Mary Davis' Early Sampler with Flame Stitch, Alphabets, Flower and Verse home Made of cigar boxes

Made of cigar boxes

and people gathered there in the evenings to tell stories and sing songs

or as a paperweight (it's solid and heavy) or hang it somewhere and set it swinging from time to time

but stable and sound

7 1/2" x 5"

Mary Davis' Early Sampler with Flame Stitch, Alphabets, Flower and Verse home Made of cigar boxesAnother example of the sort of sampler I love, which would definitely benefit from a better frame, but I'm very glad it's been kept safe as it is an early and delicate one. Part of what makes it especially special is the passage of flame stitch filling the top quarter, surely faded and clearly showing loss but very beautiful still. Then this verse under the alphabet and numbers, with long "s" 's everywhere, signed by Mary Davis just underneath, and