Scandinavian Samplers from the Nordiska Museet

[@leenielsen7928]

Thank you so much for these videos! My back ground is mainly from Flensburg , and I consider myself Danish.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you! We stayed in Flensburg some years ago - it was so interesting to see the mix of Danish and German in that area, the Danish bookshops and then the German ones! Are the shoes still hanging in the street? :D

[@CarolinasBroderi]

I love these and I have already re-charted some of them, with permission from the museum. I am working on these when time permits and I want to spend some time during the holiday to create the proper PDF files. Thank you for sharing them.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Oh how wonderful Carolina! Are they available for the public to purchase?

[@karenhiggins2514]

I just enjoyed this video immensely! I am Swedish descent and value their needlework. My grandmother did hardanger cloths and curtains. She emigrated to the United States around 1900 with her sister. They made fancy dresses with lace collars for income. Unfortunately, I was just a small child when they passed away. I remember her saying they worked by candlelight in the winters.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much Karen, and for sharing that memory. That's so wonderful. Do you still have their stitching? :)

[@karenhiggins2514]

Unfortunately, all the hardanger was ruined. But I do have a lace handkerchief that I framed. The tiny stitches and pulled thread work is beautiful! I started stitching when I was ten and have continued throughout my life. It brings peace and pleasure. May God bless you.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

@@karenhiggins2514 Oh what a pity that stitching was lost - but at least you have the handkerchief! ❤

[@hannamansfield2894]

I LOVE the sampler with the apple basket and floral wreath in the center.....beautiful. I always wondered why there are crowns on samplers. Thank you Jacob.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

That's such a good one isn't it!!! :D

[@judithmurphy419]

I am grateful for Jacob !!! The whole world can go to heck....I have Jacob (but not enough) 🙂 Merry Christmas

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Aw thank you Judith!!! Merry Christmas to you!!!

[@annekirstinesrensen6524]

Thank you, Jacob. Most interesting ❤ my guess is that Scandinavian have found parrots to be both decorative and exotic, but I wouldn’t know for sure. By the way, you had me at hello with your new Patreon idea 😊

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you! I think you'd be right Anne Kirstine! Sometimes the explanation is that they just really thought they were pretty. I love how in the big cities we have green parakeets in the wild - they're not native to the Netherlands at all, but some zoo keepers thought it would be fun to "liven up" the dull grey streets of the Netherlands with exotic birds. The green parakeets (who are a bit of a pest...) did really well and survive to this day - but purely because folks just really loved them! :)

[@gleehanson4775]

Oh, my. I enjoyed that chat!!! Thank you!

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much - happy holidays!!! :)

[@shariwitt1977]

Thank you for sharing these unique samplers. So many facets to encourage contemplation! The parrots, squirrels, the lady with the giant crown, the man with the pink knickers - all make me wonder about the stitchers and their lives.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Shari! They're just so charming these individual elements - and they make me want to learn so much more! :)

[@cardamenpins]

Another favourite in this series because 1. Lots of cool samplers I’ve never seen 2. So many surprise fish 🦞 and 3. A sneaky Patreon announcement right at the end!!!

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Haha thank you Carmen! It was really fun doing this one and I'm excited doing more stuff like this soon :)

[@cathyshannon1704]

I love to hear about meaning of the symbols on samplers, especially the very old ones. I look forward to hearing more on your Patreon. I am sad that we have just a few more days on this year's countdown. I have really enjoyed working on this year's design. I look forward to next year's Holiday Countdown. Thank you.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much Cathy - I can't believe it's nearly over! But that's what is really exciting about doing the patreon, as it gives me a really good excuse to keep making content and sharing it there - I've found it so enjoyable and inspiring! :)

[@vickiroti7585]

Thank you. Sweden is my favorite place and i have been to the Museum in Stockholm. Carl Larsson in cross stitch is hanging on my walls and i have visited his house. I have 2 pieces in progress. Hope to do more searching for samplers in the summer.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Vicki! Oh I've not visited the house of Carl Larsson yet - it's on my wishlist! :)

