Rebecca Ballinger's Sampler

Description:

Two block upper-case alphabets, no "J," alternate colors. One block lower-case alphabet of alternate colors. Numbers 1 through 9. One crown. Satin-stitched sawtooth crossband; one crossband worked in Irish stitch, also basket and two large diamonds in lower half. Two weeping willow trees, each with bird in its top, and three boxes, one containing verse and two containing maker's name and date and group of initials. Box on right side contains initials "WB," "CB," "JS," and "ES." Box on left side contains initials "WB," "LB," "WP," "EP," "NU," "CU," "WB," "EB," 'SB," "MB," "LP," and "LU" as well as "Rebecca Ballinger 1830." Strawberry border. Silk embroidery thread on linen ground. STITCHES: cross, Algerian eye, satin, rice, Irish, queen, crosslet, long-armed cross, gobelin. THREAD COUNT: warp 24, weft 34/in.

Inscription:

"In thy fair book of life divine
My, god, incribe [sic] my name
There, let it fill some humble place
Beneath the slaughter'd Lamb"

Background:

Rebecca was born on March 22, 1814, to William and Lydia Smith Ballinger in Pipe Creek, Maryland. The family moved to Ohio in 1819, and Rebecca stitched her sampler under the tutelage of Ann Thorn in Jefferson County. The initials on her sampler are of her grandparents, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, and two nieces who died in infancy. The initials in black are family members who had died by the time she stitched her sampler. Rebecca married Thomas H. Terrell as his second wife on April 22, 1863.

Date Made: 1830

Maker: Ballinger, Rebecca

Place Made: United States: Ohio, Jefferson county

Depicted: Alphabets

Subject:

See more items in: Home and Community Life: Textiles, Samplers, Textiles

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Credit Line: Gift of Elizabeth G. Cooke (through Sandy G. Patterson)

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 1989.0343.12Accession Number: 1989.0343Catalog Number: 1989.0343.12

Object Name: sampler

Physical Description: linen (ground fabric material)silk (embroidery thread material)Measurements: overall: 17 in x 23 in; 43.18 cm x 58.42 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-93aa-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1005532

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.