RSN.1045 | RSN Collection & Archive

Sampler

G. H. Parsons
Royal School of Needlework

Circa 1937-1940

London

Whitework sampler done by G.H. Parsons at the Royal School of Needlework between 1937 and 1940. It includes a central motif of mushrooms, leaves, and a flower, strawberry, and butterfly, worked in various whitework techniques.

This whitework sampler was worked by Miss G.H. Parsons while a student at the Royal School of Needlework's Training School between 1937 and 1940, when she was an Apprentice. It uses a number of drawn and pulled thread whitework techniques and surface stitches. The sampler, which involves a bleached white linen ground and cotton threads, has a drawn and pulled border with four corners, which is completed with a hemmed edge. Each side of the border is unique.

The sampler's central motif features two mushrooms, a butterfly, several leaves, a strawberry, and a flower. The motifs are stitched using trailing, satin stitch, raised stem band, burden stitch, French knots, padded satin stitch, beading, cushion stitch, diagonal cross filling, and a small round eyelet. These are surrounded by unique drawn borders on all four sides which include wrapped and woven bars. Each corner has a different motif.

This sampler, with its four different border patterns and floral arrangement, is typical of the whitework samplers made by students at the RSN Training School during this period.

This piece was gifted to the RSN in October 1994 by Miss G.H. Parsons. Miss Parsons was an Apprentice at the RSN from 1937 to 1940. Upon finishing the apprenticeship she joined the war effort, qualifying as a nurse. After her qualification she moved to Kenya, where she lived for many years. A smaller whitework panel also worked by Miss Parsons is in the RSN Collection (RSN 1047/COL.1994.82).

width: 38.5cm
height: 26.5cm

linen
cotton thread

Trailing