EMBROIDERED SAMPLERS

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114a – Curtis – This unusual Sampler, within its period birds eye maple frame, was sewn by Mary Ann Curtis in 1841. She used a single weave canvas as the ground for her wool-work embroidery in a variation of Oblique Gobelin stitch to create attractive floral borders in the ‘Berlin’ style, with the inclusion at the top, of an exotic bird (its beak defined in Petit Point), and at the centre bottom, a Chapel on a hillside, surrounded by trees, and a girl in a red skirt walking towards the Cross in the foreground. The rhyme, sewn in extremely fine Cross stitch is entitled ‘The Sampler’. £295

138 – Faulknor / Faulkner – An attractive and finely embroidered Sampler inscribed “Francis Faulknor born December 16 1811″, worked in coloured silks on a pale ground. A number of motifs including animals, birds, flowering plants & a small ornate building surround a verse, all sewn in minute cross stitch and enclosed within a birds eye maple frame.  £525

163 Hannah Fielden sewed her Sampler when she was 12 years old in 1837 using some unusual features – such as her ‘wider than normal’ border which consists of a continuous trailing branch of realistic rosebuds. A morality rhyme is positioned between floral motifs, also worked to a more realistic design than the usual ‘geometric’ flowers found on Samplers. A house, with its brickwork cleverly delineated, is embroidered at the bottom – perhaps representing Hannah’s home or school. A very attractive piece, worked in cross stitch, with a little tent stitch – in excellent condition, in a frame which compliments the colours of the embroidery to perfection. £595

119b – Mary Frances Hatton was only 10 years old when she completed her Sampler in 1823. Mainly embroidered in exquisitely tiny cross-stitch, she enhanced some areas with satin stitch. Mary must have enjoyed sewing, because she filled her fabric with as many motifs as she could (to include 21 birds – of various breeds such as owls, peacock, pigeon and 3 buildings – possibly garden features on a Family Estate). She chose a verse seen on a number of other samplers. This Sampler has been conserved by being hand sewn onto natural unbleached Irish linen, before being framed and glazed. £645

243 “E L” – A “Band” Sampler made during the 1600’s, probably between 1650 and 1700 as an example of the complicated patterns of embroidery to be used on domestic items and clothes. This Sampler would not have been sewn to be displayed on the wall, as the later ones were – it would have been kept rolled up in a coffer, or work box, to be consulted when a new piece of household linen, to be embellished with embroidery, was commenced. Many Samplers sewn during the 17th century do not bear a name or date. This Sampler is finished with the initials “E L” and may well have been marked by the owner as a way of distinguishing it from her sisters’ work. There are, however, some dated examples in the Victoria & Albert Museum and some of the wider bands on this Sampler can be compared with those, showing that the basic patterns had been copied from printed books. (The narrow bands seem to be more individual.) For example, in the upper section of the Sampler which is sewn with silks using Double Running, Satin, a variation of Montenegrin Cross & Long Armed Cross stitches – the 3rd down ‘wide’ band is very similar to that by Mildred Mayow in 1633 (V&A) the difference being that Mildred put a square rather than a cross in the centre of each 4 petal flower, – the 4th down ‘wide’ band (bunches of grapes & vine leaves) is identical to that by Mary Burrowes in 1656 (V&A) – which also has a band very similar to the top ‘wide’ band of this Sampler,

– the widest & lowest band in the silk section is the same as one on an un-named Sampler dated 1657 in the Swamethan Collection, and very similar to that of Elizabeth Mackett dated 1696 (V&A).
The lower section in white linen thread sewn in blocks of satin stitch & double running stitch mimics Damask cloth which was so expensive to import during the 17th century. The top white work band has the same design as one on Margreet May’s 1654 (V&A) and is followed by a band to the same design as one on a German Sampler of 1618 (V&A).
This Sampler has been conserved by being hand sewn onto natural linen which has been backed by museum quality mount board before being framed. £1995