There is so much going on in this fascinating English sampler that it’s hard to know where to begin looking. Apart from the somewhat conventional Adam and Eve at the top center, adorable flying cherubs flank them and the apple tree, bearing gold rings and sprays of flowers. The verse is as follows:
When I survey the wondrous cross On which the prince of glory dy’d My rich’st gain I count my loss And pour contempt on all my pride Forbid it Lord that I should boast Save in the cross of Christ my God All the vain things that charm most I sacrifice them to thy blood
In stark contrast to this grim and pious verse is the scene below teeming with agrarian joy. A beautiful brick manor house perches over pastures filled with sheep, cows, deer, geese, and three farmers: one holding a rake, another a walking stick, and the third with a sheep crook and his dog. The tree springing from the house is filled in with luxuriously thick bullion knots. A soft pastel border surrounds all four sides. Stitches used are cross, petit point, counted satin, backstitch and bullion knots. On 35 count linen the finished size is approximately 20-1/2″ x 26-1/2″. The project is recommended for intermediate level needle workers.