A Shaker Design

I get a lot of great ideas for samplers while browsing on Pinterest.  There are many, many stitchers who have pages of pictures of all types of samplers.

It's very addicting to scroll and scroll -- and drool and drool!

Recently I've become enamored of Shaker samplers, and I started a Pinterest page just for the ones I've found while browsing.  

Shaker samplers are usually a very simple design, yet elegant because of the simplicity.  They are also rare since the Shakers didn't bother to frame them.  They were truly used as "marking templates" and kept in a drawer. Since the Shakers did most things communally, including washing, all articles of clothing had to be marked with names or initials prior to washing.

I tried my hand at designing one of my own, and here is "Amanda Sheridan 1836", just back from my framer:

Amanda Sheridan 1836

I used alphabets from three different Shaker samplers.

Amanda and my cast iron bunny bank

At the bottom, I stitched Shaker / Quaker motifs and a cute basket cartouche -- this section is stitched over one thread.

I just love the letter "Q", above

My sampler is stitched on 40 count Lakeside Linen Autumn Gold with just three shades of Belle Soie (silk) threads.