When I first glanced at this sampler which is for auction at Denhams, Horsham on 2 October 2013 - Lot 515 with an estimate of £100 - £150 - I thought the little puzzle of the cryptic wording at the top of the sampler would be easily explained. Who would stitch that their sampler was FOR TRICK STICK? I thought there must be some more logical explanation for this wording. For a start I Dick who worked this sampler (and that I may indicate a Jean or Janet) has alternated her colours for whole words. So isn't the inscription more likely to be THIS IS FORTRICK STICK? And could that damaged F be really a P so it reads PORTRICK? And could Portick be a place? But it isn't. The nearest to a place name is Portpatrick which may have at some stage been locally pronounced Portrick.... and then what about that STICK? German for Stitch - and then where are we? Nowhere really. I can't really get to the bottom of this - but maybe you can? Does it really mean This is for trick stick? What do you think? Click here for more auction details.
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