Introducing Rachel Mauger

A few years ago, I shared a not-so-great picture on this blog of an antique sampler I had acquired featuring a sitting stag.  I started charting and stitching on a reproduction not too long after that, but set it aside for other stitching interests (and because charting the deer was a daunting prospect).  Over the last few months, I have been able to devote some serious stitching and charting time to Rachel's sampler, and here she is:

The model is stitched on 40 count Cappuccino linen by Weeks Dye Works, using silks from NPI, Au ver a Soie, and Crescent Colours (now Classic Colorworks).  I was first attracted to this sampler by the deer, and by the extremely bright turquoise and pinks that Rachel chose for her border.  The colors are all very bright, but I think they work well together.  I hope a few of you will think so as well.

Rachel stitched her sampler using wool threads on a coarse 22-count canvas.  I chose to stitch my model on a much higher count linen simply because that is more to my personal tastes, but it could certainly be stitched on a fabric closer in size to the original thread count.  I considered stitching with wools, but I simply could not find that pink and turquoise in the materials available today.

I went online to do a little digging around and to see if I could get some idea of who Rachel might have been.  The sampler was purchased from a store in England and I discovered that there were several women named Rachel Mauger living on the island of Guernsey in the English Channel.  There are records of two young women who would have been of the appropriate age to have stitched this sampler.  So maybe Rachel came from Guernsey, but I don't suppose we will ever know for certain.

If you like this reproduction, and you would like to purchase a pattern, please let your LNS know about your interest.  And please, share your interest with the rest of your stitching friends too.   Shops can contact me regarding purchasing at robin@threadsofmemory.com.  Or, they can stop by the Cherished Stitches room at Nashville.  My mom will be carrying all of the patterns that I will be sharing here on my blog.

I am off to put a few more stitches in one of Mom's models.  Til next time, stay crafty my friends!