GERMAN SAMPLER; SAMPLERS FROM THE EARLY INTERNET

The next sampler from the Museum of Science and Industry is a German Sampler. It was stitched on what I believe is a linen fabric, but note in the closeups that it is a checkered fabric and that the stitches are embroidered not counted. This sampler was stitched in 1758 and measures a whopping 13" x 52." This is why I was not able to get a photo of the entire piece. I have taped several photos together to get it all. There is the Lamb of God and a crucifix. I believe that northern Germany was a Catholic area at the time. The 1939 appraised price was $8. It sold at Sotheby's in a group of 2 for 632 pounds sterling.

The verse reads:

God will
take care for
today and
tomorrow

God with us

The blessing, of the Lord,
Stay with you, from children
to children's children

SAMPLER PURCHASES FROM THE INTERNET—

Years ago when I was on AOL and the internet was just a baby, I was on some antiques group, and a gal in California mentioned that she wanted to sell 6 antique samplers. I jumped and bought them. Sorry, don't remember what I paid. I sent her a certified check for the first, and she sent one to me. Then she sent me the rest, and I paid her.

The first was Betty Key 1807, a Scottish sampler. I know this because she stitched various family initials  on the sampler. Love the extra large ABC. I reproduced this sampler on 25 count linen. There are cross stitch and eyelet stitches, and it measures 7" x 15."

The next was Mary Prescott 1820. It is an English sampler and not in great shape but I like all the little people and dogs and the castle, etc. 

Next came Ruth Morries 1835. This is also an English sampler and is stitched with wool thread. GR is King George—George Rex.

Robina Drysdale Jack stitched her sampler in 1850. Because she stitched so many of her family's initials, I was able to find her. There were 13 children in the family who resided in Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland. The black CWKJ is her sister Christina Wilson Kelly Jack who must have died as her initials are in black. I reproduced this sampler on 28 count linen with 7 colors of thread. There are cross, eyelet, and rice stitches. The size is 7" x 14."

I don't remember the name of this sampler below, but I do think it is Scandinavian as noted by the AO after the Z in the alphabet. It must have been stitched around 1850 or later because of the Berlin work style of  motifs at the bottom.

I took this photo through the glass on the frame. It is really difficult to do!

I believe that Julian Cherrier 1839 is a French sampler. Imagine my dismay when I looked at it closely after I received it to find that it had been cut off at the top! I wonder how long it originally was... This sampler was stitched on linen with wool thread. 

OTHER HOBBIES—

I love to do all kinds of handwork. This is my first attempt at rug hooking—primitive style. He was a kit that I received in a class. Love him. Tried to work on another rug hooking pattern a year ago. I had bought it in Massachusetts and had cut all the wool for it. Worked a bit too hard and must have injured something in my forearm and had to quit. My forearm was sore for a year! Now if I am in the mood for hooking, I do punch needle instead. Much easier on the body. Speaking of the body, I'm off to yoga class. I go twice a week and take Iyengar yoga and have a fabulous teacher and lot of nice gals in my classes. It keeps me young in mind and body. Talk soon. --Nancy

A GERMAN SAMPLER and HANNAH CUSHING 1810

Had hoped to blog yesterday, but after yoga I went over to my daughter's house to help her clean out some of her "stuff." She teaches 6th grade math and social studies and is on spring break. She and her husband moved into their house last fall, and now she is ready to get rid of what she doesn't need or use. I just had to tell her "keep" or "get rid of it." Of course, I came home with things I couldn't part with like the pink and blue kitties that I had as a girl! Really 50's looking.

Museum of Science and Industry Sampler—

This sampler is German dated 1736. The early German ones in this collection were dated with initials but not the name of the stitcher. This sampler was made by AMR. It was appraised in 1939 for $12 and sold at Sotheby's in London in a group of 5 samplers for 1150 pounds. As you read this blog, you will begin to see the similarities in these German samplers. This one was done using mainly cross stitch with a touch of free-form embroidery. It was stitched on 40 count linen with silk thread and measures 13" x 15." The blue crowns probably each represent a different rank in royalty. All 4 sides of the wampler were hemmed. 

I have made this blog a one-column blog so that I can enlarge the photos so you can get your nose right down on the stitches! If you don't like the large pictures, let me know.

OUT OF THE CLOSET—1989

This is a large sampler of a large variety of stitches. At the moment I cannot remember the name of the designer.

This isn't all of the blocks but you get the idea. It was a fun project to stitch though it is very large. I used probably 12 count needlepoint canvas with both floss and perle cotton. Loved doing all the different kinds of stitches. The only boring part was the ecru border. I actually got a ganglion cyst on my wrist from pulling out some perle cotton from where it didn't belong in the design. I was up at the lake, and the next morning thought I had a large spider bite, but it was a ganglion cyst. Had it drained once by a doctor, and it came back again.  Later I had an "accident" with one of those large hole punches that punch multiple holes. When I tried to punch through a lot of heavy paper, it sprang up and hit my wrist. The cyst went away never to be seen again. I understand that in the "olden" days that people used to whack the cyst with a family Bible, and you know how big those are! Bye bye cyst!

