Jane Austen Sampler by Riverdrift House Needlework

From the designer —

I designed this sampler to commemorate the bi-centenary of the death of one of the world’s best-loved writer, Jane Austen. Jane did not much enjoy needlework …, so I mixed a selection of typical motifs from samplers worked in her time, with a few of my own.

The house is taken from a drawing which is all that remains of her childhood home. The Rectory, at Steventon in Hampshire. The ship, insects, birds, plants, bowls of plenty, circular flower whorls, deer and crown were all favourite late 18th century motifs.

In addition to the house, the two characters open book motifs, sheep, chocolate pot, rose buds, cats and dog and surrounding flower bud border are all my own, as well as the depiction of Winchester Cathedral, where Jane is buried. The colour themes, too, are Regency in essence to complete the theme and the dates give the years of Jane’s birth and death.