Saturday, February 20, 2016

Searching for a sampler stitcher

I have been searching for Louisa Richardson, the young lady who stitched this sampler in 1828.  A friend has asked me to chart her antique sampler.  I can't just chart it, I want to find out who she was.  About all I started was is a belief that this is American, and she had a friend or someone named Hannah Tyler, and Instructress Scott.




I know I have seen similar motifs somewhere, the ones where there is a blank space left between the stitches.  I have spent hours upon hours looking through every book that I have, and searching everything that I can find on the internet.






I know I have seen these somewhere!!  Guess where I found them?  On the Julia Hay sampler that is hanging on my sewing room wall!


I have all the genealogical information for Julia, she was from New York State, and her sampler was done about 15 years later than Susannah, but it has those motifs and a very similar alphabet.




I am still looking for Louisa, but now I have a location to concentrate on.  Incomplete verses drive me crazy, she started with The Beauteous Rose em??????  Emblem??  Embrace?

I will keep looking.

Melinda

12 comments:

  1. I admire you for knowing and studying the history of pieces. I couldn't tell American from Scottish and probably should learn at least a little about needlework.

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  2. I wish you luck in finding out more about Louisa! Perhaps you will discover a link between the two samplers.

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  3. Good luck with your search! That's a very pretty sampler.

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  4. Hope you find the information you need. So interesting!

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  5. I admire your perseverance! It is a beautiful sampler and I'm sure you will do her justice.
    Happy Sunday, my friend, from sunny northern Ohio.
    Hugs :)
    Laures

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  6. Good luck sweet friend, sampler love.Blessings Francine.

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  7. It's a beautiful sampler so I hope you find out all the information on the stitcher!

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  8. how fun Melinda! I think the history of the samplers is part of the mystique. My great grandmothers name was Louisa only in the deep south - they pronounced it Lou- I- sa with a deep emphasis on the I. Hope all is well with you - Mel

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  9. I love this sampler! Have you contacted Barbara Hutson, Queenstown Samplers? She is so knowledgeable about samplers and, if she can't help, will point you in the right direction.

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  10. The motif you are talking about is actually common in a particular area of NY. You should contact Lynn Anderson. She gave an entire lecture on the use of that motif at a symposium in Williamsburg last February. She would love to learn about this sampler, and would probably have some great information for you about where to look for your stitcher!

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  11. It has occurred to me that Louisa Richardson might have made a mistake, lost her place when stitching the verse. I think it might be '..beauteous rose seems..' or something similar and she never undid her mistake.
    I am enjoying your blog very much. I admire your courage making a good life for yourself and your family as well as your dear pets.
    All the wonderful samplers you have stitched are amazing.
    Blessings :)

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