[@kjellolavnystuen6762]

Thank you for sharing. I was not aware that we have such a rich stiching tradition in Skandinavia. I am a Norwegian and love to learn what you have found.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you! The Norwegian Navneduk (or kludde?) are really lovely - I *think* the Danes and Norwegians seem to share more stylistically than the Swedes do, but I might be really really wrong there. Just from going through the collections it appeared so... Denmark also shares similarities with the northern German areas. I really need to dive into the history of Nordic samplers though, as there's so much more to learn and I genuinely feel as if I know nothing! :D

[@kjellolavnystuen6762]

You are probably right. I should think the Danish and Norwegian navneduk/navneklut are moren similar. Norways was under the rule of Denmark for so many years in the past.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

@@kjellolavnystuen6762 It would be interesting to see the overlap - I need to pull Minna Kragelund's "Navneklude" from the Nationalmuseet and see if I can find anything in there! :)

[@nataliadmitrieva3929]

How interesting! To be honest, I would never thought such spot samplers with parrots are Scandinavian! They are so beautiful! May be, one day, the museum gives their permission to reproduce some of them :)

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Natalia! It would be wonderful wouldn't it - some are absolutely fantastic! :D

[@essbing]

Jacob, I really enjoyed this vlog! As I do all of your vlogs. It was quite nice to see my heritage based tapestries. I particularly liked the block designs. Thank you for showing those.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you! They are fascinating I think and rather unusual - was very happy to find them in the museum collection! :)

[@trudymeyer430]

Parrots and crayfish and squirrels 😮 😅 who would have guessed they could be in pieces done so many years ago. Fascinating. I love the bargello work. Thank you sharing.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

They're awesome aren't they! I just found it so surprising - I'd seen lobsters on some samplers but when I started digging into the Swedish samplers they were everywhere! :D

[@susangriffin7411]

Thank you for sharing these treasures along with your insight into their meanings. I just wanted to say how much I'm enjoying stitching the 2024 MFE Evertote Nordic Holiday countdown.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Aw thank you Susan - I really appreciate that! It's been so much fun doing these, and I'm going to miss the countdown. But it'll be fun to focus on new projects and the Patreon page, very excited about making content there! :)

[@marilynmckenzie2111]

Thank you Jacob for showing us all the very old Scandi samplers! 👏🏻 I would love to visit your favourite museum to view these and many more. Cheers! 🎄🥰

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Marilyn - these samplers are just the tip of the iceberg as the museum holds a huge collection. I would love to go into their archives one day and go through them!!! :D

[@thepostalstitcher]

Our dearest Jacob you are such a gem. Thank you sharing with us today. You keep our hearts full of history & creating. Joyus Noèl xx ❤️🎄🪡

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much - that's very kind :) A very merry Christmas to you! :)

[@michaeljones4380]

Jacob! Greetings from Dallas!! I really enjoyed seeing all the samplers and especially liked the “Boston” one you showed. Would love to stitch that one! I was also intrigued with the amulet you were wearing. Would love a closer look! Hope you are enjoying the holiday season and Merry Christmas!! 🎄🎅🏽🎁

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Michael! Isn't that Boston sampler simply stunning! Those colours and motifs... just spectacular I think. The amulet is an antique silver piece from India that I bought at an auction a while ago - a lot had a whole random bunch of amulets - most of them cheap silver-plated or just silver coloured, but two of them were high craftsmanship and (to my knowledge) proper silver. Quite happy with it! :D

[@sarah_out_of_office]

Thank you for this fascinating talk. Your knowledge of stitching is inspiring.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much Sarah! :)

[@texonica_stitches]

It was wonderful to hear your commentary on these lovely samplers, Jacob. I learn something new every time I watch one of your videos and now I really want to stitch a “big honking crayfish.” Headed over to Patreon now to join you there. Thank you for sharing your many gifts and talents with us and making this month of stitching so special. ❤

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much Anne-Marie! So good to have you over on Patreon :). I'm genuinely excited about this new venture. Glad you enjoyed the videos - and those crayfish are something!!! :D.

