Zélie Lecoeuvre 1873 Reproduction Sampler
REPRODUCTION SAMPLER PATTERN, READY TO DOWNLOAD, BY Couleur Tourterell. 

This French sampler from the second half of the 19th century is a precious witness to the times when needlework started to spread through all social classes in France, thanks to the publication and wide distribution of embroidery models. Thus our young stitcher Zélie composed her sampler in 1873 using in particular a plate of color patterns published in August 1852 in the women's fashion magazine “Le Magasin des Familles”. In that plate she picked the swan, the blue flower (see picture comparing model plate and original sampler), the ladybug and a squirrel.

The original embroidery is part of the private collection of Meriem Chauvet of Couleur Tourterelle who managed to trace the stitcher in the region of Valenciennes, in the north of France. There are also many elements in the sampler testifying to the Flemish influence (Flanders being a bit further North of the border), including the presence of a W in the alphabet. The cross stitch chart recreated by Meriem Chauvet is a faithful reproduction of the original sampler.

The original embroidery (last photo) was worked by Zélie in wool on canvas. These materials were also new for the time. Indeed a new wool dyeing process allowed access to bright and varied colors. As for canvas, it too was an innovation compared to linen, facilitating counted stitching - in sorts an ancestor to Aida fabric. Zélie's family wasn't affluent (her father was a laborer, her mother a spinner) and the purchase of these supplies must have been given careful thought. Zélie's sampler remained in its original frame, with a ribbon border and small satin rosettes in the corners, witness to the parents' pride of their daughter's achievement.

The reproduction offered by Couleur Tourterelle is also stitched using wool, to achieve similar thread volume and softness, however on linen fabric. A color equivalence is provided with both DMC floss or Soie d'Alger silk (Au ver à soie - AVAS).

The cross stitch chart comprises full cross stitches only. You can therefore stitch on any fabric of your choice, including an Aida fabric.

 

A cross stitch pattern by Couleur Tourterelle.

>> see more Reproduction Sampler patterns by Couleur Tourterelle
 

Chart info & Needlework supplies for the pattern:
Zélie Lecoeuvre 1873 Reproduction Sampler

Chart size in stitches: 185 x 197 (wide x high)
Needlework fabric: 36 ct linen from Zweigart (col 6047) - 10 ½ x 11 inch 26,5 x 28 cm
>> View size in my choice of fabric (fabric calculator)
Stitches: cross stitch,
Chart: Color and B&W, includes one-page chart for Digital stitching
Threads: Lana Aurifil wool, or DMC cotton, or Soie d'Alger silk from Au Ver à soie (AVAS) and Gloriana
Number of colors: 13

Themes: Northern France, Flanders, 19th century
 

>> see all late 19th century Reproduction Samplers (all designers)

 

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