Above, the top of the sampler with Margaret Rose’s name and location at the time of the
creation of the sampler.  On either end you can see that originally the piece was
intended to be hung on a rod, loop shown below right, but this was not going to be practical for the preservation of the sampler in future.

Margaret Rose was family member, though placement in her family tree is still being ascertained.  The best of the family’s information is that she was actually born Margaret Roos in 1814, possibly in France, and then moved to Canada in an area once called Upper Canada, in the town of Waterloo.  The name was probably anglicized at some point by the family.

She was also the weaver, embroiderer and artist who created this sampler in 1832.

GOALS

Our client’s goals were to

• stabilize the entire piece so imminent danger for more damage was removed
• remove the folds,
• stabilize the many rips
• not to restore the piece to the way it might have looked had it never been damaged, and simply aged gracefully intact.

Our entire treatment was reversible.

Finally, she wanted to display it in her home, so it was to be mounted in some manner and she asked for our input on how to best do this.

Note: Throughout the blog you will see images in these two tones.
The reality is the color is somewhere in between.  We take images with and without flashes and choose for the best informative photograph.

CONDITION

The sampler was folded and stored for many years.  While the storage did not damage the actual piece, embedded folds that were difficult to remove, given the piece was not washed by submersion.

After the various repairs, we tried our best to iron the folds out, and had some success, but there are still areas where a slight fold can be detected (see after images at the bottom of this post).  We are hoping that over time the slight leftover folds will relax.

The threads on the face of the sampler have faded over nearly two centuries, but we have a better idea of the original colors of the stitched motifs’ threads by looking at the back of the sampler, shown right above and left below.  In the front of the motif, shown above left, it is hard to see the grey-blue, as the blueish hue is completely missing and it appears grey.  Below you can see how much blue was in that “grey” thread!  It is also hard to see the two different tones of the rose and maroon, which end up looking variegated at best, and we just assume they faded to those colors.

But in the image of the back of the stitched motif above left and directly left, you can clearly see the following colors:

• gold,
• cream,
• soft brown,
• dark brown,
• soft blue,
• rose,
• maroon,
• and possibly black or a very dark grey.

The sampler was created on single weave linen fabric, and as Margaret was a weaver, the family has attributed the woven cloth she used as one of her own making, which is entirely possible.  We understand that Margaret knew how to make this linen weaving thread from the Flax plant to the finished product!

For more information on this process, visit Wikipedia on Flax.

Part of the sampler was performed doing drawn thread work, shown in its finished state right and below.

Thoughtfully chosen linen weft threads were originally removed to create the pattern of holes, and then embroidery, mostly in the form of attached cross-stitches, decorated and accentuated this pattern.

There were several ripped areas in the linen, the largest shown right before reparation.  (We show this repair below in “TREATMENT: REPAIRS“.)

Above, examples of the front and backside of the drawn thread work with cross stitching
used to decorate it.  Note lace attached to the bottom of the sampler, shown above and below, has many detaching areas and rips which were repaired.

Lace was attached in two areas: Top of the sampler (shown at the top of blog); and bottom middle, shown above.  Threads holding the lace to the linen were detaching or missing, and large holes and rips were also present in the lace.  The top of the sampler’s lace was in good condition with no issues.

There were several previous repairs, mostly very small though noticeable.  The one on the left is an example of a large and glaring repair, done in a contrasting embroidery yarn.  I cannot believe Margaret made it, but it is quite old and no doubt was performed by a family member.

We left it as part of its history.

Note: The piece was relatively clean, and we vacuumed it thoroughly after repairs were made through a filter.  It has never been exposed to oily heat nor smoke and did not appear to have any embedded grease or smoke residue.  Further, the dyes might be fugitive so IF in future cleaning is desired, a conservator should be contacted.

