Last week when we walked the halls of the beautiful old convent school in Cooktown, now in use as the Captain Cook Museum, I came across one item that I thought needed it's very own blog post.
Minna Spearritt was a student at the school from 1912-13, and carefully displayed behind glass is her 102 year old needlework sampler...
This is unlike any other sampler I have seen. I think in my mind a sampler has always represented a stitched alphabet with numbers and floral emblems or symbols, but Minna's Sampler features almost every skill a seamstress would require in the day.
Minna's hand stitched autograph, dated...
Hooks and eyes, gathers, eyelets...
Buttonholes, tiny backstitch, crossed stitches...
Ruffles, pleated folds...
Sampler within a sampler...
...and tiny dolls, knitted doll socks, the Union Jack.
I looked over every inch of Minna's Sampler, so rich with history and the fine work of her young hands.
Can you see why it needed it's very own blog post?
I'm inspired by her sampler, and think I may follow that inspiration wherever it may lead...
Photos of the rest of the museum are in THIS blog post.
hugs
18 comments:
How wonderful! Thank you for sharing. It definitely earned its own blog post.
What a wonderful piece of history, Jenny. I've never seen a sampler like that either. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Very lovely post and
It's such a beauty
Thank you for sharing xx
I've definitely not seen a sampler like this before either! But it makes perfect sense! Weren't samplers supposed to be teaching aids for young girls to practice their work ? Then this is a wonderful and true representation of what a sampler should be!
That is AMAZING. What a beauty - so glad it was preserved. Can't wait to see what it inspires in you, dear Jen!
This is such a treasure of life so long ago. Time spent with needle and thread and perfecting hand sewing techniques. True Creative Bliss...
I have never seen anything like that either. It is just so cool! Don't you wish we all had to do that as children? LOL!
What a treasure. It's very likely a good resource for future projects - like a reference book. It certainly does warrant its own post.
Yes it certainly needed it's own BLOG post Jenny, very impressive needle work and must have taken many long hours to complete it.
That is amazing. It's a complete sewing sampler, not just a stitchery sampler. I remember my home ec. teacher making us sew on hooks and eyes using a picot stitch, and making us do our own hand-stitched buttonholes, but I don't think anyone does that any more. =) Thank you for sharing this sampler. A post of its own was indeed deserved.
Jenny that sampler is an absolute treasure. How lucky to get to see it close up.
Thank you for sharing. love to see old stitchery.
Patricia C
I've never seen anything like this either. I'm so glad this treasure is preserved in a museum.
Beautiful! And so well preserved.
Absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for sharing it with us...as usual your photos are wonderful!
Thanks for this.
A real work of art.
It is beautiful Jenny - thank you. xx
Wow! What an amazing sampler! Wonderful history!
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