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This English sampler features a four sided honeysuckle border with one row of alphabets across the top, followed by a traditional verse, More about Grace Kemish.

Five "new" antique samplers are available for purchase.

Sarah Smith

Sarah Hayward

Caroline Phillis Critchell

Jula Goodchild

Mary Broughton

Typical of so many Scottish samplers, Elizabeth Masterton's features an abundance of initials (likely familial), rows of evergreen trees, peacocks with seven tail feathers, and the now famous mansion house fronted by a pillared fence and gates enclosing sheep. More about Elizabeth Masterton.

Two "new" antique samplers are available for purchase.

Ann Hawkins 1826

Ann Forrrest 1757

This design was inspired by an early eighteenth century English canvaswork picture executed in tent and counted satin stitches. It illustrates a stylized "Tree of Life": a brilliant example of needle-painting with the meticulous shading of embroidery threads on linen, illuminating various exotic creatures and plants, inspired by the new discoveries of mariners and men of science as excursions to the west teased and opened the minds of embroiderers more than three centuries ago. More about A Peacock, A Unicorn and A Badger.

Regarding the sampler's origins, the English name "Ringrose" is of uncertain origin, first attested in Norwich in the year 1259 as "Ringerose". It could be derived from Middle English "ring" plus "rose" but the exact meaning is not clear. It is likely that this sampler was made in northern England. More about Harriot Ringrose.

This naive Adam and Eve sampler might have been made in Maryland around 1810. At first I believed that the sampler was either English or Irish, judging by the unusual surname, until, in my research, I came upon the gravestone of a Fanny H. Peachey, born 24 November 1799, died 11 February 1822, in the Westminster Burial Ground in Baltimore, Maryland. More about Fanny Peachey

Five "new" antique samplers are available for purchase. Continental and Oare have been de-accessioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Some of these samplers will be reproduced in the future.

Elizabeth Loxton

Ann Carbutt

Christian Nimmo

Continental

Mary Oare

This English sampler features a four sided honeysuckle border with one row of alphabet across the top, followed by a traditional verse. Grace has signed her work at the bottom but has picked out the date. More about Grace Kemish

So many unusual and enigmatic features were left by Ann Carbutt on her sampler, made when she was sixteen years old, very likely in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Her work is more free form, with an unusual firmament stitched across the top fifth of the sampler which includes a blood red sun, a rainbow (the first I've ever seen on a sampler), the moon and stars. Most fascinating to me are the verses.

This busy sampler is likely Scottish. It features a grand mansion house similar to those depicted on many Scottish samplers, with a gated lawn and sheep in front, flanked by peacocks. More about Elizabeth Masterton..

English band sampler consisting of rows of alphabets, vowels, numerals, pattern bands, verses and crowns, executed in cross, petit point, stem, satin and eyelet stitches. More about Susanna Parker.

We have updated our customer gallery with pictures of Eleanor Parr stitched by Willena and Jennie Bean and Log Cabin stitched by Mary.

If you want to see more items that have been recently added, check out our list of new items. It shows all items that have been added to the TSL website during the past year. You can display the list at any time by clicking on the cherub logo in the right column of any webpage.