Maria Lecaplain 1885 Reproduction Sampler
CROSS STITCHREPRODUCTION SAMPLER PATTERN, READY TO DOWNLOAD, BY Couleur Tourterelle

By all means this is an exceptional sampler. While it was stitched by a 14 year old girl in Normandy, it contains no fewer than 12 Berlin motifs, that could have each been used in a single sampler. Why did our stitcher embark on such a large project? It remains a mystery. But when the antique sampler caught the eye of Meriem Chauvet (the collector and neeedlework expert behind Couleur Tourterelle), she knew she had to stitch it - and therefore rechart it, whatever the amount of time it would take (actually 3 months!).

The first Berlin motifs appeared in Germany at the beginning of the 19th century. These beautifully hand-colored patterns most often depicted flowers, exotic birds, landscapes, many animals, and people, such as bucolic scenes of shepherds or children with their pets. Many color gradients were used, precisely at a time when the chemical industry was developing new dyes, offering stitchers an extremely rich color palette, perfectly suited to these new designs. In France, it was around 1840 that these patterns became more widely distributed by various publishers, including the famous Sajou publishing company. 

Patterns include several landscapes:

- a goat, resting on the grass, fierce alpine peaks in the backgound

- a seascape with three ships battling waves and winds agains a rock shore

- a rural scene with a river, bridge and surrounding trees, with village and castle in the background;

several characters reminiscent of toile de Jouy designs, in 18th century attire

- a yound girl resting against a wall

- a couple dancing "pas de deux", with a church and spire in the middle, probably a wedding scene;

a couple of animals:

- a rearing horse,

- a bird of paradise, perched on a branch with its long tail balancing its body

- a spaniel, resting on a velvet cushion, its head turned toward us with trusting eyes

- a proud cockerel

as well as different cross motifs and scattered ornamental letters.

Meriem Chauvet was able to identify the original source of some of the patterns. The spaniel design, probably initially published by Grunthal's Verlag in Berlin, was very popular among stitchers and re-published by several companies. The bird of paradise and the rural landscape with river are from Sajou pattern catalogues. The framed goat is probably from a magazine « Le conseiller des dames & des demoiselles ». Where was a rural young girl, a farrier's daughter, able to source all these patterns? Who provided such a throve? One will probably never know..

The original sampler (shown full in last photo, as well as viewed in the background with reproduction in the foreground) is part of the personal collection of Meriem Chauvet of Couleur Tourterelle. The reproduction cross stitch chart strictly reproduces every stitch and matches all colors of the original sampler. Silk threads were used from the AVAS range (Soie d'Alger). While providing DMC cotton substitutes, the author strongly recommends using the silks to retain the subte cor gradients of the original.

Reproduction Sampler stitched using Soie d'Alger silk from Au Ver à soie (AVAS) or DMC, worked on 40ct linen. Size 18 x 18 inch (45 x 45 cm).
As the design only features full cross stitches, you can stitch it on any fabric of your choice, including on evenweave over 1 fabric thread, or on Aida fabric.

Note: as the detailed charts contain 24 pages, we have provided 2 separate download links, one with a color chart, one with a black and white chart. You can download/print either one, or both depending on your preference.

A cross stitch pattern by Couleur Tourterelle.

>> see all Reproduction Sampler patterns by Couleur Tourterelle
 

Chart info & Needlework supplies for the pattern:
Maria Lecaplain 1885 Reproduction Sampler

Chart size in stitches: 356 x 361 (wide x high)
Needlework fabric: 40ct Newcastle linen from Zweigart ,in color (3077)"
Stitched size: 18 x 18 inch (45 x 45 cm)
Stitches: cross stitch over 2 threads
Chart: Color and B&W, includes one-page chart for Digital stitching
Threads: Soie d'Alger silk from Au Ver à soie (AVAS) or DMC (see note above)
Number of colors: 33

Themes: France, late 19th century, Berlin motifs, seascape, rural landscapes
 

>> see all late 19th century Reproduction sampler patterns (all designers)

>> see all Reproduction patterns featuring birds (all designers)
 

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