Origin: The Netherlands
Stitch Count: 208H x 139W
Stitches: Darning (running stitch), cross stitch, hem stitch.

A beautiful, colourful and varied darning sampler.

Maatje Lena de Kam, born on 13 February 1880, was 16 years old when she signed her "Doorstoplappen". She was one of 18 children of a farmhand family from Wissenkerke (Noord-Beveland). On 15 July 1903, she married the merchant Hendrik Hollestelle from Goes. The couple had three children – a son and two daughters. Maatje Lena died in Middelburg on October 1st, 1921.

Maatje’s darning sampler is owned by the Historical Museum De Bevelanden.

The original sampler is 43 cm high and 32 cm wide. It was worked on coarse fabric with wool and trimmed with hemstitching.