Inspired by Samplers
It was during a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, when my interest in cross stitch samplers really blossomed. I had gone to look at their textile art displays, when I came across the sampler exhibition.
Hundreds of beautiful samplers, some extremely old, were housed in racks. Each sampler was set in a frame, which could be removed and placed on your desk. This provided the opportunity to sit down comfortably and look at each sampler up close.
Of course the longer you looked - the more detail you saw! Some were crammed with intricate stitching, which must have taken years to work. Others were simpler, but with lovely colours and patterns. But what they all had in common was a strange feeling of contact with the stitcher, whose hands had laboured so carefully and tirelessly to produce them, so long ago.
I came to realise that these were not just embroideries. They were historical records, carrying detailed information about peoples' lives and the customs, styles and prejudices of the community around them. Unique insights into their personal lives, culture, politics and religion were being passed down across the centuries, to anyone with an eye to see and interpret them.
We normally associate this gift of communication with writers and painters. But this medium had empowered ordinary women to produce unique artistic interpretations of their life and times. This thought inspired me with a real interest in samplers, which I would like to explore and share with you through this page.
Hundreds of beautiful samplers, some extremely old, were housed in racks. Each sampler was set in a frame, which could be removed and placed on your desk. This provided the opportunity to sit down comfortably and look at each sampler up close.
Of course the longer you looked - the more detail you saw! Some were crammed with intricate stitching, which must have taken years to work. Others were simpler, but with lovely colours and patterns. But what they all had in common was a strange feeling of contact with the stitcher, whose hands had laboured so carefully and tirelessly to produce them, so long ago.
I came to realise that these were not just embroideries. They were historical records, carrying detailed information about peoples' lives and the customs, styles and prejudices of the community around them. Unique insights into their personal lives, culture, politics and religion were being passed down across the centuries, to anyone with an eye to see and interpret them.
We normally associate this gift of communication with writers and painters. But this medium had empowered ordinary women to produce unique artistic interpretations of their life and times. This thought inspired me with a real interest in samplers, which I would like to explore and share with you through this page.
A Short History of Needlework Samplers
The earliest samplers were examples of stitches and patterns embroidered onto a piece of fabric. The cloth could then be rolled up and kept as a work of reference, at a time when books were extremely rare. In this way stitchers would build up their needlework repertoire, often as part of their education.
Band samplers are examples of this, with horizontal bands of different stitches worked on a tall narrow cloth, which could be easily rolled up and stored away. They would typically show the effects created by combining different stitches and threads, in pleasing colour combinations and patterns. Sometimes the background fabric threads were cut and drawn away, to form intricate patterns.
The first pattern books appeared in Europe in the early 16th century. From that date onwards the development of designs accelerated and formalised into recognisable styles.
Pattern book motifs, including animals, flowers and plants began to be used extensively. Stitched alphabets became more common, as samplers began to form part of the school curriculum for young ladies. Complex borders were increasingly used to make sampler designs more decorative. Many samplers featured biblical verses, illustrating the central role of religion in contemporary society.
Finally samplers emerged in their present format. Now they are commonly worked with cotton or silk threads in cross stitch, on an evenly woven fabric background, with a rectangular shape, pictorial in nature and suitable for framing as a decoration.
A Rare Needlework Sampler by Sarah Doubt
Massachussetts 1765, Giclee Print
Buy at AllPosters.com
Band samplers are examples of this, with horizontal bands of different stitches worked on a tall narrow cloth, which could be easily rolled up and stored away. They would typically show the effects created by combining different stitches and threads, in pleasing colour combinations and patterns. Sometimes the background fabric threads were cut and drawn away, to form intricate patterns.
The first pattern books appeared in Europe in the early 16th century. From that date onwards the development of designs accelerated and formalised into recognisable styles.
Sampler II Art Print
Buy at AllPosters.com
Pattern book motifs, including animals, flowers and plants began to be used extensively. Stitched alphabets became more common, as samplers began to form part of the school curriculum for young ladies. Complex borders were increasingly used to make sampler designs more decorative. Many samplers featured biblical verses, illustrating the central role of religion in contemporary society.
Finally samplers emerged in their present format. Now they are commonly worked with cotton or silk threads in cross stitch, on an evenly woven fabric background, with a rectangular shape, pictorial in nature and suitable for framing as a decoration.
