Lizzie,
What wonderful treasures!!! How I wish I had something like those samplers
from my great-grandmothers (actually, I'd be happy if I had *anything* from
them)!
Thanks for sharing the details you found during your restoration/cleaning --
it may provoke someone else with similar samplers to view them in a new
light and look beyond the obvious.
Regards,
Julie Preston
juliefpreston(a)sbcglobal.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "aspenlea" <aspenlea(a)uq.net.au>
To: <WLS-MONTGOMERYSHIRE-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 6:57 PM
Subject: [WLS-MGY] samplers
I have two family samplers, one done by my great great grandmother in
1817
and the other by her sister in 1834. They are silks embroidered on a fine
wool backing.
When I cleaned and remounted them what struck me was just how bright the
colours were on the reverse; beautiful blues, reds and greens. Most
people
probably have the impression that samplers were sewn in very dull
colours,
but that's because the majority they see are old and faded. However, when
they were first sewn the samplers must have been beautiful bright lively
pieces of needlework.
An exciting find when restoring one of the samplers was the discovery that
it had been backed on an original Wm Polson's Cornflower advertisement
(yes,
we had grocers/bakers in the family)! It was in pristine condition
and as
bright as the day it was first printed because it had been protected from
the light. You just never know what's behind old pictures!
Lizzie
Brisbane, Australia