The Blue Clocks Sampler

Chart of antique clocks sampler from the Minnesota Historical Society

Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society

This sampler is a unique document in the history of knitting and embroidery.   The “clock” patterns in the top half of the sampler, carefully recorded in silk cross stitch on linen fabric, are similar to designs which have been used for centuries to decorate knitted stockings.  The term “clock” comes from the resemblance of the motif to a clock pendulum with a pair of pendant chains or weights.   The small motifs in the lower section can be used to modify existing clocks or to create new patterns.  The maker of the original sampler may have been an employee of a knitting factory or an independent seamstress who created this as part of a portfolio of her work.  It may also have been used as an instructional device for the embroiderers, or cheveners, of knitted stockings.  These patterns can be used by knitters, beaders, and embroiderers to embellish garments and accessories, thereby preserving this lost tradition.  This sampler is one of thirteen donated to the Minnesota Historical Society by Mrs. Vernon W. Wright.  There are no records of how Mrs. Wright acquired the sampler, but similar motifs appear in late 18th century samplers from Berks County, Pennsylvania.  

Photo of sampler stitched by Pat Phillips