We have a new flosstube where we look at new scissors, new linen and new sampler releases.

 

We hope that you enjoy.

Ann Borrett’s beautiful band sampler is highly decorative and even though  she “rovght” her sampler three hundred and seventy-four years ago, the colours are still intense today.  A vibrant red, a peacock blue, a deep navy blue and a mouth watering selections of greens delight the eye.

The first two bands of Ann’s sampler also appear in the band sampler stitched by Jeane Vally in 1646. Jeane’s sampler is in the Goodhart Collection at Montecute House and is featured in the book “The Goodhart Collection” on page 88.

When we first saw Eliza’s pretty sampler, we were both excited, intrigued, and puzzled. Eliza tells us that she was 13 when she finished her sampler on June 12, 1828 which was a Thursday. George IV sat upon the British throne, he was considered to be “The First Gentleman of Europe” and an object of contempt and ridicule. He was known for his manners and charm but also his drunkenness, spendthrift ways, and scandalous love life.

Eliza chose a very fine material called “tiffany fabric” to stitch her sampler. Tiffany fabric is often used on darning samplers. The fine linen had become fragile over the years, and her sampler was stabilised and conserved some years ago. We were unable to access the reverse of her sampler to view the colours without causing damage. Therefore, we have  reproduced Eliza with the beautiful oranges, pinks, and greens we see on the front of her sampler today.