Samplers and other Red and White Collections

Sometimes my collection isn't shaped by what I am looking for at the time.  It is dictated by what I happened to find that caught my eye.  Interpret that to mean "at a super price".

This weekend was a great antique fix for me.  I found 3 samplers at an estate sale.  I have a few samplers already, although I prefer to collect Berlin work, which tends to be wool on penelope canvas, although sometimes I find it on linen.  Samplers tend to be silk or cotton on linen.

There were so many motifs done here that I like, the prancing reindeer, the huge gates bottom right, the fountain with birds, the house!   

The next two samplers are red and white stitching.  I like the graphic look of just red and white. It doesn't have to be a sampler.  However, I was thrilled to find two red and white samplers.  I have another sampler packed away that I'll have to frame.  

Cute Red & White Cross Stitch Sampler.  It appears to be unfinished.   WXYZ should be on the bottom row.

Sampler #3 dated 1850

Tiny stitches look so elegant as script!

I have always been a fan of red and white damask.  You can easily find them on ebay, mostly towels.

Red and White Fringed Napkin

Below is a collection of red and white quilts. The collection is owned by one person, and her husband made arrangements to have them displayed so she could see them all.  Wow! My sampler obsession takes up a bit less wall space.

http://www.folkartmuseum.org/?p=folk&t=images&id=8664

The quilt show above must have been stunning to attend. It was called:  Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts,” presented by the American Folk Art Museum at the Park Avenue Armory March 25–30, 2011  

Here are some more photos of the exhibit:

https://plus.google.com/photos/110777728878149984081/albums/5589177617421449457/5589340794165456578?banner=pwa  

If you would like to read about collecting samplers - here are a few links:  

  http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/samplers.htm

  http://samplings.com/curator-archives/conversationwithantiquesamplers

I think about how someone designed a sampler and then spent countless hours stitching their creation.  The whimsy and "elegance" of the items they stitch, from a cat to an elaborate gate--makes me smile.

Does this make you want a sampler??!!!