April Meeting Part Two

We were treated to the wonderful collection of Crystal S.   She shared her knowledge and the research she has done on each sampler.  She is a retired IT Executive who has over 120 antique samplers in her collection.    While working she had little time to stitch but has always loved stitching.  When Spirit of Cross Stitch was popular, she developed her love of samplers.  She does vast genealogy research of each piece in part to ensure she identifies the stitcher but also the stitcher's family history.

Crystal also provided a handout on the timeline of the history of  England, Scottish and American.   What this does is it tells us what is going on in the world around these girls at the time they stitched their samplers.   Sometimes the events of the world had an effect on the motifs, etc.  As can be seen lower on this page in the Mary Ann Harding sampler.   The verse references the death of a child.  At the time this was stitched there had been a cholera epidemic.   Maybe one has nothing to do with the other, but maybe it did.   

This Ayrshire lace was unbelievable.   Such beautiful, precise hand stitching.  This is from the Victorian era.

Maria Buckwalter Sampler, 1834, Lancaster County, PA

Elizabeth Sanders, English Sampler, 1805

Close up of the previous sampler. And below, the back of the sampler.

Close up of the pulled work.

White work reticella work.  Crystal said through her research, this is believed to be a 'resume' sampler.   A stitcher would have featured all her best work to share with potential employers to showcase skills.

Madelene Gerst, 1792, PA German Sampler.   Thought to be used as a primer for motifs for marking linens.   The Gerst family is associated with the Schwenkfelder's.

Scottish and Gaelic sampler of Mary McGregor of Inveresragan, Scotland.   The verse is Gaelic Psalm 110, verse 2

Louisa Phelps, 1827, Connecticut Sampler

Above and below, the Knibbs sisters samplers.  1809  (say that three times fast).  Interestingly, the verse is from Francois de La Rochefoucauld, of France.   Also, for you Oak Island fans, Rochefoucauld is associated with Oak Island.

Redwork sampler of C. M. Schouten. 1804

Susannah Clarke Sampler 1835

Mary Ann Harding of the Kinnerton School, 1835, near Wales.   The verse is haunting as it is about the death of a child. 

Elizabeth Davis Sampler, Mrs. Shrimpton's School, 1842, Redditch, England.   This would be just after the start of the Industrial Revolution.   Needles were made in Spain starting in the 1600's.  The needle industry moved from Spain to Redditch around 1735.   Needles were made of brass but then steel at the time of the move to England.  

Hannah Mendenhall, 1812, stitched while at the Westtown School, Chester County, PA.  She is related to the Pusey family.   Pusey family samplers can be found at the Chester County Historical Society.

Elizebeth Hershey Sampler, Mary Shannon's School, Washington Borough, Lancaster Co., PA

This is a Maryland Quaker sampler of Mary Hibbert of Fair Hill, Maryland, 1823

Lovina Price Family Register, a Massachusetts sampler from 1827.

Massachusetts Sampler of Rebekah Ellis, 1816

From Wrentham, Massachusetts, Mary Messenger Sampler, 1802.

Maine sampler of Sukey Sewall 1800

New Jersey Sampler of Margaret C. Freemen, 1821, Monmouth County, NJ

Emma D'Camp, 1842 Sampler, Morristown, NJ

Mary Ann Dickinson Sampler, 1829

Margaret Gardner Sampler circa 1800

1830, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Suranna Wright Sampler

You can see we had a lot to look at.   Crystal did a great job sharing details she has uncovered on her  samplers.  She definitely has a vast knowledge.