I’m starting a new series about 1940s-1950s embroidery and sewing techniques. I have some samplers from my grandmother who made them between 1950 and 1952 during her dressmaker’s apprenticeship.

(My previous series: Victorian and Edwardian beauty routine and recipes and Victorian and Edwardian hair care)

This is part 1 of the series and I’m sharing with you a drawn thread work sampler:

My grandmother made this sampler in 1950 in the first year of her apprenticeship.

She used an off-white medium weight cotton or linen fabric and mercerized cotton embroidery thread.

The short sides are finished with a hem embellished with hemstiching, while the long sides are bound with self-fabric straight-grain binding by hand so that no stitches are visible on either side.

This is a very dainty drawn-thread work, measuring just 0,5 cm (0,2 inch).

This drawn thread work is 1,5 cm (0,6 inch) wide.

These two are 2cm (0,8 inch) wide.

Here you’ll find part 2 of the 1950s embroidery series and my tutorial about how to make drawn thread work.

If you’d like to see some more pictures or have a question about the sampler, please post a comment below.