Delaware Sampler Documentation Day

The Delaware School Sampler project is a collaborative effort to locate, document and promote awareness of historic schoolgirl samplers and related embroidery stitched in Delaware or in Delaware collections.   The University of Delaware's Sampler Archive Project invited the public to bring in their antique samplers for identification and interpretation.   The information gathered will be part of a national heritage database that will debut online in 2014.  Working with the University of Delaware, this project was launched two years ago with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to the University's Winterthur Program in American Material Culture.  See also, Sampler Archive Project for more information and forms.

A statewide survey is being conducted and to date it has located more than 400 samplers stitched by Delaware schoolgirls.   These pieces are in private homes, museums, historical society, libraries and private collections.  All will be documented as American, registered and photographed for inclusion in the Sampler Archive.

Three ID Days were scheduled over the summer in different parts of the state.   

   June 8, DE Historical Society

   June 15, Biggs Museum, Dover

   July 18, Lewes Historical Society, Lewes

Delaware Sampler Symposium

On November 16, 2013 a one day, free symposium at the Biggs Museum in Dover, DE, will  feature speakers on various topics related to schoolgirl samplers.  It will provide the first look at some newly discovered samplers.   In addition to the events on November 16th, there will be one or two days of needlework classes and field trips designed to promote the understating of Delaware's sampler making traditions.   info from samplings.com

Delaware Valley Historic Sampler Guild has no affiliation with the Delaware Sampler Documentation Project of Delaware Sampler Symposium and provides the above at informational.  Please check with the websites I have linked here for the most current information on events and schedules.