Sophia’s Sampler circa 1780

Description

A four-sided strawberry meander border surrounds this sweet English sampler, comprised of three tiers. The top third features oversized flowers springing from a pot, dwarfing the evergreen trees on either side, with enormous butterflies above. The traditional “Jesus PermitD; verse in the center contains a few twists from the usual version, including the maker’s Christian name, but not her surname. The lower scene depicts two rather befuddled sheep in a bucolic landscape. The original sampler is in the collection of The Scarlet Letter. Stitches used in the sampler are cross (over one and two threads of linen), counted and freehand satin, and back stitch. On 35 count linen, the finished sampler will measure approximately 17-1/4″x19”, and the project is recommended for intermediate to advanced stitchers.