Frances B Jones 1817

Description

The characteristic that readily identifies the origin of this sampler is the distinctive vine and rose border, configured such that a leaf on one side and a rosebud stem on the other give the illusion of a double vine. It is almost always found executed in cross stitch (ref: illustration p. 478 in Girlhood Embroidery by Betty Ring). The original sampler was stitched with silk thread on a loosely woven homespun linen ground. The Quaker “Extract” format is flanked by (we assume) the names of Frances’s parents, while four sets of initials outside the verse cartouche might be those of a teacher, a friend, or another relative. Stitches used include cross, counted satin, and a small amount of Queen stitch (two strawberries).