Description:
Table runner made by a member of the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework. The embroidered design at either narrow end consists of an abstracted floral motif. Since Society members worked their designs anonymously, the presence of the initials “C.S.” in red silk cross stitch suggest a subsequent owner. The Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework was founded by Margaret Christine Whiting and Ellen Miller in 1896 initially as a way to preserve 18th-century needlework and domestic textiles that were suffering from the ravages of time. Their decision to use naturally0dyed linen embroidery floss, rather than the wool (crewel) yarns of the 18th century, was done in part to protect against factors like moth damage. The Society's works won numerous awards both nationally and internationally before disbanding in 1926.

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