Sampler September (Talking my Language)

Ever since Carol (Saltbox Stitcher) and Theresa (Kitten Stitcher) started talking about Sampler September, I have thought about little else except samplers.  Oh, and Fiber Talk will also be jumping on board the Sampler September wagon.

Marking samplers, pictorial samplers, mourning samplers, map samplers, darning samplers, spot motif samplers, regional samplers, band and reversible samplers are all dancing in my head.  I think about samplers while cooking, pulling weeds, driving and sleeping.  I am encouraging my stitching accountability persons, needlework partners in crime and needlework enablers to think about, write about and stitch samplers.  AppleJack thinks I am more than a little obsessed with samplers, he thinks I might be close to the edge.  Silly man asked me one day if I would ever grow tired of stitching the alphabet.

It has been a challenge for me to think about how I wanted to approach Sampler September.  Am still working out the details, more to come on this later.  In the spirit of not starting a sampler a day (yes, I have that many samplers I want to stitch), I decided to keep it to four:  an unfinished sampler, a Quaker sampler, a family sampler for my Shults wall and a for fun sampler.

 The Unfinished Sampler:  In All Things Be Exceedingly Diligent by Needlework Press.  Am nearing the finishing crossing line on this sampler, am going to be diligent and be a monogamous stitcher and see her to the finish line.  The font of the letters is great, the combination of colors, throw in some houses and a few Quakerish motifs stitched into a long narrow sampler instead of a tall skinny sampler and voila a sampler is born.  First time stitching with Legacy linen and first time stitching a Needlework Press design--both were great.  I really, really want to have this sampler finished and framed for the next Homespun Gathering, September 28.

A Quaker Sampler:  Ever since I finished stitching M. Quiter, an Ackworth Quaker sampler by the Scarlet Letter, I have wanted to start another Quaker sampler.  The Ackworth sampler I have chosen is the Beatrix Potter Quaker Sampler.  The Beatrix Potter Quaker Sampler is not a sampler that Beatrix Potter herself stitched, but was a part of her extensive sampler collection.  There is piece of 35 ct R & R Sheep Straw in my stash which I hope will be large enough (she's a big girl 301 x 271) and the fiber I will be using is Gloriana  Lacquered Gold, unless I totally change my mind and use School House Red.  Stitching those Quaker motifs is hypnotizing and M. Quitier is lonely and needs a companion.

A sampler with family history for my Shults wall.  I have written about this sampler before, it is Sarah's House by Blackbird Designs.  Sophie Margaretta was the name of Grandfather John Velten "Valentine" Shultz mother.  Maria Eva Stocker is also under consideration--she was Valentine's second wife.  Valentine and Maria were married 1735 at Christ Lutheran Church in York County Pennsylvania.

A fun, whimsical sampler.  A Sampler Study 1802 by The primitive Hare.  This big house reminds me of Grandmother Bessie's farmhouse which burned.  The 40 ct Old Massachusetts hand dyed linen is one of my favorite linens and I love the drab colors Isabella (The Primitive Hare) has chosen to stitch this sampler.  Another touch of whimsey is the trim Isabella used when framing this piece.  The trim was either gifted to me by a stitchy friend, came from my Mother's stash or my stash.

Stay tuned for more about samplers.  Here are some of the sampler ideas dancing in my head:

• unfinished samplers
• gifted samplers
• samplers on the Shults wall
• Scarlet Letter samplers
• older samplers
• seasonal samplers
• Adam and Eve samplers
• samplers I want to start
• samplers in my shopping cart (gulp)

1. 3.