Let’s play a guessing game but first let me fill you in on the back story.
Over the last couple of days you may have noticed an increased interest in samplers. For years I have made and kept samplers as a personal reference and teaching aid. I love them. I always make them 15 cm (6 inches) wide and long like a band sampler. Length changes depending on the fabric I have to hand but never the width. They are kept either rolled up or pinned to my wall.
For a long time I have thought about stitching them together in chronological order so they become one long sampler. Yesterday I finished doing just that!
This is what they ended up looking like. In order to turn the sampler on the table I have folded the corners to a point. Join me in a guessing game. How long is it? The first correct answer left as a comment will win a batch of hand dyed threads from me.
There are some good reasons for stitching these samplers together. There is the practical aspect of being able to travel with a pile of teaching samples as this way they are lighter and more compact – think about how heavy they would be if this amount of teaching samples were housed in plastic slip files in folders. This is what it looks like when wound up.
I have placed them in chronological order as then I can see various developments in both skill and style over the years. It make a nice personal history. They are worked on a number of different fabrics. Linen, aida and cotton are all represented on a number of different counts from 25 count linen to 38 count. I plan to just keep adding to the roll so this sampler will be forever a work in progress.
Annie Whitsed and I get together every week to stitch. Yesterday as we had fun taking photos of this sampler we dreamed up this guessing game.
I do have another reason to stitch them together like this. It is a very logical and practical reason. Can you guess why? The first correct answer left as a comment will win a batch of hand dyed threads from me.
As a hint the table is a large table built by Jerry and not a standard size. So it can be deceptive if you try and judge the size using the table as a guage. This is what it looks like spread on the floor to see it.
So there are two questions guess either one correctly and you have won a prize. What is the prize? Nothing too great but I thought the readers who win might like a batch of my hand dyed threads.
Can you guess how long is this sampler?
Can you guess why I stitched them together like this?
If you guess the answer to either or both questions leave your answer as a comment.
Monday morning my time here in Australia I will tell you the answers so you have till then to join in. . .
Hi Thelma and all the answer is published here
http://sharonb.wordpress.com/2008/01/28/the-winners-are/
but to put you out of your misery it is the sampler measures 33 ft 2 inches or 11.05 yards in metric that is 1010.92 centimeters or 10.109 meters.
I think 78 inches long , and you sew them into samplers so that when you are teaching no one can steal your sampler. I think I remember you talking about having some samplers come up missing.
I will guess 26 feet long.
And as for why? Why not!
Because you are going to make a wall hanging out of it?
My guess is 282″ or about 23.5 ft. What a wonderful memento/teaching tool/retrospective of growth and development as a needle artist!
When I joined a nearby chapter of the EAC (Embroiderer’s Association of Canada), I was presented with a Mystery Sampler that’s only a couple of inches wide. At each monthly meeting, I’m given a new pair of ‘lessons’ featuring new stiches in new bands for the sampler. This has captivated me, because each band is short and (relatively) quick to do. I’m having great fun with it. Photos on my blog (eventually).
My guess is something near 12,0 meters. And besides the cronological personal history and being a good way to throw into a purse when going to stitch classes, I thought on two other possible reasons. One is that they are not mixed and you can show or photograph just one part at time ( I guess LOL), and the other.. it will be in a show or exhibition 🙂 ( that would be great!)
I might be wrong but it´s sure looks so beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
My guess is twenty eight feet long
and you did it to make a timeline in stitches.
Thanks for the fun, Sharon!
My guess is 33.5 feet. And, why, just because it’s a fun thing to have! And, easier to transport…
I guess at 25ft 6″
I wondered if you had joined them to make it easier to store them as a roll. Storage of textiles rolled is often reccomended. It also solves the problem of samples being different lengths which makes them hard to box easily.
Best Wishes
H
Happy to hear I made you laugh! Hope you weren’t grading any papers at the time!
490.5 cm long ,,I think and it is always at hand
sorry Sharon – spotted the typo after submitting it
Hello again, length: 12.46 metres
Reason:I wonder if you have chosen to make a sequence of all the stitche samples from last year’s TAST in 52 Tuesdays order.
Hi I estimate the length to be 9.9m
and the reason to be that you would like your name in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest ever strip of textile
– but really I think its for reducing your stash and making UFOs into a FO.
well I think thy are 45 inches long and you are going to tie the kids up with them
I have no idea how long it is–maybe 18 feet. Why? Two reasons one is to show a progression in your talent through time, the other would be to make it easier to fit on a scale for weighing as you are weighing the contents of your sewing room.
I’m thinking the length total is about 51′. You did this to emancipate wall space, minimize storage space for the sampler, and add ease to travel carry-all issues. Good job!
Length? – 392″/995cm
Why? – To see how long it would be
My guess is 8,2 meters
I think you made this band because your wall became too small for all the samplers:)
Wow, it looks fantastic.
Length – my guess 890cm
Why – makes them easier to find in amongst the stash as now they are all together.
I guess 6.68 metres and the world’s longest necktie (or just to remind yourself of what you have been doing all these years!!)
Colleen after reading your response, spitting coffee then reading it out to Jerry I wished I had a ‘most creative reason’ section – I might yet create one as it made me laugh so hard
42 feet! That’s my guess & I’m sticking to it.
I think that the sampler roll is about 720 inches long or close to 60 feet. If I sewed my samplers together and backed them it would be to protect them from cat and dog hair. In your case, I think it was to reduce your stash by the amount represented by the backing fabric and to make the samplers more portable and easier to pack as you travel and teach.
66.5″ – just a guess 🙂
as for the reason – then it is no longer a UFO!
thanks for the laugh and the eye candy.
Can you guess how long is this sampler?
Already 11.25 mts
Can you guess why I stitched them together like this?
Because I need compare diferent surfaces and diferent tecnics and effects and is more practice.
U were eating sushi and decided the colors would look delicious if rolled …. u had a crick in ur neck and needed a neckroll …. walked alot that day and needed a foot rest … being a practical gal decided to Scotchguard it [water repellant spray] and use it as a water hose for the garden, heard the mother-in-law was planning a visit and needed a restraining device [yes, i know .. shame on me], ur tired of looking at the plain white/yellow stripe down the center of the street and the Mayor refuses to pop for new paint, Jerry’s finally gone one step too far and your placing a dividing line right down the middle of the house [hehe .. sorry Jerry].
Am I getting warm yet?
5 Yards long, and I would guess because it’s a convenient reference tool for you. Beautiful, by the way.
Ok now that I know there are hand dyed threads at stake …. you may see lots more of me on this topic. Second guess = 43.25 feet andddd its a space saver/convenience of storage idea. [I like purples, greens and pinks] hehe
I think its about 453 inches long which would make it 37.75 feet. I think it would make an excellent border to a textile piece … maybe a crazy quilt.
Am I allowed a second guess Sharon–having read that Gerry made the table and it is obviosly longer than normal I would like to suggest 11.35 metres.
If I’m only allowed one guess you can delete this message.
Doreen
http://doreeng.blogspot.com/
arround 7 meters long and the reason: that roll would store well, so better storage,
I haven’t been interested in sampleres but seen your work… I am changing my mind. They are great and it must bring a lot of pleasure to you when you look at them.
I am going to say about 40 feet long and the why because they are a lot easier to store and carry this way. Kinda reminds me of one of those old time growth charts we used to hang on the wall