price chart: 12,50 Euro

crosses: 200/213

content:

- linen: 40 count - 16 threads/cm
- floss: silk *)+**)
- needle
- instruction

 *)  Deviation between reproduction and
        material might be possible

In the 19th century, family records or genealogies became particularly popular in the United States as well as in Europe.

This sampler is a true reproduction of a Danish sampler probably stitched in the year 1853 or a little later. The sampler impresses by using only two colours and very simple, geometrical patterns and motifs. The large amount of initials is striking. Some of the names are provided with a cross, possibly a hint that this member of the family is already dead.

The colours of the antique sampler are faded. By looking at the back of the sampler, the dark red and the dark blue shades of the original colours are seen. The reproduction of the sampler shows its original condition much clearer than the faded colours of today.

This small sampler is in private ownership of Dorothee Kandzi.

**) The choice of fabrics and threads was the most difficult job for Dorothee Kandzi. Dorothee has tried to use fabrics, threads and colours which are as close as possible to those of antique samplers. Some of the samplers you see above are stitched on 200 year old linen, like Denmark 1825 and Johann Sibmacher Sampler 1601. That requires lots of practice and patience, because the linen is woven irregularly. A good choice for todays stitchers is the very fine 40-counted linen produced by Permin of Copenhagen. Antique samplers are nearly always stitched with silk on fine linen. Au vers a soie, a Parisien company, offers silk threads of very high quality in more than 400 different colours. That allows the reproduction samplers to have the warm and delicate shades of the antique samplers.

The kits always come with the finest Danish 40-count linen and silk threads from Au vers à soie.