“There were her compositions and exercise-books; some samplers and queer little keepsakes; withered flowers and some pebbles and other things of like value, with which there was probably some pleasant association.”
“There were letters…from her girl friends written in the boarding-school… Those in one of the smaller packages were charming; it must have been such a bright, nice girl who wrote them! They were very few, and were tied with black ribbon, and marked on the outside in Aunt Katharine’s girlish writing: “My dearest friend, Dolly McAllister, died September 3, 1809, aged eighteen.” The ribbon had evidently been untied and the letters read many times. One began: My dear, delightful Kitten: I am quite overjoyed to find my father has business which will force him to go to Deephaven next week, and he kindly says if there be no more rain I may ride with him to see you. “
I’ve had these miniature marking samplers in my head for some time now and having recently picked up Sarah Orne Jewett’s, Deephaven, to pay a visit to Grand Aunt Katharine’s house once again, I was inspired to thread my needle and stitch them up.
Perhaps these wee samplers were those they found in the drawer with the other treasures? One stitched by Katharine and one by Dolly when they were yet girls and happily spending the summer together at Deephaven…
Each is very simply backed with a Civil War era reproduction calico. Perfect to lay on an old desk or stack of books…they come as a pair (I couldn’t bear to separate them). Katharine’s measures 5”w x 4.5”h and Dolly’s measures 5”w x 4”h.
Deephaven Marking Samplers
To order, please email me at pineberrylane@hotmail.com.
All of my designs are available as patterns. Visit my web site for more information!
