren, and while I may not have the time to carry on this proud family tradition, I have at least cultivated an intense interest in this particular form of crafting.

You can imagine my delight when I encountered a stunning and elegant sampler from 1879 (!) framed and hanging on the wall of a friend's apartment. Most of the embroidery is done with white thread, creating a very clean look interrupted only by a few details in red.


 
Below is a shot of the sampler in its entirety. Despite being over 130 years old, it was in excellent condition with only three small moth holes to the bottom right of the letter Q.


Do any of you love them as much as I do? What is the oldest or most unusual example of one you've ever seen?

2 comments:

  1. Isn't the white on white really beautiful. How lucky to have this handed down. I'm planning that this winter I may make a family cross stitch sampler, keep me busy on those cold evenings. Ok I know lets have summer first. x x x

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    1. Your cross-stitch sampler will surely become an heirloom! How you can be thinking about the coming winter already eludes me, but maybe you're just really organized——or like chilly weather!

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