Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric with a supplementary structure of yarns or threads.
Samplers are among the most commonly collected forms of American embroidery, having been produced often by young women from the colonial times through the twentieth century.
Historic embroidery often shows a loss of embroidery threads, damage to the foundation fabric, and dye fading. Conservation treatment will improve the appearance of the textile, remove harmful deterioration products, replace the mount with archival materials, and either reuse an old frame or replace it with a new, period frame.
Embroidery has been practiced throughout history in every part of the world, and remains highly collectible.
Sampler by Elizabeth Barr, born 1826. MTS study collection.
Fishing Lady overmantle, before conservation. Courtesy Nantucket Historical Association.
Back of overmantle showing original colors. Courtesy Nantucket Historical Association.
Overmantle after conservation and framing. Courtesy Nantucket Historical Association.