Susan Dunn 1771

As brightly colored as the original eighteenth century English sampler from which it was derived, this beautiful piece of needlework makes use of a variety of stitches. In the lowermost scene, a lone female figure sits on the trunk of a tree in an idyllic landscape. The octagonal cartouches above the scene appear on some Quaker school samplers, and by the first verse one might assume this well-balanced and well-executed sampler was worked at a school under the guidance of a skilled teacher.

Origin and date: England, 1771
Rated: Intermediate
Linen count and finished size: 35 count, 10″x15-1/2″
Stitches: Cross, eyelet, counted satin, back
Source: Private collection