The Next Year of the Jubilee is 2037

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The main reason why I love reproducing antique samplers is that each sampler, doesn’t matter of its size, year, condition, or theme carries a story, a little piece of history. My work on reproducing a sampler starts with a careful research. I study the name, year, stitches, the verses and its source. Some times one is lucky, some times – no luck at all. This is what happened when I picked up this 1887 sampler by W Beckwith. Searching by name didn’t bring any results.

The late 19th century original sampler worked in wool on even weave gauze and is absolutely charming. The following verse is stitched in the upper section of the sampler:

There is a little narrow way

Which is so very strait

That few the Bible say are they

Who enter at the gate

and finished with the words at the bottom

The Year of Jubilee 1887

I am not a religious person, but I do have Faith. I have never heard about the year of the Jubilee. I was curious to read and learn more about what the year of the Jubilee is. The first thing I have learnt that the word “jubilee” is derived from the Hebrew word j o b e l and means “ram’s horn”, the horn which was used as a trumpet, whose sound indicated to everybody the beginning of the jubilee year. The book of Leviticus is the source that tells us of the significance of the year of the jubilee, which is at the end of seven weeks of years, the fiftieth year.

So why did this happen at the end of the fiftieth year? The Bible places special emphasis on the number 7.

After all, there are seven days in a week, and the seventh day is supposed to be the Sabbath, a day dedicated to rest and worship: 7 x 7 = 49 years.

So, after seven years of Sabbaths, we reach the 50^th year. A year dedicated to rest, to restoration of property, and to freeing people from debts, servitude, and slavery. Everyone got to rest during this year and was able to start off the next year with a clean slate.

The next year of the Jubilee is 2037. Do you think it is possible to have the year of the Jubilee in the modern world? I am not sure I’ll be there, but definitely would love to see.

A reproduction of an antique sampler by W Beckwith, 1887 is stitched on 40 count Zweigart Newcastle Silvery Moon linen with Treenway Silks and Classic Colorworks Belle Soie silk.

141 x 131 stitches

The stitched area measures approx. 6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″

The middle section of the sampler is stitched with a central crown which has a heart above, a floral motif flanked by two birds to its left and right and W. Beckwith’s name beneath which has a heart on either side. The lower section of the sampler is stitched with a central floral motif which has a dog standing on each side followed by a fruit basket and tree, each fruit basket with a heart and crown above. The whole piece is then surrounded by a strawberry border.

I wanted to have a miniature version of this absolutely little charming sampler in my collection and stitched it on 72 count silk gauze with my favorite Au Ver A Soie Surfine silk making some changes though in the design. The stitching area measures 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″