THREADS THROUGH TIME REPRODUCTION SAMPLER—Hannah Cushing 1810

I must have taken these photos as slides as the third photo showing the back of the sampler should be flipped horizontally, oh well... 

I stitched Hannah on 32 count linen with only 12 colors of floss. It is cross stitch with some half cross and measures 11" x 10" which is a nice small size. Since Hannah did not stitch the name of her town, we do not know where she is from.  This sampler is in a private collection, and I think was purchased at an antique shop years ago. 

QUAKER LADY AND GENT—

Finished them last week. Found some frames but have yet to frame them.

Better go on my walk before the rain starts. Spring has really sprung here in Chicago land. The daffodils are in full glory as are the magnolias. Saw loads of tulips in full bloom in our downtown. Bye for now.
--Nancy

SOME BLACKWORK SAMPLERS

Had wanted to post yesterday, but my neighbor Bev from across the street wanted to use my long arm machine to quilt a sampler quilt of hers. She had been asking for a long time, and I always had a quilt on the machine. Finally finished one and called her to come over. She wanted to use a pantograph which is a quilting design printed on a long sheet of paper. You follow the pattern from side to side with a tiny laser light hooked to the machine. We worked on pinning her backing fabric to the leaders with corsage pins and laying out the batting and finally the top. Got one row of stitching done, and I had a brain freeze as to how to position the laser for the second row so that they would over lap a bit. It was about 4 pm by then so we stopped. Went down to my "quilting room" in the basement just now and looked at it again and found the answer right away. Shows you need to take a break some times and the answer to your problem will come to you!

MSI SAMPLER—Elizabeth Bayles 173?
I will try to talk about a sampler from the former Carrie B. Neely Collection at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago on each of my blogs. We are starting our journey by the date of the sampler—the oldest ones first.

Elizabeth Bayles didn't have enough room to stitch the exact year when she finished her sampler! Look at the very bottom after her name. She says 173 blank. This sampler was originally appraised at $14 probably because of its age as it is not a remarkable sampler. It was stitched on 42 count linen with silk thread and measures 8" x 16." It is cross stitch only. In 1998 it sold for 690 pounds in a group of two samplers. Note the early "A" and that "V" is "U."

Her verse reads:

LOVE THE LORD AND HE WILL

BE A TENDER FATHER UNTO THE(sic)

AWAKE ARISE BEHOLD THOU

HAST THY LIFE A LIFE THY

BREATH ABLAST AT NIGHT LY(sic)

DOWN PREPARE TO HAVE THY

SLEEP THY DEATH THY BED

THY GRAVE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

IF YOU KNOW CHRIST YOU NEED

KNOW LITTLE MORE IF NOT

ALLS (sic) LOST THAT YOU HAVE

LARNT (sic) BEFORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

O PRAISE THE LORD ALL YE

NATIONS PRAISE HIM ALL YE 

PEOPEL (sic) FOR HIS MERCIFUL KIND

NESS IS GRATE (sic) TOWARDS US AND

THE TRUTH OF THE LORD IN

DURETH (sic)

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BLACKWORK—

I have always loved blackwork. This little piggie is a piece that I stitched on needlepoint canvas with perle cotton at my ANG group in 1983.

I have this piece below stitched to a needlework bag which is a bad choice because there is so much stitching on it and I hate to think that I just throw it in the car! Should remove it from the front of the bag and frame it! I think I must have photographed it upside down or the flower is growing back to the earth. This was an Embroiderers' Guild of America group correspondence course and the fabric was---horrors--aida cloth—using black floss! It is not reversible.

You can see the bag fabric peeking above.

The piece below was taught to me at an EGA regional seminar in Grand Rapids. The teacher was Nan Tyson Euler. When I got home and started working on it, I decided to make some changes and make it my own. If I had stitched the first alphabet using the "antique" stitching method Nan charted for us, the piece would still be in its bag. I think that you sometimes need to make an executive decision on your pieces. As I recall I did the design as charted until I reached the large blue diamond which I had started in class. I did not want the thistle or whatever was supposed to be in the middle so I found a design that would fit. Same goes with the area outside the diamond. Note that I ran out of the "orange" thread from my kit and just added some red. The sampler police did not come and get me!

Can't remember whether or not I changed/substitutedany designs at the bottom of the sampler. I hemmed it on all 4 sides like an old one would have been done before I had it framed.

Better go eat lunch as Bev is coming over soon to quilt her quilt and I have to be down there with her. Talk soon. --Nancy