GBH Openvault
Erica; Ticking Sampler
Part of From the Vault. Part of Erica Wilson: The Julia Child of Needlework.
10/05/1971
Erica uses crewel yarn, which she informs the viewer comes from the Anglo Saxon word for thread to embroider a pillowcase on a fanny frame. The pillowcase is made out of ticking, a heavy cotton fabric used to cover pillows and upholstery. She shows how to thread a needle and demonstrates several stitches, including chain stitch, satin stitch, and cross-stitch. Toward the end of the episode, she shows a late 18th century schoolgirl sampler from Newport and notes that samplers were meant to be part of a young womans moral, as well as textile, education. The sampler reads, May spotles [sic] innocence and truth my every action guide and guard my inexperience youth from arrogance & pride. Erica also shows a cross-stitch sampler done by the pupils of a British missionary in South Africa. Summary and select metadata for this record was submitted by Amanda Sikarskie.
License Clip
More material may be available from this program at the GBH Archives. If you would like research access to the collection at GBH, please email archive_requests@wgbh.org.
- Series
- Erica
- Program
- Ticking Sampler
- Program Number
101
- Series Description
Needlework series with Erica Wilson. “Erica Wilson, noted American authority on needlework, invites the viewer to explore the exciting possibilities of indulging his creative and artistic talents. In this series of color videotaped 15 minute programs she illustrates the wide vocabulary of stitches used in many types of embroidery including traditional crewel, needlepoint, bargello, and crewel point.
As well as demonstrating these stitches, Erica gives professional hints on creating useful and decorative objects. She encourages personalizing an original or derived design through the selection of motif, materials, stitch, color, texture, and size. C. 1971-2 Series release date: 1971
- Program Description
Erica uses crewel yarn, which she informs the viewer comes from the Anglo Saxon word for “thread” to embroider a pillowcase on a “fanny” frame. The pillowcase is made out of ticking, a heavy cotton fabric used to cover pillows and upholstery. She shows how to thread a needle and demonstrates several stitches, including chain stitch, satin stitch, and cross-stitch.
Toward the end of the episode, she shows a late 18th century schoolgirl sampler from Newport and notes that samplers were meant to be part of a young woman’s moral, as well as textile, education. The sampler reads,
“May spotles [sic] innocence and truth my every action guide and guard my inexperience youth from arrogance & pride.”
Erica also shows a cross-stitch sampler done by the pupils of a British missionary in South Africa.
Stitches include chain, satin, and French knots.
- Asset Type
Broadcast program
- Media Type
Video
- Subjects
- Counted Cross-Stitch
- Crewelwork
- Wilson, Erica
- Ticking
- Embroidery
- Womens Education
- Needlework Instruction
- Samplers
- Genres
- Instructional
- Topics
- Crafts
- Creators
- MacLeod, Margaret I. (Series Producer)
- Contributors
- Atwood, David (Director)
- Mahard, Frances (Other (see note))
- MacLeod, Margaret I. (Producer)
- Wilson, Erica (Host)
- Publication Information
- Copyright © 1971 Erica Wilson and WGBH Educational Foundation
- Citation
- Chicago: “Erica; Ticking Sampler,” 10/05/1971, GBH Archives, accessed November 21, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_0E7C9F0814104AF680FA1E42354D4B97.
- MLA: “Erica; Ticking Sampler.” 10/05/1971. GBH Archives. Web. November 21, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_0E7C9F0814104AF680FA1E42354D4B97>.
- APA: Erica; Ticking Sampler. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_0E7C9F0814104AF680FA1E42354D4B97