Winterthur Collection Online

The collection at Winterthur has been going up online and there are many textile objects up now, especially things like quilts and samplers (www.museumcollection.winterthur.org).

One of the items with many photos is the sampler that is providing the source inspiration for a class and kit that I am developing for Winterthur for their October symposium.  The sampler, made by Mehitable Parson between 1698-1706 (assumed dates).  Mehitable was from Rowley, Massachusetts which is near and dear to me as part of the later Newburyport region of sampler making.  So it is fun to work with an object that is a direct decedent of the 17th century English tradition as it comes to the Colonies and then ends up morphing slowing into the 18th century pieces I have worked a lot with.

My sampler for the symposium is significantly smaller, including some of the bands on this piece in running stitch, counted bands, white work bands, and two of the squares of whitework.

I bring this up as the conference materials on their website shows the wrong sampler, yet it refers the correct sampler in the text!

Tricia