#6981                                                                                                      Mary Cubitt Sampler               

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10 3/4 " x 12 3/4".    12 1/2 " x 14 1/2 " including an antique frame.   There are times when a sampler is talking to you so loudly that you just have to buy it in spite of its condition.   For me this was just one of those times.   This wonderful sampler has so much visual appeal, not to mention its fabulous verse.  It is simply a "must have" type of piece.  The colors are vibrant, with two baskets of flowers sending lots of wonderful florals growing up the sides and along the bottom of this lovely sampler.  There are several sets of alphabets including a very unusual script lower case one and a stunning flame stitch band.   This gorgeous sampler has both beauty and impact.  And in addition to all of that it has a truly wonderful verse. Mary Cubitt was born "about 1758" and she married William Durrant on March 22, 1784 in Brumstead, Norfolk, England.

Her verse reads:  

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"Young Ladies Fair, whose Gentle minds incline:
To all that's Curious, Innocent and Fine;
With Admiration, in your Works are Read,
The various Testurs, of the twined Thread,
Then let your Fingers, use Unriveld Skill,
Exalt the Nedle, grace the Noble Quill,"

She signed her sampler "Mary Cubitt, Her Work 1770".                                                                                                

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There was further information written on the back of the sampler including her childrens' names and birthdates as well as additional personal family information.   Sadly, the condition of Mary's beautiful sampler is not good.   As the pictures show, there is a fair amount of deterioration to the fabric.  But amazingly, none of the holes disturb the stitching. The sampler has been stabilized by stitching it to another piece of linen.  Unfortunately, that linen is lighter in color than the original linen so the holes do show a bit. It has also been mounted on acid-free board.                                                                        SOLD

                                                                             #6972                                                                                                      Sarah Elizabeth Dove Sampler              

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13 " x 17".    17 " x 21 " including a period maple frame with a gilt liner.  Sarah's beautiful sampler has an elegant appeal and features many of the things we expect to see in a schoolgirl embroidery.  There are birds, baskets of fruit, dogs, trees and urns filled with lots of flowers.  She stitched a three story house with eight windows and three chimneys as well as a lovely fence. But probably the prettiest part of the sampler is the wonderful bouquet of flowers tied with a satin stitched ribbon.  Then she finished her sampler with a border of strawberries. 

                                                            

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I think that Sarah must have pleased her teacher with this beautiful sampler as everything is perfectly balanced and I don't see any of the tails dragged across the back that we sometimes see in pieces of this age.   She signed her sampler  "Sarah Elizabeth Dove  her work"    It appears to be circa 1830 and I believe it is English.                 

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The condition of Sarah's sampler is very good. There is one hole in the bottom right edge of the fabric just outside the border.  But that is the only hole.   The colors are still quite vibrant and there is no bleeding.    It has also been mounted on acid-free board.                                                                                                                                SOLD

                                                                             #6973                                                                                                          Friendship Basket              

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The bottom panel measures 4 3/4 " at its widest point. The diameter of the basket when assembled is approx. 7 1/2". The height of the basket when assembled measures 2 1/4" not including the handle.  In my pictures I show the basket unassembled as I didn't want to put any wear on the silk ribbon ties.  This wonderful piece of needlework history is amazingly rare.  I have certainly never seen another one.   The florals on the basket are done in tiny beads while the foliage appears to have been painted on the silk.   Each panel and the handle for the basket are edged in a very heavy gilt paper.   I have to say it again - this piece is exceptionally rare.

                                                                                                                

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This amazing basket is circa 1820 - 1830 and was apparently made as a farewell gift for a girl named Julia, by her teacher and schoolmates at the Edgeworth Seminary. On the back of each of the floral panels is a hand written message to Julia from one of the girls.  On the back of the center panel is a message from her teacher which reads:  "Accept this my beloved Julia from your sincerely attached and affectionate   M. S. Waters  Edgeworth Seminary".                                                                                                

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This is such a sentimental and special memento of a young girl 's time spent at a boarding school in the early 19th century. Jaqueline Holdsworth has a modern day version of this project on her wonderful website (www.needleprint.com). The condition of the basket is amazingly good.  The silk ribbons show lots of creases and folds, but no obvious weakness.  There is one very tinly hole on one of the silk panels  and a bit of soil on the back signature areas but the basket is showing very little wear.                                          .                                                                                                                                                                                         $1250.00

                                                                             #6984                                                                                                      Ann Maxwell Sampler               

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12 " x 16".    15 1/2 " x 19 1/2 " including an antique maple frame.   Ann's lovely sampler is a very good example of what we refer to as a Scottish house sampler.   There is a large mansion with many windows and two side wings surrounded with florals, trees and a front garden complete with chickens on the lawn.  Both the building and the roof are stitched in a check- erboard pattern.   She signed her sampler  " Ann Maxwell Low Dumdreck   May 20, 1827".    I found evidence of a Dumbreck in Scotland in what is now part of Glasgow, so I think that Ann stitched the letter "b" backwards in the word "Dumdreck" and that she lived in the Glasgow area. 

 

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                               Her verse reads:

"May Mary's choice be mine
And all in friends
those whom I endoweth."

In addition to her signature, she added  "Miss Malloch teacher".                                                                                                 

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While the colors are vivid and there is no bleeding, there are several holes in the fabric of Ann's sampler.  There are some in the bottom right quarter of the sampler near the signature.   In addition there are a few just under the large pansy motif to the left of the house and a couple more just under the end of the large eyelet alphabet.  The sampler has been mounted on acid-free board.                                                                                                   SOLD

                                                                             #6982                                                                                                      Mary Ann Rix Sampler              

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12 3/4 " x 16 3/4".    17 " x 21 " including a modern frame.   Mary Ann's stunning sampler is absolutely filled with unusual motifs and 19th century high fashion.  The lady with the hoop skirt and feathers in her hair is one of the most wonderful figures I have ever seen on a sampler.   Her skirt is gorgeous!  It is worked in chain stitch, stem stitch and satin stitch.  Wow!   The other smaller lady between the two buildings is also beautifully dressed and is wearing feathers in her hair as well.   Even the cherubs on either side of the verse are very well dressed.   There are also two little men riding what appear to be dogs.   I'm guessing that Mary Ann was more interested in fashion than she was in horses.   There are trees, rabbits, stags, birds and Adam & Eve standing under the tree of life.   In other words, this sam- pler has everything!
Her verse reads:                                                                  

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"The first fruits of my Labours As tis meet,
My God I humbly offer at thy feet.
But an offering so mean and poor,
Lord find admittance at thy Temple door.
Oh! Please my soul with wisdom to inspire
And Kindle in my Breast celestial fire.
So may my A,B,C, thy praise recite,
And eke my Needle may thy praises write.
Preserved from sloth the bane of all that's Fine,
May all my actions in thy praises Join."

She signed her sampler "Mary Ann Rix".                                                                                                 

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Mary Ann's wonderful sampler has been mounted on another piece of linen.  And because this piece of linen is almost exactly the same color as the original linen, most of the holes are very well camoflaged.  But there are quite a few holes.   The most noticable one is between the two chimneys on the brick house. But the holes do not disturb the stitching.   There is also a bit of bleeding in the bottom quarter of the sampler.                                                                                                                      $2595.00