From the Archives...: A collection of 18 out-of-print articles on old Embroideries and Samplers dating from 1925 to present compiled by Eileen Bennett

The Mad Samplar Book Company

"Often in the study of samplers, it would be helpful to have access to some of the long-ago writings of earlier sampler scholars and researchers. These documents, out of print before most of today's stitchers discovered a fascination for samplers, are exceedingly difficult to find, even in well-maintained libraries. Eileen Bennett, in the course of her 30-plus years of sampler history, added to her personal collection of needlework references many publications containing valuable articles by such scholars as Leigh Ashton, Donald King, and Heinz Edgar Kiewe. From these resources, she has compiled in this publication nine out-of-print articles with nine articles she has written for various needlework journals. The book opens with an article from the publication Old English Embroidery. Titled "Symbolism in Mediaeval Embroidery," the article is a direct reproduction, as are all the contents of this book, of the original, complete with two pages of symbolic crosses and Christian symbols. Other articles are from The Connoisseur, Embroidery, The Antiquarian, and Old Furniture. One fascinating title, "Lugubrious Rhymes of the Samplers - One Wonders if the Sentiments Painstakingly Wrought in Fine Needlework Really Represented the Youthful Mentality," provides an account by Esther C. Averill of various verses used on samplers. The second half of the book is devoted to out-of-print articles written by Bennett for publications ranging from Just CrossStitch to Cross Stitch Sampler and this publication. Sampler historians should consider adding this reference book to their collection before it, too, is out of print." (Review by Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly Magazine)

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