This is another very unusual sampler, probably made as a gift for a friend, as it depicts two young girls wearing the fashionable bloomers of the day, one presenting a gift basket to the other. There is a fanciful castle stitched in the sky above them, and around them an idealized landscape.

The piece can be stitched entirely in counted thread, or parts of it can be worked with stem and satin stitch as is done in this model. On the original sampler the girls' hair was worked with real human hair which you can do as well if you like (although hair can be tricky to work with).

Origin and date: Danvers, Massachusetts, 1794

Linen count and finished size: 35 or 40 count, 16"x20" or 14"x18" (please specify). Kit contains fabric, silk or cotton thread, needle and instructions.

Stitches: Cross, straight, satin, French knots, stem

Source: Private collection