MATERIALS

We used various threads over the entire sampler, largely because fading made it difficult to “match” any one thread to all of it.  Even in the body of the linen and lace, which one would think might. be even in color, the differences in the linen color, a “beige”, made it impossible to choose a best thread that would match all the variations.  To do it exactly, one would have to constantly start and stop to switch threads in a single 2-inch rip, let’s say, which is very expensive.   Instead, we choose threads that matched most closely to a given area. The first image above shows many of the threads we used.  The second one shows the 100% cotton threads we used most often:

• Gutermann CA02776 Color 1140 beige (body background linen and lace)
• Sulky 713-1150 / 2156 1315 CA45688 (maroon embroidery)
• Gutermann CA02776 Color 9430 dark grey (embroidery)
• Gutermann CA02776 Color 1001 black (embroidery)

TREATMENT: REPAIRS

LACE

Our first challenge was to stabilize the lace by repairing the rips both in the body and along the edges where the lace was attached to the sampler.  From time to time that meant crocheting the threads in a chain stitch with a #8 crochet hook, a process not photographed, because it is already hard to crochet thread and to take images when you are by yourself is next to impossible without ruining your work!

Again, our goal was not to repair/reweave the lace, a treatment we are capable of performing but is very time consuming and also drives the cost of the treatment up.  This repair was an acceptable compromise.  As with many treatments, our repairs are reversible should anyone want to do additional treatment in future.  Always remember your clients goals.

Below, three repaired areas on the lace where it attached to the linen.  I apologize in advance as some of the images were too blurry to use.

1.5-inch RIP

Working back and front, lace was attached to the linen.

Before and after, 1-inch RIP above and 3/4-inch RIP W/HOLE below.

LARGE RIP IN DRAWN THREAD

This was a complicated repair, in that it appears to be a hole needing a “simple” thread repair in the drawn thread with all manner of fraying threads, but in reality is tied into a possible previous repair (darker greyish threads along the side), and unraveling side weaving.  The “simple” thread repair (somewhat woven) that stabilized the piece (again, not a true restorative weave of linen threads) also had to be anchored top and sides in stable linen.  I am showing how I started, the breaks I took to repair adjacent issues, and the result.

The piece was stabilized onto a foam board; white copy paper allowed us to see the area during treatment.

Showing damaged area.

Pinning and beginning weaving repair threads with the weft threads.

Realizing area in drawn thread must be repaired.

Drawn thread repair begins…

Last of the first smaller drawn thread repair images.

As I began I realized that trying to repair the large hole was foolish unless I repaired the smaller damages around it first.  To that end I moved upward first, and took care of the row with the maroon embroidery and damaged drawn thread areas.  Process shown above and below with notes.

#5361 Showing damaged area; note the frayed fluffy ends of the linen thread.

#5366 Pinning and beginning weaving repair threads with the weft threads.  Usually you work with the warp threads first (vertical) but in this case, I had to start with the weft threads (horizontal).

#5367 I realized areas above in the smaller drawn thread must be repaired… #5368 Drawn thread repair begins… and I take you through that until the last image of the first smaller drawn thread repair images is posted, #5385.

Second repair to stabilize area above hole….

Second repair completed.

A second repair to stabilize area above hole in shown above, #5387 through #5393.

Beginning large hole repair again…

From time to time I tied a simple knot to keep the threads in place.

I went back to adding the weft threads, and from time to time I used a simple knot to keep the threads in place, #5400.

Third repair noted, which was to wrap the sides from a previous repair which were unraveling.

Top wrap completed, moved to the large hole again but….

Noted another previous repair in grey thread.

Fourth repair, found the need to wrap the lower edge also before proceeding.

In an unusual turn, the weft thread becomes the first thread to be placed into the hole.

Again a repair was needed before weaving the weft could continue.  The sides were unraveling, and this may be part of a previous repair as greyish threads were present.  #5403 I wrapped the sides to stabilize the edge, and moved to continue the weft weave but noted another previous repair in grey thread, #5413!  More wrapping of the edge, and finally the weft threads are in place in #5418.

Warp thread is woven.

Added maroon threads to secure embroidery within drawn thread area.

Resting maroon thread and turning to woven hole again.

Beginning hole weave again, warp thread anchored top and bottom with simple knots.

Warp thread is anchored bottom and top.

Example of anchoring warp thread.

Woven area is finished.

Maroon threads complete the repair above repaired hole.

I begin weaving the warp thread through the weft, #5421.

The maroon embroidery threads were unstable, so in #5424 I show adding maroon threads to secure embroidery within drawn thread area.  When I was complete, I left the maroon thread and needle in place in case I needed it again #5431 , and turned to woven hole again, continuing to weave the wrap threads.  As I am weaving the warp thread, it is anchored top #5433, and bottom #5440 with simple knots to keep it from being pulled or slipping, #5444.

#5436 Shows stabilization running through the maroon embroidery area.

