circa 1840 Jane Lyill aged 8 American schoolgirl sampler

Jane Lyill was only 8 years old when she stitched this sampler– the backwards letter “S” in several places delights me. It’s classically American circa 1840 with flowering urns, birds and alphabets but longer, band-sampler stye is less common. She worked with fine wool thread on golden tan linen fabric which is hemmed along the sides and has selvedge at top and bottom. The motifs are worked in cross stitches with saw-tooth borders worked in satin stitch and hemstitch borders that create an openwork effect.

The condition is quite good; there is a small amount of scattered stitch loss and a few threadbare spots near the central urn (most likely from the sampler being folded for many years). The wool threads have retained their colors with minimal fading (the last picture shows the reverse).

Jane’s sampler measures 8-1/2″ wide by 17″ long. It is unframed and will be shipped folded in acid-free tissue.

A signature will be required at delivery. Shipping and insurance are included in the price.