Sampler (Fancy sampler)

Description

This is a linen fancy sampler worked with silk threads in 1807 by Maryanne Middleton from South Carolina, probably Charleston. In 18th and 19th-century America, sewing was a part of almost every young girl's education. For all girls, plain sewing was a required skill. A simple marking sampler would have been worked first, primarily for recording utilitarian needlework stitches and designs. Plain sewing would have been applied to tasks such as constructing, hemming, and seaming clothing, and marking household linens. If a girl came from a wealthy family, she would have learned both plain and fancy needlework and likely worked a second sampler including fancy stitches. Fancy needlework encompasses all forms of decorative embroidery such as crewel, canvas, and tambour work, and was considered to be a young girl's most important accomplishment. Maryanne's sampler, with its sophisticated design, is an achievement of color and balance, and showcases her talent for more complicated stitching. The inscription reads: "See how the Lillies flourish white and fair! / See how the Ravens Fed from heaven are! / Then ne'er distrust thy God for Cloth and bread / Whilst Lillies flourish and the Ravens fed" Maryanne signs: "Maryanne Middletons / work in October the 7 / 1807"