[@jeannegiebe2718]

Such treasures. I don’t stitch samplers (yet) but love the stories and history. I am used to seeing samplers with the makers name and age when stitched, but watching your presentation, I notice the ones you showed do not have names, maybe just initials and years. And the animals! Amazing. Are these differences related to age of the piece, where they are from, etc? Considering your Patreon to learn more. Again, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Jeanne! So depending on location, traditions regarding naming samplers widely vary. In the Netherlands girls would mostly just stitch their initial on the sampler. And then within the country, traditions also differ: some areas only the girl would get an initial, in other areas parents and siblings were added (pretty much like on Scottish samplers), and yet again in other areas full names were stitched. I have noticed this in the Nordic samplers as well where full names are not often seen on the samplers. I think there was just one in this whole list that had a full name on it, if I remember correctly! :)

[@christinaleimbach1752]

These are beautiful samplers! I would love to stitch one of the crayfish ones. These were my favourites! Swedes and crayfish that is a very intersting thing and very funny.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Christine! They're fantastic aren't they :)

[@rosemarycunningham8190]

Stunning samplers Jacob! I so appreciate the time you put into these videos……they are fantastic! ❤

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much Rosemary - that's wonderful to read :D

[@deborahbrandenburger7240]

Gorgeous samplers! I am sometimes very surprised at how many antique samplers did survive the centuries as it seems more and more are either discovered or "unearthed" from museum archives all the time. I will definitely check out your Patreon page and probably join. I had the pleasure of meeting you in Amsterdam in June and to take part in upcoming Zooms would be a joy. Thank you.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

It's amazing isn't it! I think many were kept and handed down from generation to generation, and then after a while they get donated to museum collections. So exciting though to get in touch with museums and discover these gems! :)

[@makingthingswithstring]

I love the crayfish motifs!! I live on the Atlantic coast so lobster is a big deal here... my uncle was a lobster fisherman, and we used to have big "lobster boil" parties that sound similar to the crayfish bakes you mentioned. This was a wonderful video, really enjoyed seeing some Scandinavian samplers, and listening to you talk about them! I would love to see more videos like this. :)

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you! I know quite a few folks from Sweden moved to the US and to the east coast - perhaps it has something to do with that! :)

[@stitchinginthemuseum]

Such a great video. Always jealous of any museum with a strong needleart collection. Our area is quilts. They have fascinating stories to tell just like samplers. Those crayfish! I feel like the Swedes are kin to any coastal city in the US. Good luck on your new endeavor. Can't believe you have 2025's pattern already done. Have a wonderful day ❄️ P.S. i'm having fun stitching on my dmc 891 pattern. Perfect for a cold/cloudy day.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you! This is just the tip of the iceberg - there's so much amazing textile art at the Nordiska! Quilts are fantastic too - such beautiful pieces of stitched history. I wouldn't be surprised if the crayfish craze was brought over by folks from Sweden who moved to the (east) coast! :)

[@lemonverbenalady]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Nordic and Swedish samplers. I enjoyed every minute. I am also excited to hear that next year's pattern is finished! Loving every stitch!

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much! It's such a joy digging through old museum collections... :D

[@susanbooth551]

I truly enjoyed hearing about the Swedish/Scandinavian samplers. My very best friend’s heritage is Swedish. I remember her dad’s accent and enjoyed eating sardines at their Christmas celebrations! He had a huge back yard of large cages and raised parrots and parakeets! So I was intrigued by the sampler that consistently showed that! I will be talking to my friend later today to find out more from her. The samplers were beautiful. Thank you for sharing such wonderful creations and information. Hope you have a most blessed Christmas!

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

@@susanbooth551 Thank you for sharing that Susan! I really want to dive into the parrot / parakeet motif too and find out why exactly they were so popular! :)

[@ShirlHubbs]

Oh my what beautiful samplers you have shared. I’m just finding your videos and will enjoy looking at them. Thank you so much for all the history in needlework!

