Sampler c. 1939

This is 'Sampler' by Edna C. Rex, made with thread on fabric sometime in the past, though the exact date remains unknown. The texture in this piece is what really grabs me; you can see the individual stitches, and the way the fabric wrinkles and folds gives it a real sense of history. It feels like it's been handled, loved, and maybe even repaired over time. There’s a real sense of labor and care in each tiny stitch. Look closer, and you can see how each letter is built up from these small, repetitive marks, almost like a form of early pixel art. The stitching here makes me think of the work of contemporary artists like Ghada Amer, who also use embroidery to explore themes of memory and identity. And in the end, that's what art is all about, right? It's a conversation across time, a way of connecting with each other and making sense of the world.