In #5446, the weaving in completed.

Maroon threads are added, completing the repair above repaired hole, #5448 -#5452.

Repair to stabilize hole is complete, shown right.

The large hole began just below the point of the arrow.

The adjacent necessary repairs mostly happened above the point of the arrow and of course, all along the side for about 4-inches!

REPARATION OF THE BODY IS COMPLETE

Above, the lower lace and drawn thread before treatment.  Below, the repaired lower fifth of the sampler is completed.  It still has folds, and the ends want to curl upward, even after ironing.  (Ignore the disparity in color, which is about the flash/no flash of the camera.)

TREATMENT: ATTACHMENT

FRAME AND UNDERCLOTH

Our client chose to back Margaret’s sampler with a lovely organic, slightly green-grey hemp twill.

The face and sides of the face edges of the a sturdy 1.75-inch frame were wrapped with 7 oz hemp and cotton twill, chosen for stability, allowing the final showcover cloth to be pre-pinned along the edges prior to tack down.  This allowed for adjustments in the cross-weave of the showcover, without sacrificing its tension to the overall weave.  This ultimately protects the thinner hemp twill showcover from abrasion.

THREAD

Thread chosen for the attachment was Gutermann CA02776 Color 1140 beige, shown below with and without flash.

STITCHING

The entire piece was pinned onto the face of the stretched hemp cloth, shown right.

After centering the sampler, I started pinning in the middle line, and worked up and down on thee lines pinning the sampler in place.  The lace was pinned, top and bottom, and in the center where no line existed an imaginary line was created across the body of the sampler below the central motif.  Finally the sides were pinned.

Stitching began in the same places, working top and bottom as described above, then the edges.

The stitch appears to be a running stitch, but it is carefully stitched straight up and down, shown above and below, in order that it not pull the piece along the long stitch lines.  A knot was place at beginning and ending, and one spot in the center.

For another bit of stability, and also because the stitching along this area was a bit tattered, I chose to cross stitch over the decorative motif along the bottom using a cross stitch carefully stitched straight up and down.

I used the Sulky 713-1150 / 2156 1315 CA45688 maroon embroidery thread for the cross stitching, shown right and below.

Areas in the centr where motifs were missing were stitched at the end, shown below/

Finally, using Gutermann CA02776 Color 1140 beige, a tiny stitch was used all around the edges every 1/4-inch to secure the edges to the hemp cloth, shown left.

I tried to photograph it but it is hard as the threads blend into the linen, which is good!

AFTER

Showing after images in both flashed and no-flashed images, below.

Note:  The “wobbles” in the sizes of the linen as we move from top to bottom have an interesting story.  I originally thought Margaret cut her linen wobbly. (Sorry, Margaret.  I should have know better, whit your attention to detail.)

Instead, Margaret cut her linen precisely, but as she stitched the stitches took up the threads on the overall width to varying degrees.  The areas where almost no stitching occured is the widest width; where there are layers of many patterns of stitches the linen is pulled in, and so we get the “wobbly” edge.

MOTIFS

Margarets motifs are delightful. Below, I name them, though a couple still elude me — maybe you can tell what they are?

A pot with large leaves or flowering plant in it OR
it is sitting on a table and the pot is quite small.

Three flowering plants.  I believe the center one is a orchid.
What I don’t understand is why the one on the right has more space than the left. 
It may be the only mistake I found, so sorry Margaret!

One area may be Christmas or holiday decor:
A reindeer, a heart, and a red robin.
There are many hearts and a few crowns on the sampler.

In each corner, angled flowering plants in a heart-shaped pot.

Several motifs:  A cat or dog following behind a rooster;
a heart with a crown topping it; the sun or stars;
possibly these are phoenix, but definitely bird images;
and lastly flowers.

Tables with wine goblets setting on them. 
In one a small gift of a flower, and in the other, a heart.

Two tables with beverage containers on them and glasses;
small dogs or cats on either side.

Flowers, maybe tulips, coming up from planters.
Is that writing on the one on the right?

Finally, what every sampler contains, the alphabet!
Margaret Roos (Rose) placed her initials here,
and we presume the date is when she finished the sampler.

NOTE:  WordPress has decided to add the bit at the end about dkatiepowellart because it recognizes me as the author; I haven’t figured out how to remove it yet!
I have a blog about my art, and I am half of a partnership in our conservation business.

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