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much! there's quite a few for this countdown alone and from previous years - so enjoy! :)

[@MsKarenMR]

❤️🌻❤️🌻❤️ Absolutely Lovely!! Happy Stitching !!! 🪡🪡

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you! :)

[@SarahsStitchySpot]

Such a fabulous lecture on Scandinavian samplers. I do wish you owned your favorite as well. What a joy that would be to stitch! I grew up in southwestern Louisiana and have eaten my share of crayfish. Thank you again for putting together this edifying video. Happy holidays.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Sarah! You and me both - that sampler is just fantastic!!! :D. Happy holidays to you too!!! :D

[@CarolinasBroderi]

One of the challenges working with these have been that I don't often have access to the back of the fabric to see how the colors have aged.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

That's one of the big handicaps isn't it. Is it possible for you to plan in a museum depot visit? I find that that really helps, taking good photographs of the front and back, so you get a better understanding of them.

[@stargalaxyuniverse761]

It’s so amazing to see these samplers. I love the different stitches.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you! They're awesome aren't they! Really makes me want to sit down and do some samplers like these! :)

[@auraperez6156]

Wow Jacob those are fantastic, thank you very much not only for showing it to us but for your description of them

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much - it's so much fun going through these! :)

[@marilynmoore3457]

Loved all the info on these gorgeous historical samplers! Thank you Jacob!

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Marilyn! :)

[@KathysQuiltsandStitching]

Thank you for sharing these textile treasures! Beautiful!

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Kathy! :)

[@mariapapadopoulou7368]

Thank you very much for sharing. I like your channel, your ways, the content and the ambiente. Very well done. Congratulations! Fine taste. I didn t have anything to do with stitching, didn t interest me at all, but my mother used to stitch a lot. A few time ago she passed away and since then i have started watching stitching channels and even picked up her stitching basket today. I suppose i miss her badly. Anyway, i ve decided to try some patterns from the far north. Thank you again! Greetings from Greece , best wishes for health, love , peace and prosperity and a merry merry Christmas 💖

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Maria - what a lovely memory and how beautiful that you are stitching yourself now! It's a really wonderful way to relax I find and you get to make something beautiful. A very merry Christmas to you too from Rotterdam in the Netherlands! :)

[@dianemcclure6884]

Very, very interesting! I wish you owned some of these samplers too. Then we could buy the charts from you 😁. I cherish several of your charts that I own. My favorite is "The Wings of the Dove". Thanks for sharing, we can tell that you put so much time and effort into your videos.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Diane! Oh I'd definitely love to pick a few from the collection! :). ❤

[@debng3210]

Thank you for sharing these lovely samplers with us.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you - glad you enjoyed them! :)

[@gammabunny6284]

Love the crayfish! We just discovered them on our lake. Fun to hunt them at night😊

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much! :)

[@karenpatton8850]

What a wonderful video. The Samplers were amazing! Thank you, Jacob.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you! The amazing thing is that this is just the tip of the iceberg of what the museum has in their depot! :D. Such pretty samplers...

[@lindagibson3194]

I loved this look at some Scandinavian samplers. Thank you for sharing. Exciting news about your patreon!

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Yay! Thank you Linda! I'm super excited myself :D

[@sheilacasper2030]

Thank you so much for the samplers and especially the commentary.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Sheila! :)

[@DLNYTube]

Wow! Thank you for all that information about the samplers. You patroon sound great! Cheers.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much - glad you enjoyed this episode! :)

[@lorettahenderson8979]

Delightful...definitely enjoyed...appreciate all that you share...best wishes ❤

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much Loretta! :)

[@beckydevries-wong4885]

I enjoyed this so much. Thank you for sharing!

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you!

[@auraperez6156]

I can hardly wait for next year

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Me too Aura!!! :D

[@lindamccormick2512]

This was so fascinating Jacob. Thank you.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much Linda!!!

[@CelloLessons1]

Your videos are so fascinating, and I’m not even a stitcher! X

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

:D Thank you Caroline! But you are a stitcher though!!! You just need to do some stitching again! :D

[@ger_gerxstiches]

Such a fun video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much Ger!!!

