Welcome Phebe...

Phebe has come to rest

her weary threads

upon the walls of our home. 

Meet Phebe...

Please pardon her holes. 

She is a little ragged around the edges 

and

even missing in some places. 

Her edges are paper thin.

She cost me more

then what I probably should have paid for her,

{sigh}

but I like her,

alot...

holes and all :-)

My first 18th century sampler,

"Phebe Cooper - 1791"

She is old.

Two hundred twenty one years old,

to be exact...

1791 was the year.  

How old is that?

  Let's think about this for a bit,

shall we?

In 1791 George Washington was president. 

  The Betsy Ross 13 star flag was flying.

There were just the 13 original colonies,

with Vermont becoming the 14th in that year.

The Bill of Rights was signed,

in the same year... 

When I think about her age,

it makes me feel better about

the holes, the stitch loss

and 

my purchase...

Do I sound like someone who is justifying

a purchase? :-)

These are all things I will tell the 

dh when he asks me "how much"???

A brick house, a dog, a sheep, a cow and a man with walking stick

adorn this piece...

some of my favorite sampler motifs. 

Proverbs Chapter 3:13-18 are stitched over 1,

with the rest of the sampler worked over 2 threads. 

To the best of my counting abilities (without cheaters on),

it appears to be about a 52 - 54 count linen.  

Yes,

those letters worked over 1 thread 

are teeny tiny folks...so dainty!

Let's just say Phebe had good vision.

Question,

did they have cheaters (magnifiers) in the late 1700's??

Young eyes perhaps?

Rows of the alphabet 

are worked along the top, 

some in regular cross stitch

and 

some in tiny eyelet stitches,

a stitch I'm still trying to perfect...

The sampler came to me

by way

of a

Connecticut estate auction. 

Makes me wonder

how someone could part 

with such a piece,

a family heirloom...

So kids of mine,

if you're reading your mother's blog posting today...

remember to tell your kids

someday,

that the samplers don't get sold

when I'm gone!!!

Have a good weekend,

Brenda