Auction Roundup

There are a number of interesting items coming up for sale in the next few days. The first that caught my eye - for very obvious reasons with its Ackworth School lookalike format - is this one stitched in 1816 at Stansted (not far from Cambridge and Bishops Stortford, UK) by Maria Harrisson. It is for sale at Clars Auction Gallery, Oakland, California, USA on 10 April. Lot 2475 is estimated £262 - £393

Also at the same Clars auction (10 April) is this striking sampler worked by Mary Ann Moreton dated 1811. It is Lot 2477 and estimated at £197 - £328.

This poignant card piece in memory of Ann Hobson who was buried at Chapen en le Frith church in 1850 is for sale on 12 April by Mellors and Kirk, Nottingham, UK. Lot number is 321.

This George III silk work embroidered map of England and Wales, circa 1800 is for auction on 14 April at Dreweatts Donnington Priory Salerooms in Newbury, UK. Sometimes stitched by school girls, there is evidence that some maps were stitched by adult women. This is lot 29 in the sale with an estimate of £150 - £250.

Mary Phillipson stitched this lovely sampler in 1801. Now it is for sale on 20 April at Sworders of Sudbury, UK. Lot 169 with an estimate of £300 - £400.



The samplers above by Elizabeth and Sarah Thompson share a common feature - the sailing ship, which may have been a feature of their family life. Samplers from nearby Whitehaven and Maryport on the Cumbrian coast often feature a sailing ship amongst thier motifs. This pair of samplers is for auction on 21 April at Penrith Farmers' and Kidd's, Cumbria UK. They are lots 121 and 122 and are estimated at £100 - £200 each.

And this neat George IV sampler worked in wool by Sarah Dixon in 1821 is also at the Penrith Farmers' and Kidd's auction on 21 April. Lot 113 and estimated at £80 - £120

Lights for Stitching

The most favoured lighting for stitching is natural daylight. Today, as in the past, many women take their stitching or lace-making out of doors on fine day. When the day is not so fine, and the light is less than bright - well that is what bay windows were invented for! There is an old saying that the English love their oriel windows and it is true. The light provided was also a servant to vanity and if you walk up and down any bay-windowed avenue of houses, you will probably see the upstairs window blocked by the mirror of a dressing table. Sitting in a bay surrounded on three sides by window, there is plenty of light for stitching and reading in the day time. But what about the dusk and evening?

The answer for most would be that it was the signal to put away stitching and enjoy singing, cards or pleasant conversation. But for those who had to stitch, because their household economy depended upon it - what then? There was candle light and rush light. Both could be focused through a water filled glass ball to give a brighter beam, and this is the arrangement in the first picture above, the light of which could be shared by 4 lace-makers. Also there were glass lamps, seen in the second picture, which could be filled with oil and a wick lit.

Sample Books of Thomas Wardle, The Manchester Indian

For every artifact we admire whether in museum, gallery or shop, there will have been at least 10 and sometime perhaps a hundred versions or trials which now have a permanent resting place in a landfill. Indeed, for every Needleprint book page you see, there have been several earlier versions which were deselected before the final version went to press. The cost of articles includes labour and materials which you will never or perhaps only rarely see. That is why any good craftsperson will keep samplers of trials, to avoid as much as possible these hidden costs. Here you can see some excerpts from the copious sample books of Thomas Wardle. This first example, Hadleigh, with its stepped outlines simulates counted thread stitching.Thomas Wardle whose lovely silk work we have seen before lived from 1831-1909 was a fabric designer and sometime collaborator with William Morris. His fabric print and dye works was based in Leek, Cheshire, where he was known as the Manchester Indian since he worked hard re-establish the silk industry in that country - visiting in 1855-56 - and many of his designs display Indian influence such as this monochrome design for velvet which incorporates pomegranates and other motifs.

His works can be seen until summer 2010 at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. If you would like to browse his sample books then just click here - they are fascinating and lovely!

Samplers from the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Now On-Line

I am thrilled that so many museums are now loading images of their collections to enable on-line reseach. The Whitworth Art Gallery has 127 samplers over half of which are now available for viewing. It is a very interesting collection which includes many European examples from the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and like this sampler, from France/Belgium. Does anyone know where this school might have been? To see the collection just click here and enter Sampler in the search box.