Shaker Patchwork Hearts, Patchwork, Needlepoint deals Kit, Tapestry Kit, Tapestry Cushion, Needlepoint Pillow, Design

This wonderfully colourful design is based on heart motifs and patters from various forms of American folk art. The centre square is inspired by a bookplate of 1795 in the fraktur tradition. Fraktur was the style of hand decorated manuscripts primarily worked by immigrant pensylvanian-german families in America.

The panel to the top right is adapted from a wooden butter mold from 1800 to 1850. Below this, is a design based on an 18th century peirced tin mould used for making pressed egg cheese at Easter, a favourite dish of the Pennsylvania Germans. In the bottom right corner is the very popular motif of 'heart in hand', which was poignantly the trade sign for marriage insurance offices in 18th century England, symbolising 'giving ones hand in marrige'. This association continued in America where it also came to mean friendship. The heart to the left is taken from a fraktur from.montgomery County, pennsylvania. The panel in the bottom left corner is based on a wooden sign for the odd fellows meeting house, with the three links representing friendship, love and truth. The organisation offered sick and death benefits in times of distress to the middleand industrial classes. The design above this deals is taken from a birth and baptism certificate from 1798. Above this is a small heart based on an embroidered quilt from the 19th century. Kthemotif in the top left hand corner is from another fraktur. To the right of this is an adaptation of a pottery cake mould and the design next along, the two hearts intertwined, is taken from a paper love token dating from between 1790 to 1810.

Kit includes
Full Colour Printed Canvas, Anchor Tapestry Wool, Needle, Paper Chart, Paper Instructions, Laminated Carrier

Dimensions
The kit uses Appletons tapestry wool on 10hpi canvas and measures 12" x 12½" (30 x 31 cm) suitable for a pillow or cushion.