5th commandment antique sampler. The Meadow CAL

    For some reason I am always drawn to samplers with poems or verses on them. This new addition to my collection is an unfinished English sampler, undated but most certainly from the second half of the  1800’s - Since I recognize the font, and the alphabets are complete including the  ‘J‘, which was often excluded from earlier samplers.

    The sampler is very, very delicate, most probably stitched by an adult. It is in poor condition,  with so many holes that some of the embroidery is just on the verge of being fully detached from the cloth.

    Very fine weave, and some tiny, tiny cross stitches over one thread. This is  a beautiful sampler with bold colors, something quite rare in old needlework. It is  probably due to it having being left unfinished, so it’s safe to presume that it  must have been stored away and never displayed- thus keeping the colors from fading.

    Why was it left unfinished ? I can’t imagine the embroideress  was displeased with her work, as it’s expertly and exquisitely stitched.  

    The sampler features a beautiful border,  3 alphabets, a verse from the 10 commandments and part of a hymn written by William Cowper (1731 –1800)

Here my daughter is holding it up, you can see how fine and delicate the cloth is.

Antique sampler

Beautiful details

Praise for the fountain opener

There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Emmanuel’s vein

And sinners  plung’d beneath that flow

Lose all their guilty stains

The dying thief rejoiced to see

That fountain in his day

And there may I though vile as he

Wash all my sins away

The V th commandment

Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may 

be long in the land which the Lord thy  God giveth thee.

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Part # 3 of The Meadow CAL - Marigold squares