At the end of a stormy and unpredictable week, it is lovely to gaze on this warm and promising sunset. Even if we are late in settling down for our weekend, it is good to know that there is a simmering samovar of tea waiting for us in Sydney, Australia, and we can sit around together and discuss those initials on Mary's sampler - to whom did they belong? We can now hazard that the HT under Mary's name belonged to her mother whose maiden name was Hannah Thistlethwaite, and those beneath - JW - to her father, John Wigham. There is also HW in all probability for Hannah, her sister, but the rest we cannot be sure of. What is interesting is that there are these family initials, which continue the North England and Scottish sampler tradition of having ranks of family initials, including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. So, whatever the origin of the medallions themselves, there is definitely the twining of North of England roots of Quakerism amongst them. And what of our roots? The first language of Natalie (aka Koala) who is stitching her Mary Wigham in Sydney is Russian, so she is stitching in the company of Olia's Russian SAL members thousands of miles distant. And that is why it is a samovar, not a teapot waiting for you at the beginning of sundown. At the end of the day we all seem to blend like this terrific sunset, how could you begin to unpick the gold from the red or the red from purple? Or who would want to?
Saturday, 18 July 2009
The Samovar Awaits You - in Australia
At the end of a stormy and unpredictable week, it is lovely to gaze on this warm and promising sunset. Even if we are late in settling down for our weekend, it is good to know that there is a simmering samovar of tea waiting for us in Sydney, Australia, and we can sit around together and discuss those initials on Mary's sampler - to whom did they belong? We can now hazard that the HT under Mary's name belonged to her mother whose maiden name was Hannah Thistlethwaite, and those beneath - JW - to her father, John Wigham. There is also HW in all probability for Hannah, her sister, but the rest we cannot be sure of. What is interesting is that there are these family initials, which continue the North England and Scottish sampler tradition of having ranks of family initials, including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. So, whatever the origin of the medallions themselves, there is definitely the twining of North of England roots of Quakerism amongst them. And what of our roots? The first language of Natalie (aka Koala) who is stitching her Mary Wigham in Sydney is Russian, so she is stitching in the company of Olia's Russian SAL members thousands of miles distant. And that is why it is a samovar, not a teapot waiting for you at the beginning of sundown. At the end of the day we all seem to blend like this terrific sunset, how could you begin to unpick the gold from the red or the red from purple? Or who would want to?
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Such a beautiful sunset and lovely words in this post. You must be so thrilled with the kinship that the Mary Wigham Sampler is bringing to stitchers across the globe.
ReplyDeleteCheers - Joolz (Australia)
I just hope it is as wonderful for you as it is for me - I am very thrilled by this special feeling of kinship everyone has brought to the project.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely sentiments that twine us together; now & through the ages.
ReplyDeleteThe beauty of this sampler is the friendships it is uniting throughout the world. Now that is a peaceful feeling.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous sunset - and lovely stitching.
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