Sampler
Object name
Maker
Date made
Mid-20th century
Place made
Description
Large blue and orange applique sampler made at the Royal School of Needlework in the mid-20th century, featuring flowers and fruit.
Content description
Mid-20th-century Royal School of Needlework applique sampler, featuring a reverse-appliqued floral design in blue linen fabric over a cream-white linen. At the centre of the sampler is a Tudor rose, surrounded by curving stems from which pomegranates, grapes, and flowers grow. The edges of the blue linen, which have been cut to reveal the white linen underneath (or vice versa), are bordered with bundles of blue cotton threads couched down in orange cotton.
The Tudor rose features satin stitch in its centre and along the edges of its petals, which are bordered by a line of silver check thread. This rose also includes couching, back stitches, stem stitches, and French knots. Some of the insides of the flowers and stems feature herringbone stitches, while others feature orange thread couched down in a vermicelli design or back stitched in the same design. The pomegranate interiors include French knots and stem stitches. The three grapes feature couched down bundles of thread. The leaves at the bottom have a trellis design of white and orange threads, and the bottom-left flourish has three leaves filled with a zigzag pattern stitched in back stitches.
The RSN Collection includes several samplers of this style, suggesting this was a popular type of sampler to produce at the Royal School of Needlework in the middle decades of the 20th century.
The Tudor rose features satin stitch in its centre and along the edges of its petals, which are bordered by a line of silver check thread. This rose also includes couching, back stitches, stem stitches, and French knots. Some of the insides of the flowers and stems feature herringbone stitches, while others feature orange thread couched down in a vermicelli design or back stitched in the same design. The pomegranate interiors include French knots and stem stitches. The three grapes feature couched down bundles of thread. The leaves at the bottom have a trellis design of white and orange threads, and the bottom-left flourish has three leaves filled with a zigzag pattern stitched in back stitches.
The RSN Collection includes several samplers of this style, suggesting this was a popular type of sampler to produce at the Royal School of Needlework in the middle decades of the 20th century.
Dimensions
height: 49.5cm
width: 49.5cm
width: 49.5cm
Materials
Stitches
Techniques
Motifs
Catalogue number
RSN.3151
© Royal School of Needlework