A charming 20th-century cross-stitch needlework sampler, produced as a historical reproduction by the McCall Pattern Company after an original design dated 1800. Executed in multi-colored embroidery threads on a natural linen-like ground, the sampler features a central verse on friendship framed by a red crenellated border, surmounted by stags and a stylized tree, and set above a pastoral scene depicting a gentleman and lady flanking a fruiting tree with sheep.

Historical & Style Details

• Subject / Sitter / Source: Reproduction of an 1800 schoolgirl needlework sampler
• Artist / Maker / Author: McCall Pattern Company (pattern/kit); stitched by an anonymous hand
• Period: Mid-20th Century
• Origin: United States
• Material / Technique: Cross-stitch embroidery on linen-like fabric
• Markings: Printed "Mc CALL 1800" along the pinked lower edge; verse reads "FRIENDSHIP'S A NAME TO FEW CONFIN'D, THE OFFSPRING OF A NOBLE MIND * A GENEROUS WARMTH WHICH FILLS THE BREAST * AND BETTER FELT THAN E'ER EXPREST."
• Frame: Simple black-painted wooden frame under glass
• Condition: Sampler fabric shows light overall toning; pinked lower margin visible within the frame. Backing paper to frame has a significant water stain, though the sampler itself appears dry and unaffected.

History

During the mid-to-late 20th century, there was a significant revival of interest in early American and Georgian needlework, prompting companies like McCall's to release historical reproduction kits and patterns. These kits allowed modern stitchers to recreate the charming, naive aesthetics of 18th and 19th-century schoolgirl samplers, complete with traditional motifs such as stags, the tree of life, pastoral figures, and moral or philosophical verses.