Sampler
Artist: Jane Charlotte Brawley
Location: Iredell County
Technique: Cross, satin, and eye stitches
Date: August 24, 1841
About the Artwork
This needlework sampler includes stitched alphabets, a religious verse, and decorative motifs such as a building and an oversized flower. The verse reads:
"My soul be on thy guard / Ten thousand foes arise / And hosts of sins pressing hard / To draw thee from the skies."
Samplers like this were created by schoolgirls as part of their domestic education and served several purposes, including:
- Teaching sewing and needlework skills
- Reinforcing moral and religious values
- Documenting educational achievement
About the Artist
Jane Charlotte Brawley stitched this sampler in 1841, probably at school. This sampler represents one of the few surviving records of her existence. She barely appears in public records, and according to the 1880 census, Brawley remained unmarried and lived with her sister's family. Family history suggests she became a teacher, though no available records confirm this.