Marte Opset sampler

 

Marte Opset's red sampler

 

It is rare to find specific information and details about a sampler, or piece of needlework just from a name and date, but this little sampler is quite interesting as I think I found not just our stitcher, but also information about her family.

In the 1891 census for Elverum we find the records of a rural residence, 042 Opset søndre, where a man named Jens Olsen lived with his wife and children. Both were born in Elverum, Jens in 1846, and his wife Karen in 1845. He is registered as a lumberjack, woodcutter, forestry worker, farmer, and owner. There are four children in the household at the time of the census, one of which is named Marthe Jensdatter (Jens daughter) born in 1880.

On trondtor.no you find a Marte Opset, (born in 1880, deceased in 1943) who  is recorded as married to Anton Magnussen Flåtestøen (B.1872, D. 1913)

It also notes that in 1908 Anton and Marte took over Søndre Oppset mot føderåd from Jens Opset (Martes father). I understand this to mean that the young couple took over the family farm with the agreement that they would care for, and support Marte’s father. 

As far as I can see Marte did not have any children of her own. Her husband  though, had a child from his first wife when they married, a four years old daughter named Anne. Anne married Oskar Bjerke, and they in turn took over Søndre Oppset in 1954, using it as a holiday house. It seems they had children, and from the website trondtor, it seems as if one of them is still alive, but the information is not available, so this is the end of the trail for me.

If you are a relative, or have information about the family or photos, please get in contact with me at: rolanddesigns@gmail.com

 

M.E. Sampler + Free pattern

 

M.E. Sampler

 

This colorful sampler is worked mostly in cross stitch, but with some motifs in double cross stitch, and a long cross stitch basket (?) under the main initial. It is undated, though most probably dating from the second half of the 1800’s.

Along with the classic uppercase, and lowercase alphabet and numerals, the sampler also has four decorative border strips and several little motifs which could be used for other projects too. Note the large, yellow bee (bumblebee)

I named it the M.E. sampler, because those were the prominent initials. One more reason to date and sign your needlework, imagine a collector finding your piece a hundred years from now and trying to figure out the date it was made and by whom.

With little fading, the back and the front has just as crisp colors

 

The pattern is available on ETSY, and the website.

 

Four small Norwegian school samplers

The four samplers

As a collector at times, you come across similar, though not entirely identical items, this is the case with four small school samplers I recently acquired. Two of them were stitched eleven years apart by girls sharing a similar last name (Stavern), the other two are practically identical, but were worked four years apart at two different schools.

This makes me wonder if this was the standard form for school samplers of the time, or if the teacher was the same for both young girls, and as for the two near identical samplers, if there also it was the case of the same teacher relocating to a different school? These theories make for some fun speculations.

The samplers are very simple, just an alphabet in different stitches, and a set of numerals. The letter J is missing in three of the samplers, but Helen’s 1905 sampler has both the J, an extra half alphabet in Algerian eye and no numerals, all samplers have the letters Æ, Ø.

The cross stitch and Algerian eyes are stitched in red, the straight Gobelin stitches are white, blue or yellow.  Three of the samplers have a simple blanket stitch around the edge, the last one is stitched within the woven frame of the cloth.

If you want to try your hand at a stitching a historical sampler reproduction, these would make the perfect project. Simple, but with three different stitch types, plus the blanket stitch edge.

Another possibility is to select your favorite version of the alphabet and numerals and create your own sampler, using the colors of your choice. Because of the specialty stitches the samplers must be stitched on an evenweave fabric; look closely at the details photos for ideas of which material to use. 

The samplers are available as a set of 4x here: ETSY, Website

Close up of the details - Note the neat blanket stitch

Close up of the details

The 'Stavern' samplers

Bertha Richter Oltern sampler

Bertha Richter Oltern sampler

I think this is the first German sampler I’ve ever charted, and what a neat little treasure it is. Dated 1895, and signed Bertha Richter Oltern, it is stitched in vivid blue and red cotton on Penelope canvas, hand hemmed on the top and bottom, neat and tidy with hardly a mistake; for a school sampler the stitching is exemplary!

 

The backside of the sampler is perfectly neat

Bertha and Richter being very common names I was unable to find any information about the girl who stitched the sampler.

One interesting detail about the sampler is how it is stitched on a canvas that has a reddish (pink) outline. The stitching is precisely worked between the outline with 2x free spaces on all sides. This makes me wonder if the sampler was stitched after a pattern or designed to fit the canvas by the student?

Bertha did not write her age, but the neatness and precision of the stitching leads me to presume that she was perhaps a little older, possibly more than 10 years old.

The sampler is in very good condition for its age, with just a little missing yarn on the lower left-hand side.

 

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Design Area: 146 x 145 stitches


If stitched on 28 ct linen/ 14 ct aida the pattern will measure :

10,43" x 10,36" / 26,4 x 26,3 cm

The pattern is available here: ETSY, Website, Makerist

 

 
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