My Mum made the sampler at school in 1941, when she was 8 or 9. It was the beginning of World War II and the family lived in Leeuwarden, the capital of Friesland. She didn’t talk about it very much, but I have heard stories of bombings and scarcity.
One story that has stayed with me, is that they sometimes had ‘guests’ staying at their house. At those times, she and her sisters shared one bed to free up their own beds. During a razzia, the children were woken up in the middle of the night. The visitors were hidden in a secret space, and the girls had to run around the house, so that the Germans couldn’t see who had been sleeping where. A strange and scary time to grow up in.
To some girls, making an embroidery sampler may have been a welcome distraction. I don’t think it was to my Mum.
I’ve seen similar samplers, and compared to those, hers has only a few decorative borders. The alphabet is incomplete and the letters are jumbled up.
Hi Marijke,
dankjewel voor je verhaal. Heb je ooit van je moeder vernomen waarom zij maar een half vierkant lapje stramien had? Materiaalgebrek in de oorlog? Mijn moeder heeft in de oorlog halve onderbroeken etc. op de huishoudschool moeten maken, vanwege gebrek aan materiaal, en dan ook nog van glibberig synthetisch materiaal…
Ha Gieneke, Nee, mijn moeder heeft het daar nooit over gehad. Eerlijk gezegd had ik er niet eens zo bij stil gestaan dat het maar een half lapje was, maar je hebt natuurlijk gelijk. Ik had niet gedacht dat er zo vroeg in de oorlog al gebrek was, maar dat zal het idd geweest zijn. Halve onderbroeken, jeetje, en dan ook nog van zulk materiaal. Wat moet dat demotiverend geweest zijn voor die meiden. Bedankt voor je reactie; dat geeft nog weer een andere kijk op het geheel.
Here’s a translation of this interesting comment. Gieneke wrote: Thank you for your story. Did your mum ever tell you why she had only half of a canvas square? Wartime scarcity of materials? My mother had to make half pairs of drawers at domestic science school during the war because of lack of materials, and on top of that from a slippery synthetic fabric… Marijke wrote: No, my Mum didn’t mention that. In fact, I hadn’t even realized that it is only half a square, but you’re right, of course. I didn’t know that there was scarcity this early in the War, but that must have been it. Half pairs of drawers, oh my, and then that kind of fabric. That must have been so demotivating for the girls. Thank you for your comment – it sheds a new light on the sampler.
Marijke,
Borduren en ontroering ???
Ja, dat is wel wat, hè? Borduurwerkjes met een heel verhaal.
Such an enjoyable read. How fortunate you are to have such family treasures!
Thank you. And yes, I really feel fortunate to have them.
Lovely, thank you for sharing!
My mother-in-law who was born and grew up in Norway has what I now realize is a sampler framed on her wall. It was embroidered by an ancestor but I’m not sure exactly who. She bore the name Jonetta which possibly was frequent in Norway but I never heard of it in Sweden.
My parents-in-law considered emigrating to Australia in the sixties but settled for Sweden!
Is there a date on the sampler on your MIL’s wall? It would be a great starting point for getting to know more about Jonetta and other ancestors of your husband’s. Most people are very happy to talk about their relatives, their childhood and what they know about the more distant past. I wish I had asked my Mum and other relatives more when I still had the chance. And just think about it – if your parents-in-law had chosen Australia, you would never have met your husband!
These samplers are not only textile records of skill but also historical records. Also so interesting to know the background of the scarcity of fabric due to the war. It makes such a sweet simple sampler all the more poignant and precious. You are fortunate to have this one made by your mother. Thank you for sharing this treasured memory, I hope you will have it preserved, either in a frame or memory box.
A memory box – that’s a great idea! Thank you for the tip and your lovely comment.