Unfinished handework...

We all can relate to those words, right???

Unfinished handework...

We all have them tucked here and there,

in plastic tubs, in cute little zip- up bags, in sewing baskets...

Right?

Just waiting for a cold winter's day to pull them out again,

to get re-acquainted,
if you will...

with the good intentions of,

"thy will be done"

I have many of unfinished pieces of handework of my own.

I've confessed.

I like unfinished work...

  So much so,

that I even enjoy buying unfinished handework,
worked by others...
{sigh}

Here are snippets of an unfinished antique sampler from my collection. 

It has various borders,

motifs, 

alphabet and numbers 

along with the "Lord's Prayer".

Our father

whichart in heaven

hallowed be thy name 


thy kingdom come...
and
as you can see,
whomever was working this piece 
never quite got to the "thy will be done" part,
literally...

I can't help but wonder if the stain on the cloth had something to do with the failure to complete this piece. 
The stain doesn't bother me
and
I hope to some day
do this sampler a favor
and
finish stitching the Lord's Prayer
and re-frame it in a more age-appropriate frame.


I'm drawn to samplers with out-of-the-ordinary motifs...
See the zebra?  
It is the zebra's fault that I now own this sampler.  
See the cute bunny? 
I also love old samplers that contain a bunny.
So it's also the bunny's fault that I now have this sampler in my collection...

And then there are the floss choices,
browns and blues...
a color combination that makes my heart flutter.
I own two antique samplers worked in browns and blues
and they both happen to be
unfinished pieces of work...

  

I also love borders.  Another detail I pay close attention to when purchasing an antique.
  This sampler has varying borders on all sides,
and even varying borders within those sides.  There are 10 different borders used within the four sides of the sampler. 

Some are small and some are very over sized...

The sampler itself is over sized...
See those fingers?
  See those toes? 
This gives you a perception of the size of this piece.
Yes folks, she is a big sampler...
She hangs in my office at Country Stitches. 
I spend many minutes a day
just looking at her lovely 
brown and blue, 
tone on tone
motifs.  
She measuring 39" x 22". 

Here is a better look at the varying borders...
they range in sizes from 1/2" at the bottom
to the 3" tall tulip border at the top of the piece.
  I love the folk-art feel
these mixed borders
give the sampler... 
Design is worked 
on a 28 count linen 
over 2 threads.

I have no plans on reproducing the sampler,
due to the size of the finished piece. 
However 
there is a fun project
in store for 2012,
using bits and pieces of the sampler
worked into smaller samplers,
ditty pockets,
pin keeps etc...
all worked in 
browns
& 
blues.
Plans for this pattern series is due to begin
in October of 2012...
stay tuned for more details.

With thy Needle & Thread,
Brenda