Sampler

Description

This stitch sampler, worked in 1897 by M. Henderson, was made to practice or display sewing skills. The main body is plain weave white cotton, while the flannel section attached to the bottom is wool. The upper right quadrant of the sampler has a banded area with a buttonhole similar to a cuff, and a reinforced slit. Along both sides are gathered ruffles – the right is a narrow ruffle, while the left has a wider ruffle accented with pintucks. Throughout the center are various patches and mends. The flannel section has a scalloped edge along one side. The two other sides are hemmed and accented with embroidery stitches. This object is one of a large group transferred to Winterthur from the American Textile History Museum when it closed in 2017.