How Long and Why?
Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 8:10AM | Sharon B | 112 Comments | in Band sampler work in progress, Hand Embroidery, Needlework, Samplers, Wips and Wisps Let's play a guessing game but first let me fill you in on the back story.
Over the last couple of days you may have noticed an increased interest in samplers. For years I have made and kept samplers as a personal reference and teaching aid. I love them. I always make them 15 cm (6 inches) wide and long like a band sampler. Length changes depending on the fabric I have to hand but never the width. They are kept either rolled up or pinned to my wall.
For a long time I have thought about stitching them together in chronological order so they become one long sampler. Yesterday I finished doing just that!
This is what they ended up looking like. In order to turn the sampler on the table I have folded the corners to a point. Join me in a guessing game. How long is it? The first correct answer left as a comment will win a batch of hand dyed threads from me.
There are some good reasons for stitching these samplers together. There is the practical aspect of being able to travel with a pile of teaching samples as this way they are lighter and more compact - think about how heavy they would be if this amount of teaching samples were housed in plastic slip files in folders. This is what it looks like when wound up.
I have placed them in chronological order as then I can see various developments in both skill and style over the years. It make a nice personal history. They are worked on a number of different fabrics. Linen, aida and cotton are all represented on a number of different counts from 25 count linen to 38 count. I plan to just keep adding to the roll so this sampler will be forever a work in progress.
Annie from Annies Crazy World get together every week to stitch. Yesterday as we had fun taking photos of this sampler we dreamed up this guessing game.
I do have another reason to stitch them together like this. It is a very logical and practical reason. Can you guess why? The first correct answer left as a comment will win a batch of hand dyed threads from me.
As a hint the table is a large table built by Jerry and not a standard size. So it can be deceptive if you try and judge the size using the table as a guage. This is what it looks like spread on the floor to see it.
So there are two questions guess either one correctly and you have won a prize. What is the prize? Nothing too great but I thought the readers who win might like a batch of my hand dyed threads.
Can you guess how long is this sampler?
Can you guess why I stitched them together like this?
If you guess the answer to either or both questions leave your answer as a comment.
Monday morning my time here in Australia I will tell you the answers so you have till then to join in. . .
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Reader Comments (112)
27 feet long? You are making a border for your studio? One thing I DO know is that these are fabulous... and what a great idea to keep the width always the same!
33 feet long.Good idea to have it in one long piece so you will never loose any section of it, or if brought to a regular classroom setting, each student can admire it at the same time!!
I will guess 35 feet long, and that you are stitching them together to put it out on display.
I don't have a guess yet for either question but I absolutely love the idea of keeping the width of samplers consistent and then sewing them together in a scroll like this. Brilliant!
Actually, a reason for sewing them together might be to make it easier to transport to classes or whatever. I would think a roll like that would be easier to handle and lighter weight than notebooks full of puffy pages (and certainly more durable than anything framed).
I say it is 258" or 655 cm. And for why you sewed them all together...hmmm I will have to think about that for awhile.
I am not sure why. . .still thinking about that. . .but I think the strip is 88" long. What a terrific chronology! I must say, you are amazing! I continue to be glad to have found you and your blog!
I'm guessing about 12 meters (40'). This is very cool...a true sampler. Marjorie
Sharon,
My guess is 65' long. Sewing it that way would make it easier to fold up and lay flat like a book.
My guess is 41 feet long and they are sewed together to make sure all the edges and backs are "finished"; the fabrics won't unravel, no one can see your knots, etc...and there won't be 'pulls' from the back-side threads catching on things as they are handled and transported.
My guess is 38ft. long could eventually be a quilt. Just leave the points and sew the side seams together.
What a wonderful collection of work! I guess 33 feet long. Not sure on the reason though.
I guess 21ft long and stitched together so you can pack them into a circular sewing basket to transport them to classes (and you will never mislay one again!)
My guess is 8.5 metres long.
Not sure why though apart from what you said in your blog about being easy and lighter to carry to classes.
Fabulous work Sharon. I think your scroll is 480 inches ling. Joined together so you will always know where the samples are ........I should do that with some of my "stuff" for which I am always searching haha.
My guess is 42 feet long
Why? For a book. I remember a knitting sampler done by Suzannah Lewis for a book. She knitted samples form a museum collection and put it into one long piece. The book had the instructions for every section of the extra long scarf.
My figuring was close to Debbie's using 18-19 inch wide chairs (cheated, looked them up on Sears). But I'm going to drop down a bit and say 31 feet (372 inches) (944.88 cm).
My guess is that having them rolled up will protect them from fading, dust and other damage.
By the way, they're stunning!
Hi Sharon, I think it is 26 feet 6 inches long and the only reason I can think of for sewing it together is for displaying it looped over bamboo as the chinese do with long strips of fabric !!!!
