I have always been fond of ‘hussifs’, or ‘pocket samplers’. Hussif was the name given to the folder or bag used by the matron of the house, to carry essentials which often included embroidery. The term ‘housewife’ originates from the ‘hussif’.
In early days, the term huswife referred to the woman who looked after and supervised the management of the house or home. By the late 18th century, the spelling and usage of these words had changed – a hussy became a loose or wanton woman and a hussif or hussive was used to describe a pocket sewing case or pouch.
There are some very special decorative examples of hussif in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and early examples are very collectible indeed. As late as 1957, a naval cadet joining the Royal Navy would have been issued with a calico hussif which would have included his initials added in paint, cotton reels and scissors.
My hussif or pocket sampler was inspired by my Casket and is filled with flowers and little creatures, all imagined from 16th and 17th Century samplers and tapestries.