Did you miss our virtual lecture with Cindy Steinhoff? Good news, registration is now open for instant access to the recording of her lecture: How to Research an Antique Sampler! Here’s your chance to catch up with this exciting lecture if you missed it live. Upon registration you will be able to access the video from the lecture page under Course Content through December 17, 2023. You will need to be logged in and registered for the recording to access it. Registration for the live lecture and for the recording happen separately and are not transferable. Learn more about our Virtual Lecture series here.
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About this lecture: An antique sampler reveals some of its physical characteristics and often some information about the girl who stitched it, but what else can it tell us? Cynthia Shank Steinhoff will discuss how she learns more about the samplers she collects and researches. The result is a full documentation of a sampler’s appearance and history. Many of the characteristics that she identifies for older samplers can be used to provide a full description of a needlework piece made today.
Cindy Steinhoff is the director of the library at Anne Arundel Community College, where she has been a member of the faculty since 1983. A graduate of Edinboro State College (now Edinboro University of Pennsylvania), she also holds a Master of Library Science degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Baltimore.
Cindy is a stitcher, sampler collector, and needlework researcher. She began stitching as a young girl and still owns the first set of stamped pillowcases that she made. Her collection of samplers includes works by girls in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, among other states, and from Scotland, England, and Ireland. The oldest sampler in her collection was made in England in the 1730s. Her current areas of focus are samplers made in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, and those stitched by Quaker girls. She researches many aspects of her needlework pieces, including stitches and materials used in the samplers, the stitchers’ lives, and connections between her pieces and others in museums and private collections.
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Recording Now Available: A Journey into Tibet’s Sacred Textile Art with Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo — A California woman traveled to the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile in India to manage an economic development fund. In a twist of fate, she ended up sewing pictures of buddhas instead. She ultimately learned that a path is made by walking it, and some of the best paths are made by walking off course. Get access to the recording!
Coming Soon: The History and Mysteries of the Bayeux Tapestry with Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer — The Bayeux Tapestry (actually, an embroidery) is a fascinating example of eleventh century needlework. This talk discusses its history, both the history depicted on the Tapestry and the history of the Tapestry over the almost 1000 years of its existence, including a few narrow escapes. Mysteries of the tapestry include questions about what some scenes depict (the Latin phrases on the cloth are sometimes very inadequate) and who commissioned, designed, and embroidered it. You’ll also learn about the stitch used for most of the embroidery, the Bayeux stitch, and how to do it. Attendees will receive bibliography that lists several books about the Tapestry and some needlework shops that sell kits for reproductions of some scenes. Live Lecture Date: Saturday, July 8, 2023 1PM Eastern Live Lecture Registration: June 16-July 6, 2023 1PM Eastern. Sign up for a reminder!
Coming Soon: Linen: The Journey From Seed to Cloth with Ellen Phelps — What do you really know about the linen cloth you stitch on or linen thread that you stitch with? In order to gain an appreciation of the linen thread that we use in our weaving, the Frances Irwin Handweavers Guild set out on a 2-year journey to learn about linen. From preparing the garden and growing, reaping, and preparing flax to be spun into linen thread and woven into cloth, guild members experienced these processes literally from the ground up! Come along with us on this journey as we share our experiences with you so that you, too, can learn more about the linen you hold in your hands. Live Lecture Date: Sunday, August 13, 2023 1PM Eastern Live Lecture Registration: July 21-August 11, 2023 1PM Eastern Sign up for a reminder!
The Sampler featured above is by Elizabeth Muir and it’s part of our Permanent Collection. Take a closer look!
