Alethia Saunders 1831 antique sampler
An Antique Sampler Adaptation charted by Nicola Parkman of Hands Across the Sea Samplers benefiting Historic Rock Castle
Alethia Saunders 1831
About Alethia Saunders 1831
Alethia Saunders, 1831
Antique Sampler Adaptation charted by Nicola Parkman, Hands Across the Sea Samplers, benefiting Historic Rock Castle, home of Revolutionary War Brigadier General Daniel Smith, grandfather of Alethia Saunders.
Eleven-year-old Alethia Saunders’ sampler was returned to Rock Castle by her 3rd-great granddaughter Grace Alethia Austin Tomkins of Gallatin, Tennessee. Alethia Saunders’ prominent family members were early founders of both the state of Tennessee and the nation.
Growing up on the banks of the Cumberland River, Alethia was a neighbor to President Andrew Jackson, who helped raise her older brothers.
This design has been charted for needleworkers of all abilities and for stitching on both aida and linen. Thread legend includes DMC, AVAS Soie 100/3, and Soie D’Alger threads. Model stitched on 46 count (Bristol) Mocha linen from Weeks Dye Works using AVAS Soie 100/3 silk threads. Stitch count is 177 w X 200 h.
Alethia’s sampler is highlighted in the Tennessee Sampler Survey
“The floral border on Alethia's sampler is also found on a group of samplers from the Carolinas. Pat Veasey's article, ‘Samplers of the Carolina Piedmont: The Presbyterian Connection and the Bethel Group,’ published in the Journal of Early Southern Decorative Arts describes this group and their connection to Tennessee.”
http://www.mesdajournal.org/online-issues/#sthash.6Dj43PjI.dpuf
Page 138 https://archive.org/details/journalofearlyso301321muse/page/138/mode/2up
Purchase Alethia Saunders Sampler Pattern
HERE
INSTANT DOWNLOAD
You will receive a link to a PDF file which contains all the print files. An email will be sent to the address you provide at checkout with a link for your download. This link will expire 24 hours after it is first clicked.
Due to the digital nature of the product, we do not accept cancellations/refunds. This design is intended for personal use only. Please let us know if you have any issues with your purchase by emailing info@historicrockcastle.com All proceeds benefit Historic Rock Castle.
Ann Pearce ~ A Mother’s Love
We do not have much information about Ann Pearce nor the time frame in which she probably stitched this piece. But what we do have is a story about a young man who
loved life and loved his family and friends and even loved his mother’s stitching!
His life was tragically cut short at age 32 on October 12, 2023, and our lives will never be the same again. BUT, I was given a beautiful, antique sampler to be reproduced
in his memory.
100% of the proceeds will be given to a place he loved dearly in his adopted state home of New Mexico. He loved the people and the programs of DreamTree Project in
Taos, New Mexico.
Located in Taos, DreamTree Project offers emergency teen shelter, a transitional living program, street outreach, and resources for youth throughout northern New Mexico.
Their newest program also offers emergency shelter and support services for adults and families in their community who are experiencing housing insecurity.
This project is dedicated to the memory of our son, Nathan Sheffield Gay.
~ Melissa Gay
Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank the following people for their kind, generous donations for this project of A Mother’s Love:
All of these gave generously because of their love for me and for our needlecraft - and it is deeply felt.
Nicola Parkman - charting the reproduction and new creations for the “smalls” projects
Kathleen Littleton - AVAS 100.3 silks
Patty Mason - Mason Linens
Cathy Marcum and Debby Abell for their loving care and stitching of the smalls
Debra Maggart Breske for her help and support with the project
Luke and Linda Tinsley for the original Ann Pearce
About Nathan Sheffield Gay
Nathan Sheffield Gay was 32 years old when he went to be with the Lord on October 12, 2023 in Carson, New Mexico. He is survived by his loving parents, Dee and Melissa Gay of Hendersonville, Tennessee. For the last eight years of Nathan's life, he lived in both Colorado and New Mexico, working in various jobs, including programs for homeless juveniles at DreamTree and homeless adults at Espanola Pathways. But making music, writing, and ecstatic dance were his passions., and he dug into them with his whole being. Through his compassion, generosity, and mercy, he spread joy and light throughout his community. Nathan never met a stranger and tried to help every person he met. His faith in Christ s now in sight
About DreamTree Project
Housing and support services for youth, adults and families in crisis.
Located in Taos, DreamTree Project offers emergency teen shelter, a transitional living program, street outreach, and resources for youth throughout northern New Mexico, including Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba, Taos, and Union counties. Our new NEST facility offers emergency shelter and supportive services for adults and families in our community who are experiencing housing insecurity.
A Note from Nicola Parkman
Thank you for purchasing the PDF download and for being part of the fund-raiser in memory of Nathan Sheffield Gay.
The loss of a child is one of the most intensely painful experiences you can go through. As parents we expect to die before our children. It is impossible to grasp the suffering
without experiencing it firsthand. It is the loneliest, most desolate journey a person can take.
When Melissa told her stitching friends that she had been given an antique American sampler to be reproduced in Nathan’s memory, we didn’t hesitate to swing into action. Ann Pearce has been reproduced by me, the drum and strawberry were designed and stitched by Cathy, and the pin cushion and the scissor fob, by Debby.
It has been our honour to be part of Melissa’s creative design team to benefit DreamTree.
Ann executed her sampler mainly in cross stitch over two threads, together with two clusters of Queen stitches and an uppercase alphabet worked in Algerian eyelets. A word of warning, count the border carefully, particularly the corners!
The sampler has been reproduced using a palette of ten beautiful colours from Au Ver à Soie’s range of Soie 100.3. We have provided conversions for Soie d’Alger and DMC in the chart. For the sampler you will only require one spool or skein with the exception of Soie d’Alger #4613 when working with two threads on 28 / 32ct linen.
~Nicola Parkman
Editor’s Note:
Ann Pearce may have stitched her sampler in Sumner County, Tennessee between 1830 and 1850. We believe this because she used the same color palette of threads Alethia Saunders and other local girls used at the same time of pinks, greens and white. This sampler may be stitched on both linen and aida.
Nathan Sheffield Gay
Nathan Sheffield Gay was 32 years old when he went to be with the Lord on October 12, 2023 in Carson, New Mexico. He is survived by his loving parents, Dee and Melissa Gay of Hendersonville, Tennessee.
