Words to Live By

So this was my contribution to market this year.  I think this is the biggest sampler I have ever designed and stitched.  The finished design measures 15" x 20".  It is called, "Words to Live By" and I stitched it with Belle Soie Silks on 36 count Fossil linen from Picture this Plus.  It is basically the Ten Commandments in rhyme.  I chose my sampler's title, but the rhyme came from the McGuffey Reader from years ago.  The phrase reads:

Thou no God shall have but Me.
Before no idol bend thy knee.

Take not the name of God in vain,
Nor the Sabbath day profane.

Give thy parents honor due.
Take heed that thou no murder do.

Abstain from words and deeds unclean.
Steal not, for thou by God art seen.

Tell not a willful lie, nor love it.
What is thy neighbor's do not covet.

If you aren't familiar with the McGuffey Reader, it was one of the first school books created to teach children to read. In 1833, a small publishing company called Truman and Smith based in Cincinnati, Ohio, became interested in the idea of school texts. Truman and Smith began scouting for an educator who could create a series of readers. They happened upon Rev. William Holmes McGuffey.

McGuffey had already planned a series of readers and had published his first reader in 1836. The child modeled in his book is prompt, good, kind, honest and truthful. This first book contained fifty-five lessons. I guess you could call it a pioneer child's version of Dr. Suess.

My favorite thing about this sampler (other than the rhyme) is that there is nothing traditional about it.  Just a collection of modern random motifs.  If you think about it- isn't that just what samplers really are?  But instead of butter churns, acorns and peacocks, my sampler sports light bulbs, umbrellas, and robots.  It even has buttons!  In fact, at Market, Cecile from Just Another Button Company tracked me down and said, "OK, I've got to see this new design.  I'm sure it's adorable, but I have to tell you-- it is one of the ugliest button packs I've ever seen!"    She did end up loving the design, but said that she just couldn't imagine how all those buttons could ever come together on one cohesive sampler.   It was a great seller for us at market!