Charting historic cross stitch sampler motifs

I am going squiggle-eyed - following my visit to St Fagan's, I have started the marathon job of charting some of the motifs from photographs I took of selected samplers from their collection.  I am using squared paper to produce a resource of motifs, borders and alphabets to use in my work.  So far I have done three alphabets and about a dozen motifs and borders, but it's the most eye-bending work!  I have high resolution photographs, which I then zoom into as much as I can on screen, and using the cursor to help me not lose my place, I transcribe the patterns to the squared paper stitch by stitch (with pencil, and a lot of rubbing out!).  It's the kind of job that can only be done in short bursts, so I think it's going to keep me occupied for most of the summer as I probably have several more alphabets and maybe up to a hundred motifs and borders to do!  I have spoken to Elen Phillips, the curator, and agreed that I am going to be giving St Fagan's a copy of the completed pattern charts - they are all cross referenced with the samplers' accession numbers, so might make a useful resource.  I wonder if it would be viable to create a book of Sampler Patterns from the St Fagan's Collection to sell in the shop?

Research visit to St Fagan's textiles collection - women makers lost in history

Many thanks to Elen Phillips and Sioned Williams, curators at St Fagan's (National History Museum of Wales), for a fascinating and very productive research visit today.  I am doing some preparatory work on a piece (which will probably evolve into a collection) of work based on some vintage French linen I have acquired, seeking to tell the hidden story of generations of anonymous women whose only footprint on history is the stitches - embroidery, mending - they have left behind in the textiles they worked on.  I am looking to use authentic motifs and techniques in this work, and St Fagan's is definitely the place to go to research this.

The collection is enormous - Elen had selected 6 large archive boxes of samplers, dating from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries, for me to look at, while Sioned brought along a range of domestic linen (including mattress covers, sheets, handkerchief cases and tray cloths), mostly 19th century, from all over Wales.  Some of the domestic linen even had letters enclosed in the folds of the fabric, written by the donor and giving the history of the item.  A beautiful silk jacquard hand towel (apparently unused) was part of a trousseau given to a 19th century bride in Machynlleth by her father.

I found the experience very moving - many of the samplers were made by very young girls - Mary Ann Baker aged 7 years (19th century), Mary Lewis aged 9 years (1797), Sarah Brigg aged 9 years (18th century), Ruth Davies aged 13 (1855).  Some of the samplers in the collection are unfinished, and one in particular pulled me up short: Accession number 41.86/6 Unfinished sampler 19th century.  This one has a trailing thread from the last stitch - why was it never finished?  What happened to the maker?  In a time of high juvenile mortality, did she die before she could finish her sampler?  The name of the maker is usually in the lower part of the sampler, and she stopped two-thirds of the way down, so we do not even know her name.  I think something from this sampler will have to find its way into my work.

My particular favourites were a blackwork sampler (unfinished) from c1800, and one worked in red threads on linen, also unfinished (this seems to be becoming a theme!) from some time in the 19th century - the motif of oak leaves and acorns centre right is very reminiscent of the National Trust logo!

I'm very grateful to Elen and Sioned for making my visit possible, and I shall definitely be back to do more research in this wonderful collection.  I don't think the availability of this fantastic research resource is widely enough known - I know I have only seen the tip of the iceberg, but I was overwhelmed both by the richness of the collection, and the helpfulness of the curators.

Blackwork sampler c1800

Blackwork sampler c1800 detail

Red on linen, unfinished, 19th century

Unfinished sampler 19th century - trailing thread

Eliza M D Griffies W...ms 1819

Eliza M D Griffies W...ms 1819 detail

Jane Walker 1822

St Fagan's research visit tomorrow - samplers and domestic linen - and appeal for vintage nappy pins

I am very much looking forward to tomorrow and my trip to meet Elen Phillips, curator of textiles at the National Museum of Wales, St Fagan's.  I am going to be looking at samplers, to find some authentic motifs to use in my 'vintage linen as women's domestic history' piece, and also at domestic linens (tablecloths etc) with a view to learning more about how these were decorated, again to inform my work on this piece.  I'll report in full when I get back.

Meanwhile, I am still in search of vintage nappy pins to use in this piece - I need about a dozen - if you have some squirrelled away, please get in touch via lisa 'at' fabrikant dot co dot uk (apparently I have to write it like this to avoid being spammed!) if you'd be prepared to donate any.  You know the kind of thing - large safety pin with white cap which slides over the closure to lock it.  On really vintage ones, the white caps are metal, on later ones they are plastic.  Many thanks -  I had no idea it would be so hard to find them!

St Fagan's Museum textiles collection

I'm very grateful to Elen Phillips, curator of textiles at St Fagan's (the National History Museum of Wales), who has arranged for me to visit next month to research in their extensive collections.  I am especially interested in samplers, as I wish to use some historically authentic motifs in a forthcoming piece of work, and also in domestic linen (tablecloths, sheets etc).  At the moment a lot of my work seems to be linking with my background in history, and especially my interest in domestic and women's history, which is often recorded in artefacts rather than in the written record.  The recent acquisition of a quantity of vintage French linen has enabled me to do some experimentation in using this material, incorporated into my felt and stitch work, to link my contemporary textile art to the creative legacy of generations of anonymous women.

Again, I suspect it is my background in history which makes me so keen to research this properly, using original sources, and it is great to have the huge archive of St Fagan's within an hour's drive of where I live.  I'm very much looking forward to my research visit there in a month's time, and will blog about how I get on and what I find!