Those samplers with a "twist"!

Hi folks!

It was just the beginning of last year, when we published two posts about the history of samplers, in our blog.

Today, that history is reinventing itself and Casa Cenina is happy and proud to introduce you this brand new page of history.. Or, we'd rather say, the brand new pages - as you're soon going to be revealed why - of such over-a-hundred-year tradition

During our Festa del Ricamo 2013, in fact, our Dutch partner and good friend, Karin Kersten, the versatile designer and owner of Beardie Designs and a careful collector of antique samplers, is going to launch the first volume of her two books, fully inspired by and dedicated to the Dutch samplers of the past.

Here following, she's describing this first book herself, without revealing too much, of course, for a surprise it's always a surprise

"Who does not recognize the unmistakable North European sampler motives? I believe, we all know them and see them and sometimes even stitch them. Nowadays, Dutch samplers motifs can be found on a lot of old and new samplers. Even in the primitive style and/or shabby chic style, so fashionable, you can see a lot of these motives. When I started designing I used them for my samplers from a particular area in Holland. Then I included them in the accessory sets and in the last couple of years I have made reproductions of real antique samplers, where I also found these motives. This book gives you a number of different Dutch sampler motifs, but with a twist.
Most of them are stitched, not only with cross stitches, but also with special stitches, hence the "twist".
This volume is based on the epoch-making, Dutch book Merklap Motieven, from Alberta Meulenberg-Nieuwburg, of which Karin owns one of the very rare copies left available at present and which she has freely drawn much of her inspiration from: "I have simply started 'playing' with these motifs, using special stitches wherever possible", Karin adds, concluding: "Then, instead of using them on a single large sampler, which you can hang on the wall, I asked my model stitchers to finish them any way they liked... And you can see the results in this book... A number of different finishings, like  a pinkeep, an ornament, a bag, a box, a mobile phone holder, a tissue holder and much more!".

This first book, that's waiting for you at the "Festa del Ricamo", consists of 37 charted Dutch motives with a twist, i.e. renewed with that "something more" and divided over 11 different themes, including alphabets, borders, and free charts to make your own, personal and unique, sampler composition!

A true temptation for us and our "stitcher's" stashes and bookshelves, don't you think?!?!?!??!
Hugs and hear form us soon!