A Journey with Sibbel: An 18th-Century Orphan's Study of Needlework

By Susan Greening Davis and Sally Criswell

“Beautiful images of the needlework and patterns inspired by the sampler, along with wonderful vignettes of culture and history from the time period.” —Sassy Jacks Stitchery 

Authors Susan Greening Davis and Sally Criswell found Sibbel’s sampler in Belgium, fell in love with it and brought it to America. Through their research, they have opened a window for us to see what life for Sibbel was like growing up in the 1700s, learning needlework techniques and coming to love stitching.

Within these pages is an interpretation of Sibbel’s young life in a Netherlands charity home. As Sibbel creates the motifs in her sampler and learns special joining stitches, you are invited to stitch along. What you will have created is a stunning showpiece. In the project pages, you can create many of the items Sibbel would have made, such as her leather pincushion or the gorgeous stitching weight used to hold her sampler in place.

So collect your favorite stitching tools, find your most comfortable chair and take a journey with Sibbel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Feb 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781617453793

Book preview

Editor: Stacey A. Fischkelta

Designer: Bob Deck

Photography: Aaron T. Leimkuehler

Illustration: Eric Sears

Original Charts: Penny Conway

Cross Stitch Chart Creator: Alissa Christianson

Technical Editor: Mary Atherton

Photo Editor: Jo Ann Groves

Published by:

Kansas City Star Books

1729 Grand Blvd.

Kansas City, Missouri, USA 64108

Acknowledgments

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the following friends, without whose work and support this adventure would not have happened:

Penny Conway for all of the set-ups and graphic work.

Brenda Parkhurst, Shina Lyons, Bonnie Mauk, Marketta Steck and Michelle Estes for help with stitching samples.

The Gentle Art, Weeks Dye Works, and Wichelt Imports, who furnished supplies for the samples.

Mary Atherton of Old Mill Stitchery, for allowing us to use her beautiful shop for the photo shoot. Her shop is part of the Corbin Mill Place, 131 S. Water St. in Liberty, Missouri.

Sandy, for letting us wander throughout her shop and the five other shops housed in her historical building.

Edie McGinnis and Aaron Leimkuehler. I had the time of my life doing Sibbel’s photo shoot! Your expertise and fellowship let me relax and enjoy every minute. It was over too soon, Susan.

And our editor, Stacey Fischkelta, for her help and support.

Old Mill Stitchery

About the Authors

First, we must dedicate this book to our stitcher, Sibbel. She brought us to this journey.

It is difficult to dedicate something like this without acknowledging the two people who made this possible for all of us, Ken and Ginnie Thompson. They are the reason that the beautiful art of counted thread cross stitch was brought to America, from Denmark, and we have been loving every stitch since. Unfortunately, they are both gone now, but their love of the craft, and their teaching lives on.

Ken and Ginnie believed in me when I owned two needlework shops. They believed in me as an educator, and submitted me to study my first foreign class in Denmark with the Baroness and her assistant. Since then I have been invited for private study in Italy, England, Spain, Germany, Ireland, and France. Sally Criswell has accompanied me on many of these extraordinary opportunities. What a whirlwind of learning needlework history it has been. I offer a thank you to all of those past embroiderers who loved a technique that became known in their region. My mission is to keep sharing these techniques and the love I have of them with you.

When DMC awarded me an International Teaching Award, I realized that teaching needlework and its historical importance was something that needed to continue. I have been fortunate to educate a parade of students over the years.

I have also had the opportunity to represent our industry on Home and Garden Television (HGTV) twice, bringing many more followers to our loved counted thread cross stitch.

My Susan’s Groupies, (I did not set this up!) and chatroom members have been faithful followers to all of the traveling adventures and weekend retreats. Many have been with me for 40 years and are still stitching!

My husband, CJ, has taken me to and from airports to travel all over this beautiful United States and Europe. He went on one Alaskan cruise and learned right away that I was there for my stitchers. That is what has been in my heart since I started my journey, more than 40 years ago: to be there for all stitchers, beginners to advanced.

Thank you, all.

Still Stitching, Susan