Hi Sharon, I have to guess 34.5 feet long... that is a great way to store and transport! Jane
I think it is 400" long and I have no idea what you will use it for other than what you've already talked about. I love the idea of keeping the samplers all the same size (width), and just keeping them is remarkable to me...I must become more disciplined about keeping a sample that I've made.
I guess that the sampler is 250" and you sewed them this way to make an accordion style sampler book.
22.5 feet long
a few guesses for use
you wanted to make a hay roll or as I like to call them jelly roll : )
for the guiness book of records...the longest sampler
or just because it is a great way to transport them for show n tell
what fun! thanks! oh and i love the idea of consistency with a long term project
I think it is 22 feet long and you stitched them together to make it easier to pass around as a teaching tool in classes.
ps
absolutely lovely table and surroundings
KUDOS
I believe the sampler is 1350 cm long!
I'm guessing 32 feet, but it's strictly a guess! I think too, that it would make a great teaching tool - or a museum display.
Cheers
Mary Anne
About 42 feet?
And to have a sort of chronological record of how your work has progressed through the years? (that, or you have a very tall stairwell you wish to display it in)
I'm guessing 90 inches. I know for me, it would be a matter of keeping track of all the samplers and not losing any of them in my stash, as well as not forgetting which stitches I have done....you probably don't have those problems, though.
What a great idea, to keep a consistently sized running sampler--great as a resoure and teaching tool!
Hee hee...28 feet long is my guess.
You've already given us the practical reasons though...unless it is to save storage space?
I would say the reason for sewing them together is twofold, to see your progression as a stitcher & to see the progression of stitch variations. You are the master at taking a stitch & making it different. I would think that someday it would be nice to know how that stitch came to be.
Length, hmmmm 23 feet long.
if its 6"wide, I'm thinking its gotta be about 27 feet (324 inches)
Hi Sharon
My guess is 47 1/2 feet. The challenge really should be "how many hours did it take to make all these samplers?". Very impressive.
Are they rolled with the idea of being able to unroll and show your progress and greater skill as you progressed through the years?
Hugs and hi from
FredaB
Wow...my guess is 3850mm
Anyway, congrats at such wonderful
persistence in what must have taken a
great deal of patience.
CQMadhatter
p.s. Tell Jerry he did a splendid job!
I'd say 9.1 metres long. Stitched together so that if a student asks about a particular stitch then you can show them how to use it in different applications and what it looks like individually.
I'm guessing that it's 43 feet long and you sewed them all together to impress people with your sampler! :)
My guess - 310 inches. And I'd say you're planning on trying to break the Guinness Book of World Records for Longest Sampler Ever... or at least beat the length of the Bayeaux Tapestry - only 2,931 more inches to go!!
24 feet. And it's sewn together like a timeline. or showing the evolution of your own stitching to show in classes.
I am giggling with glee here - keep guessing folks LOL
I guess the total length 49 feet?
And why? The search for the different pieces is past time now. Very easy to find now: everything on 1 beautifull roll at 1 place!
I guess 18 feet and you stitched them all together so you could roll it up and prevent creases. What a wonderful piece of work to have your progression through the years. As pretty as they are, I'm not a huge fan of making samplers, but this is inspiring.
My guess is 9.8 metres Sharon
Regards Doreen
http://doreeng.blogspot.com/
Well, I have absolutely no idea, but I'll say 10.5 meters for length. And I think the idea to roll it up and carry it in a circular sewing basket is a good one. But my guess for reason is so that you have timeline of your work and an easy reference should someone ask you about such and such a stitch for such and such a class, you can just roll to the right spot. And you can also see what you were doing before and after--how your work led into new ideas.
By the way, I have updated my blog to reflect my TIF progress.
Most people have suggested the obvious reasons but the only reason I can think of is that you may be going to exhibit them somewhere and if they are all stitched together they can't get lost or heaven forbid stolen.
Doreen
http://doreeng.blogspot.com/
I think that glorious sampler is 15.3m long, and I am guessing the other reason you sewed them together like that is so that no pieces ever get lost! :)
Jocelyn
I'm guessing the table is 4' wide and about 8' long so my guess is 42.5'.
Length: 7620 cm
Purpose: Chair Rail
I'm guessing at 31ft.6ins or 378 ins long.
Was going to say 32 ft but someone's already guessed that.
Are they stitched the way they are because each type of embroidery has been put in it's own section of the sampler.
I'm guessing 38.5'.
Why, for storage and transportation purposes.
Did you stitch them together so you can roll them up and store them in a certain drawer or hat box?
I would say that the sampler is 8.62 meters long and I guess that you will use it as a border for your studio wall.