Sampler
Object name
Maker
Date made
2001
Place made
Description
Millennium sampler made by Rebecca Smith, Rosalinda Bennett, Jane Desborough, and Sarah Stowger, apprentices at the Royal School of Needlework in 2001.
Content description
Millennium sampler made by Rebecca Smith, Rosalinda Bennett, Jane Desborough, and Sarah Stowger, apprentices at the Royal School of Needlework in 2001. The design mimics early 21st-century word processing software on a Windows operating system, with a toolbar of options and a ruler at the top worked in stem stitch and three small window control buttons in padded satin stitch in the top right.
The centre of the piece, worked on a mounted panel of blue linen to resemble a screen, contains early 21st-century symbols and logos to form an alphabet. The 'screen' has a silver scroll bar in appliquéd silk on the right. In order, the centre of the 'screen' shows:
- The at symbol, @ (slanted satin stitch)
- A barcode (couching)
- The Creative Commons logo (straight stitch)
- A dollar sign, $ (padded stem stitch and slanted straight stitch)
- The EU circle of stars (gold cutwork with straight stitch outlines)
- The female bathroom symbol (long and short stitch)
- A genome (appliquéd cotton bands and detached buttonhole bars)
- The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England (now called English Heritage) logo (cut away backing with satin stitch edging)
- An information symbol (appliquéd circle with cord edging and satin stitch)
- The scales of justice (goldwork couching, s-ing, and chipping)
- The Kodak logo (satin stitch and straight stitch)
- The National Lottery logo (raised long and short stitch and stem stitch)
- The Millennium Man (long and short stitch, goldwork couching)
- The Nike checkmark logo (smooth purl cutwork)
- The Olympic rings (detached buttonhole bars)
- The Penguin Books logo (appliquéd circle with cord edging and satin stitch)
- The Mary Quant logo (single corded Brussels stitch)
- Three awareness ribbons (unidentified needlelace stitch)
- Save the Children logo (appliquéd leather)
- A treble clef symbol (long & short stitch)
- The London Underground (Tube) logo (slated satin stitch and satin stitch)
- The vegetarian symbol (long and short stitch)
- The Windows 2000 logo (satin stitch on appliquéd felt)
- An 'exit' symbol to leave a webpage (slanted satin stitch on appliquéd silk)
Outside of the 'screen', two additional symbols are worked on a mounted panel of white silk: a yin/yang symbol (chain stitch) and a symbol that may tie to the zodiac (back stitch and French knots).
The centre of the piece, worked on a mounted panel of blue linen to resemble a screen, contains early 21st-century symbols and logos to form an alphabet. The 'screen' has a silver scroll bar in appliquéd silk on the right. In order, the centre of the 'screen' shows:
- The at symbol, @ (slanted satin stitch)
- A barcode (couching)
- The Creative Commons logo (straight stitch)
- A dollar sign, $ (padded stem stitch and slanted straight stitch)
- The EU circle of stars (gold cutwork with straight stitch outlines)
- The female bathroom symbol (long and short stitch)
- A genome (appliquéd cotton bands and detached buttonhole bars)
- The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England (now called English Heritage) logo (cut away backing with satin stitch edging)
- An information symbol (appliquéd circle with cord edging and satin stitch)
- The scales of justice (goldwork couching, s-ing, and chipping)
- The Kodak logo (satin stitch and straight stitch)
- The National Lottery logo (raised long and short stitch and stem stitch)
- The Millennium Man (long and short stitch, goldwork couching)
- The Nike checkmark logo (smooth purl cutwork)
- The Olympic rings (detached buttonhole bars)
- The Penguin Books logo (appliquéd circle with cord edging and satin stitch)
- The Mary Quant logo (single corded Brussels stitch)
- Three awareness ribbons (unidentified needlelace stitch)
- Save the Children logo (appliquéd leather)
- A treble clef symbol (long & short stitch)
- The London Underground (Tube) logo (slated satin stitch and satin stitch)
- The vegetarian symbol (long and short stitch)
- The Windows 2000 logo (satin stitch on appliquéd felt)
- An 'exit' symbol to leave a webpage (slanted satin stitch on appliquéd silk)
Outside of the 'screen', two additional symbols are worked on a mounted panel of white silk: a yin/yang symbol (chain stitch) and a symbol that may tie to the zodiac (back stitch and French knots).
Dimensions
width: 58cm
height: 58cm
height: 58cm
Materials
Stitches
Slanted satin stitch 
Couching
Straight stitch
Stem stitch
Cutwork
Long and short stitch
Satin stitch
Padded satin stitch (split stitch padding)
Couching in a circle (goldwork)
S-ing (goldwork)
Chipping
Cutwork purls over soft string
Kid leather application
French knot
Chain stitch
Back stitch
Detached buttonhole bars
Single corded Brussels stitch
Couching
Straight stitch
Stem stitch
Cutwork
Long and short stitch
Satin stitch
Padded satin stitch (split stitch padding)
Couching in a circle (goldwork)
S-ing (goldwork)
Chipping
Cutwork purls over soft string
Kid leather application
French knot
Chain stitch
Back stitch
Detached buttonhole bars
Single corded Brussels stitch
Techniques
Motifs
Catalogue number
RSN.2791
© Royal School of Needlework