Samplers at the V & A
A selection of samplers in the museum's collection.
The pictures below show pieces from the Victoria and Albert Museum's extensive collection of over 700 samplers. The first sampler was worked in cross stitch on linen cloth. The inscription reads "Mary Smith her work made in the year of Our Lord 1729".
The second sampler was worked in cross stitch and satin stitch on woollen cloth. The inscription reads "Mary Ann Richards her work June the first 1800". The third was worked in cross stitch on woollen cloth. The inscription reads "Elizabeth Musto her work aged 14 years"
Art prints of these wonderful designs in different sizes are available from AllPosters.com. They can be supplied framed if required. Please click on the picures for more information.
The second sampler was worked in cross stitch and satin stitch on woollen cloth. The inscription reads "Mary Ann Richards her work June the first 1800". The third was worked in cross stitch on woollen cloth. The inscription reads "Elizabeth Musto her work aged 14 years"
Art prints of these wonderful designs in different sizes are available from AllPosters.com. They can be supplied framed if required. Please click on the picures for more information.
Hearts, Shrubs, Birds, And Men in Dress
with an Inscription at the Bottom, Sampler, Giclee Print
Buy at AllPosters.com
House Sampler, c.1800 Giclee Print
Buy at AllPosters.com
Antique Sampler Websites
Specialist sites selling samplers and antique needlework.
House and Deer Sampler, c.1785 Giclee Print
Buy at AllPosters.com
Samplers can make very tasteful decorations for your home. There are still good quality antique samplers in the market place. Because they are scarce and highly collectable, you can expect to pay some quite high prices, but there are some real gems available in antique shops. Some of the specialist U.K. and U.S. websites selling them are listed below.
Sampler Gallery
Needle Work Antiques specialises in antique samplers and needlework tools from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Antique Samplers
Victorian and Georgian needlework. Alphabet, motif and verse samplers.
Antique samplers buy and sell
American and English antique samplers, silk embroideries and related textiles.
Witney Antiques: samplers of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth century
As a leading dealer of antique samplers in the United Kingdom, Witney Antiques website provides a selection of information and images on antique samplers, needlework and silk embroideries.
M. Finkel and Daughter's Website
Provides a wealth of information and research on antique American schoolgirl samplers, needlework and silk embroideries.
Create A Family Heirloom
You can stitch your own piece of family history.
Sampler II Art Print
Buy at AllPosters.com
You can buy cross stitch sampler kits containing the fabric, threads, chart and needle and customise them to suit the occasion. Or you can buy books containing charts for counted cross stitch motifs and put these artistically together to form your own design. Symbolically meaningful motifs were commonly used in historic samplers, so there is good precedent for this kind of approach.
Here is a fascinating guide to the meaning of many of the most common symbols used in samplers.
Alternatively it is possible to draw your own chart, simply using coloured pencils on graph paper. Or you can mark the colours on special tracing paper printed with a grid, placed over your picture or sketch. Cross stitch design software is available for generating more complex designs using your PC.
Cross Stitch Charts for Samplers
Some good websites for sampler charts.
Samplers Revisited: Reproduction Needlework Sampler Charts for you to stitch
Samplers Revisited offers reproduction needlework charts for you to stitch, samplers originate from England, Scotland, France, Germany and United States, for beginning to intermediate stitchers.
Shakespeare's Peddler
Sampler charts on the net since 1997
Sampler & Antique Needlework
All of the available back issues of Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly.
The Essamplaire
Antique Essamplaire - 17th Century Dutch, American, English, Canadian and Italian Samplers.
Books from Em-Li's
A large number of books on needlework including samplers - some new, some old, some out of print.
The Hoffman Distributing Company Online Reference Catalogue
Please select the catagory - "samplers".
Samplers Revisited offers reproduction needlework charts for you to stitch, samplers originate from England, Scotland, France, Germany and United States, for beginning to intermediate stitchers.
Shakespeare's Peddler
Sampler charts on the net since 1997
Sampler & Antique Needlework
All of the available back issues of Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly.
The Essamplaire
Antique Essamplaire - 17th Century Dutch, American, English, Canadian and Italian Samplers.
Books from Em-Li's
A large number of books on needlework including samplers - some new, some old, some out of print.
The Hoffman Distributing Company Online Reference Catalogue
Please select the catagory - "samplers".
