Samplers

In the judging class at the recent EGA national seminar in Louisville, one of the things discussed was whether a sampler could be original. Interesting question. Many of the samplers we see are definitely derivative. Given the structure of a sampler, it might be hard to break out with a new look. A lot of the problems with samplers is that they do not look fresh or interesting. It's just the same old stuff.

I personally think that a sampler can be original and fresh with delights for the eye. I have uploaded two of my personal samplers (i.e. non-teaching samplers) to demonstrate this. This first one I finished just the day before yesterday--it barely has had time to cool off from the hot needle. Recently I have been working in a small series of bees pictures with a drawing, PJ's Bees, an embroidery, and now a sampler, PJ's Bees Sampler. This series will continue on into a star book which will be a sampler unto itself. And as a matter of fact, PJ's Bees Sampler is a study for the coming star book bee sampler.

PJ's Bees Sampler

thirteen flower stitches on perforated paper with Impressions silk/wool

A sampler has usually bands or spots. This sampler has both bands of flowers and spots of flowers, but also the bee and honeycomb motif to unify it further. Though the scan has cut off the very top of the sampler, I am sure you can see that with the bright colors and the buzzing bees, it is fun to look at.

A Personal Sampler in Blackwork

sewing thread and metallic on linen

The second sampler I did sometime in later 1990s and so far it is unnamed. It is a blackwork sampler with the lower part done in compartments. The upper part I sewed on some Battemberg tape which I allowed to gently curl. Then I did simple patterns inside the curls. Like a lot of sampler it also has words on, this time a quote from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The threads I used were mostly machine sewing cotton in three or four colors with some gold metallic. Not all the patterns are original with me, but the majority of them are. When I show this personal sampler, people invariably stop to examine it closely. it is the type of needlework that requires a closer look.

I like samplers and I love working samplers. They are most satisfying type of embroidery that I do. And I believe that I do original work within the genre of sampler, even using the old band and spot format.