Tiny's Lambertville: Punch Paper Motto Samplers

I have a huge fondness for Victorian punch-paper samplers: embroidery done on perforated paper.  There's something really touching about all that homespun-handcraftiness.  This Welcome sampler is currently part of Tiny's inventory:

Best of all, it comes in its original frame, with gilt lining.

Punch-paper samplers were quite the craze in the 19th Century, as they were cheap and easier to complete than other forms of needlework.  According to the font of all knowledge, Wikipedia:

Perforated card-board . . . first became available in the 1820's as plain sheets used for the creation of bookmarks and small mottoes and sayings, often taken from the Bible. By the 1870s the Victorian craze for this inexpensive and versatile craft material was at its peak. The invention of new printing processes made the pre-printing of mottoes and bookmarks on the perforated paper possible. These items were extremely popular and original examples, in good condition, can still be found today. The Victorian fad of embroidering mottoes on perforated paper died out around 1910 and was virtually lost as a needleart until recently being rediscovered.

Another good summary of the trend can be found at http://www.victoriana.com/Embroidery/perforatedpaper.html.

Keep antiquing!