mlsdesigns: (Default)
[personal profile] mlsdesigns
i'm too tired to try and do photos today, plus they're better in natural light!
the sampler is dated 1802, made by harriot wainright, aged 9 (i think, the stitching of her letters is very wobbly, i think her name should be harriet, too!)
it's beautiful, not at all your usual type, it's what's known as a darning sampler, worked on very fine fabric, almost like butter muslin, and has patterns worked on it in fine silk threads, woven through the fabric, oh bother it, i'll go and take a bad photo to show you...
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
it's in a dreadful state, great granny, we think, found it in a drawer and sewed it to a peice of paper to protect it, only trouble is it was then folded, and the paper has foxed and marked the fabric, and the creases are very bad, i'm going to use some of the money granny left me to get it restored and framed, and hang it inside a cupboard in my sewing room :)

i don't understand how she was allowed to leave it like this, her governess should have made her redo the writing
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
but the 'darning' is sooo beautiful
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
not only are they all different colours, they are different patterns too
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

i could only find out a very little bit about this kind of sampler, they are very rare and were only in fashion for 20 or 40 years over the turn of the century. i'm going to take it to the royal school of needle work i think to see if they can restore it, and they'll be able to tell me a lot more about it.

Date: 2007-04-15 03:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] girliegirl32786.livejournal.com
How beautiful!

Date: 2007-04-15 09:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mlsdesigns.livejournal.com
it's sooo very beautiful, i'll try and take better closeups of the 'darning' later.

Date: 2007-04-15 01:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] my-stitching.livejournal.com
Wow that's gorgeous. I have never seen anything like that before. I hope you are able to restore it. :)

Date: 2007-04-15 03:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mlsdesigns.livejournal.com
me too, it is gorgeous isn't it?

Date: 2007-04-15 06:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tailordrews.livejournal.com
Its breathtaking.
One thing ! Please dont fold it back in its old folds. Find a paper roll long enough, and wrap it with acid free tissue paper, then roll on the sampler to the roll and pack it with acid free tissue paper.
Sooner or later, it wil break in the folds.............
I worked at a textile consevation department, so i know!

Bjarne

Date: 2007-04-15 08:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mlsdesigns.livejournal.com
thank you! i thought i was doing the best thing keeping it folded, i'll roll it up as soon as i can, i don't want to make it any worse.

Date: 2007-04-16 07:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lacomtesse.livejournal.com
What a find!I'm glad you're getting it professionally restored; I'm sure the paper protector is not acid-free. It's going to make a wonderful addition to your sewing room.

Date: 2007-04-17 08:14 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mlsdesigns.livejournal.com
thank you. it will be so inspiring!

Profile

mlsdesigns: (Default)
mlsdesigns

April 2016

S M T W T F S
     12
3456789
1011121314 1516
17181920212223
24252627282930

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Feb. 5th, 2026 09:16 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios