Friday, December 15, 2017

My Samplers have come to life!

Most of you know it’s been my year to Stitch Quaker ..... I have been diligently loving each and every project! Well.... yesterday, my stitchy friend, Laura Phillips, rode with me to Virginia Beach to gather up my framed Samplers from Ms Patti Nicolosi.... Oh, and let me just say, I was blown away! She had me crying tears of amazement right there in the Panera parking lot! I’d like to share two of the three pieces with you today ( the third is a Patriotic stitch that will be shown later when I get my Patriotic wall of stitches up)……

 Patti has the “eye” for picking perfect moulding to highlight your stitched pieces... She’s framed many other pieces for me and by the way.... I will have my collection of Quaker Samplers up on the walls right after the holidays... I’m waiting because I have moved furniture around to allow for my Christmas tree and I want these Samplers centered above that moved couch... Anywho, stay posted!

Aren’t they pretty??





I chose to stitch Sarah Tatum Sampler designed by Scarlet Letter because Sarah was a young school girl when she stitched this, much like the young children I had been educating the past many years.. Since 2017 was my year of retirement from being an educator, I thought Sarah’s Sampler would be perfect~ Stitched in 1800, I expect Sarah was a well liked little girl. Look at all the vibrant thread colors she used! Often, the girls would share and swap threads, so evidently, Sarah had many classmates willing to share.....

I stitched my Sarah Tatum on 40 count Exempler linen by Lakeside using the specified silks... It’s a sizable piece with the design size of 19” x 16”.....  It certainly will be my focal point on my wall of Quaker Samplers~ 


I love the mix of golds and bronze tone silks along with the many shades of blues and grays.... There are even motifs stitched in cremes... They are not easy to see, but even the palest threads are there.... And then you’ll notice a few pops of color.. This sampler was my go-to stitch for many weeks this year. Each motif seemed like a completed project, so I could hardly put this Sampler down. I wondered if Sarah felt the same way.... 


This nice wide moulding that Patti chose to use couldn’t have been more perfect~ The brown and subtle bronze undertones really highlighted those similar thread colors used... Slightly aged looking was just what was needed and I couldn’t be happier about the end result......




My other large Quaker Stitch for 2017 was Raggauffin 2 Sampler designed by Shakespeare’s Peddler. This sweet chart had been in my basket for a good while... Never kitted up, but always calling my name~ Like Sarah Tatum, this Sampler was stitched in the 1800s.... I chose to Stitch this Sampler on 40 count linen as well using silk threads.... The design size is a hefty 18” x 14”..... 

As I read and researched, I had to laugh at the unique connection I had! As you know, often times young children will forget to put their name on their paperwork... How many times do you think I said to my class of students.., ” I have a paper hear with no name!”.. ALOT! And, guess what!? This sweet stitcher, back in 1811, forgot to put her name in her Sampler! Hence, the name given is Raggamuffin Sampler..... 


I was drawn to the black Quaker alphabets and that wonderfully unique border..... It’s not symmetrical, but I’m sure that was OK with her teacher.... She obviously loved flowers and plants; perhaps she was a tomboy loving to be outside... Not much is known about this young stitcher... I love the story behind it though and feels it adds to its uniqueness... I am thankful it was recreated as a design I could stitch and hang on my walls... 


Again, Patti chose the perfect moulding for this Sampler also. Dark with the subtle vine like texture along the outside.... To me, it speaks to the vine border in the sampler.... I simply love how it made my Stitches pop! 

Thanks for reading as I share my story of my 2 largest Sampler Stitches if 2017. There are other smaller Quaker themed items in my home that I stitched this year.... I’m lucky to get to see these sweet Quaker pin wheels designed by Nan Lewis of Threadwork Primitives.... She has a collection of them she released throughout 2017 and I stitched them as well to commemorate my year of stitching Quaker..


Here they are as they are nestled in my LeHay Shaker tray.... I love making pinwheels especially since I know they were a valued tool throughout the centuries.... Some pinwheels were decorative and used to push special, treasured pins along its sides.... Other pinwheels were used as a staple in the sewing baskets to keep the pins from becoming lost .... I love the uniqueness of a Pinwheel and plan on stitching more of Nans pinwheel designs in 2018.....


Thanks for sticking with me through this long post..... I hope it’s inspired you to take a closer look at stitching Quaker.... As for 2018, my plans are to continue stitching Samplers, of course.... My focus, however, will be in reproductive Samplers. I will be start stitching Isabella Uffindell reproduced by Nicola Parkman of Hands Across the Sea (HATS) on Jan 1.  Additionally, I will be attending a lecture by Nicola on Jan 5 in Weaverville NC at Sassy Jacks Stitchery. I cannot wait to meet her in person and see the original antique Uffindell Sister Samplers. More to come in this~ 


Always remember, be kind, generous and giving~ 

Happy stitching! 

Faye 


No comments: