Cambridge

This is the last day of our tour but it is certainly not the least! We traveled to Cambridge to see the exhibit: Sampled Lives: samplers from the Fitzwilliam Museum. Over 100 samplers from the museum's excellent but often unseen collection were on display. They were amazing! I did have a major complaint with the exhibit however: the lighting was terrible. The display was crammed in to a tiny space under some stairs. It was dim overall with lots of glare on the glass. Some of the samplers were hung so high I could not begin to see the tops of them. Large magnifying glasses were provided so that was very nice. Hopefully someday embroidery can come out of the closet!

 

That said, photos of complete samplers were impossible. I could only get decent pictures of small areas at a time. So, here is just a taste of what was on display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the frog!

 

 

And the spider.

 

 

And this is the center part.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information click here.

 

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Martha Edlin (V&A Museum)

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has an incredible collection of embroideries stitched in the mid-17th century by a young girl named Martha Edlin. These works of art were passed down through the female line in her family for 300 years.

Some of her work is on display but (as usual) the lighting is poor, some objects are too high up to be able to see them clearly, and some are obscured by others. I photographed what I could and I was also able to download some photos from the V&A website. [Don't forget you can click on any photo below to see a larger copy.]

 

Sampler, dated 1668, completed when Martha was 8 years old!! It was embroidered with silks on linen.

(my photos)

 

 

 

(V&A photo)

 

 

Whitework and Cutwork Sampler, 1669, completed when she was 9.

(V&A photo)

 

Embroidered Casket, dated 1671, embroidered by Martha when she was 11. The panels were embroidered with silks and metal threads on satin. Notice the tiny bead necklaces the women are wearing.

 

(my photos)

 

(V&A photos)

 

 

Jewelry Case, dated 1673, completed when Martha was 13. The case is decorated with thousands of colored glass beads sewn into place. The design on the lid is of a cockatrice, a fantastical bird-beast.

(my photo)

 

 

(V&A photo)

 

 

This unfinished mirror surround worked in the stumpwork technique was stitched sometime between 1660 and 1680.

 

(my photos)

 

 

 

 

 

This is part of a second mirror surround.

 

 

Awesome stuff!

 

 

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