Frouwke Sijmens Bos (My Sewing Cloth) - Modern Folk Embroidery

A Sampler from the north of Groningen

Stitch Count

302w x 234h

Designed By:

Modern Folk Embroidery

copyright: Jacobus de Graaf

About this item

In 1792 in one of the most northernly small towns in the Netherlands Frouwke Sijmens Bos worked this truly beautiful sampler. Despite its poor condition, I am really happy that I can now present this design to you. The original sampler was in extremely poor shape, with a large portion of the lower half having completely disintegrated over time. Fortunately, the part with the most extensive damage was on the border, which was mostly a repeat pattern. Frouwke’s sampler also suffered from being fairly sun-bleached. Colours for this pattern were based on the back of the sampler and were freshened up to reflect the original colour palette. Due to its damaged nature, I decided to create an interpretation of Frouwke’s sampler for full crosses only, with no specialty stitches involved, and restoring the original, more bright colours. Therefore, this sampler should not be seen as a strict reproduction but a re-interpretation of a heavily damaged 18th-century sampler. For those who prefer a more authentic version, a bonus page with all the pattern details featuring backstitch is also included.