Books on Samplers
Popular books on samplers from Amazon.
Interesting Sampler Links
The Sampler Guild Home Page
A forum furthering the research of sampler history, promoting the preservation of antique samplers and continuing the art of sampler making.
Samplercentral's Bookmarks on Delicious
A mine of interesting information on samplers.
Antique Samplers - Home
This website is intended to foster the study of, and education about antique samplers in their historic as well as needlework context.
Antiques Roadshow
Unravelling a Needlework Mystery.
American Needlework in the Eighteenth Century
Article by Amelia Peck, Department of American Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Old Sturbridge Village
Samplers and Needlework Online Collections.
Simply Samplers: Sampler Activities
Sampler Guilds and stitching groups you may join, and many specialist sampler classes
and courses to attend.
A forum furthering the research of sampler history, promoting the preservation of antique samplers and continuing the art of sampler making.
Samplercentral's Bookmarks on Delicious
A mine of interesting information on samplers.
Antique Samplers - Home
This website is intended to foster the study of, and education about antique samplers in their historic as well as needlework context.
Antiques Roadshow
Unravelling a Needlework Mystery.
American Needlework in the Eighteenth Century
Article by Amelia Peck, Department of American Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Old Sturbridge Village
Samplers and Needlework Online Collections.
Simply Samplers: Sampler Activities
Sampler Guilds and stitching groups you may join, and many specialist sampler classes
and courses to attend.
Cross Stitch Kits
A Helpful Guide
Many cross stitch samplers come in kit form. This guide covers what to look for in a good kit, discussing in detail each of the kit components: fabric, threads and chart etc.
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Do you love samplers and cross stitch?
I would really like to hear about your needlework projects or any comments you may have - and thanks for your visit!
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TTMall
Mar 1, 2012 @ 4:34 pm | delete
- Thank you for such an informative lens.
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Wednesday_Elf
Feb 5, 2011 @ 9:43 am | delete
- Returning to tell you that this lens has now been 'featured on' and 'lensrolled to' my "SquidAngel Blessings by an Elf" lens. :-) You'll find it in the Arts & Crafts section.
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CrazyforCollecting
Jan 2, 2011 @ 4:42 pm | delete
- I've done some cross-stitching, but I've never made a sampler. Beautiful lens -- I loved the way you used those posters, too. Thanks for sharing.
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noobeegin
Dec 27, 2010 @ 7:50 am | delete
- I love smplers. I love stitching them, but I also love to see them hanging in historical homes. Thanks for sharing.
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KarenTBTEN
Oct 30, 2010 @ 9:10 pm | delete
- They are pieces of history indeed. Good use of those posters. Blessed by a SquidAngel.
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BevsPaper
Oct 3, 2010 @ 5:49 am | delete
- Love how you have shown examples of the old samplers here. Also love to cross stitch but find I don't have the time I used to for it. Blessed by a Squid Angel.
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fanfreluche Sep 29, 2010 @ 6:10 am | delete
- Beautiful lens! Interesting to read. I always love to look at beautiful crafts, I wish I had the talent to do this.
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kt_glasses Sep 19, 2010 @ 1:03 am | delete
- These samplers are gorgeous~~My mom does cross stitch from time to time, and she is really good at it.
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Wednesday_Elf
Sep 17, 2010 @ 10:23 am | delete
- When my son married, my new daughter-in-law presented me (and all the women in the wedding party) a beautiful cross stitch sampler she'd created, each one individualized to suit that person. It's a very special memory of their wedding day and I treasure it. I used to do cross stitch many years ago, but focus primarily on crochet today. But, I believe that creators in all the fields of fiber arts express their "unique artistic interpretations" through their work, as you so wonderfully stated in your Intro. I am lensrolling this terrific story about Cross Stitch Samplers to my Fiber Arts lens... and leaving behind a ~~SquidAngel Blessing~~
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Stazjia
Sep 12, 2010 @ 6:39 am | delete
- I've made a samplers for special occasions like an important birthday, the birth of a child, etc. My experience is that people love to receive a personalised sampler. This is a great page on samplers with some lovely examples and good links for more information. Blessed by an Angel.
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Ann-Marie
Hello and welcome to my lens. I am a former teacher and my passions are painting and cross stitching and I'm from England (in case you were wondering... more »
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