Tuesday 20 January 2015

Antique Samplers .... always an inspiration to me!




On this fair sampler does my needle write.
Whitney Antiques
Samplers and historic embroideries.



I can loose myself in antique sampler the same way as I can in looking at a Monet painting!  I positively drown myself in them.  The vintage samplers are so detailed and many of them stitched by very young ladies indeed.

Because I love to stitch samplers as part of my work, it is wonderful to take inspiration from very old pieces.  The samplers that I stitch are not all cross stitch or embroidery but with applique as well, and of course a sampler does not just have to have ABC's or 123's either, it can have sayings and poems as well.

I had a wonderful book from my husband for Christmas and it is called 'on this fair sampler does my needle write' and was taken from an exhibition by Whitney Antiques... it is simply stunning.

There are lots of different samplers and I would like to share one with you.

Martha Smith 1836

This sampler is worked on cream wool in cross stitch, stem and long and short stitch with wonderful silk threads, fine wools and chenille, which gives texture and variety.

At the bottom of this sampler is a pastoral scene and has an embroidered shepherdess.  The verse is called On early Religion.  The pious sentiments expressed echo religious beliefs of the time.  Children of this era were not shielded from the grim realities of early death but actually prepared for it.

Although I am not keen on samplers with extreme religious undertones I do love to look at the embroidery of them, and this one is stunning.

You can see all the different colours and stitches used to bring this to life!




This book has really rather fine examples of beautiful stitching and has been such a pleasure to read and look at.  I can highly recommend it.  You can get it on Amazon.

So I am away to my stitchery now on yet another very cold day, but I am warm and cosy here and enjoying every stitch that I take.....

Happy Stitching!

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