[@ElenaTeterina2024]

Thank you for such an interesting vodeo❤ and I am soooo happy that you started Patreon- sooo exciting!🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you so much Elena! I'm genuinely excited about it - there's so much stuff that I can share there that would seem out of place anywhere else. So exciting! :D

[@ShaunaMckiernan]

Thank you!!! These samplers are beautiful!!!!! Merry Christmas 🎄🎁

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Shauna - they're wonderful aren't they! :). Merry Christmas!!!

[@angelchadwell6656]

Beautiful samplers! “…a truly frightening creature in the corner, which is probably an unfortunately stitched dog…”. 😂

[@yvonneverhoeve9388]

Dank Jacob voor deze video. Heel interessant! 👌🏻

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Dank je Yvonne! :)

[@LorraineSmith-pz7eg]

Great information. Love your tutorials ❤

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you! :)

[@Tempusfugit-Anne]

Thank you for this interesting video !

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Anne! :)

[@Britkyd430]

Thank you Jacob. Another really interesting video. I’m curious to know what dyes they used in order for the colours to stay so vibrant all these years later.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Lizzy! I plan to do a video about historical dyes at some point as I love using natural dyes myself - they're just so lovely and when they haven't been blasted by a couple of centuries of direct sunlight they stay really well :)

[@tamsavidge2838]

Jacob, 2 of the samplers had a ladder on them. Do you know what these signify? I learn so much from your fposstubes. Thanks for all you do .

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you! I haven't come across a confirmed identification, but I think there's two (and it seems dependant on what is surrounding the motif). One could be "Jacob's Ladder". This is most likely if there's a figure depicted next to it - sometimes a person in a robe, sometimes just a little man or even angels can be seen. This to me would indicate that it is indeed Jacob's Ladder, where Jacob is going up the lader to have a peak into heaven. The 2nd option is a symbol of the crucifixion - sometimes the complete crucifixion is depicted including a ladder, sometimes only the ladder is depicted. If there are other symbols close by (robe, dice, plier or other symbols of the passion) then the link to the crucifixion is quite strong. Ladders however were also just important in and around the house, so it's not unlikely that a ladder is just a ladder, such as a cradle or a kettle would just be those things :).

[@deccanheffalump]

❤

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

❤

[@katescrimgeour3884]

I know I should stop making all these inane comments, but who loves how Jacob says “squirrel”? Such lovely samplers - I love the examples of the different types of stitches + like the bargello.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Hahaha! Yep, my way of saying squirrel is the only proper way 😂😂😂 Glad you enjoyed the episode - how good are those stitch example samplers!!! It really makes me want to do a bargello piece...

[@joanneneufeld8212]

Some of those museum samplers would be wonderful to stitch. Are they charted by anyone or just for our viewing enjoyment only?

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you Joanne! I'm not aware of any of those being charted by the museum - I've not seen charts anywhere!

[@LynneUSA]

Joined :-)

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Yay! Thank you so much Lynne!!!

[@nicolec2523]

🥰👏

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Thank you!

[@itchingforstitching]

🎅

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

❤

[@brendal2438]

What is the ladder symbol, always on the left at the bottom?

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

I'm not 100% sure as the ladder also appears on Dutch samplers. There's two important "ladders" in the bible: the first is Jacob's Ladder. Sometimes the ladder is depicted next to a winged figure, which could represent Jacob's ascent up the ladder to look into heaven. The 2nd is the ladder as part of the passion symbols, used to take the body of Christ off the cross. Both of those are speculation, though I feel those two options are the most plausible! :)

[@kattavares1959]

When you talked about one of the samplers you said nothing special . You skipped over the person that stitched it. Her name is Ann O 1781. I think it is very special with all her lovely stitches. Too bad you didn’t give her recognition because if she didn’t stitch it you wouldn’t be able to view it.

[@ModernFolkEmbroidery]

Dear @kattavares1959 - Ann O is not the name of the stitcher. It means anno - which is Latin for "in the year of".