Brief History of Samplers
Samplers worked on linen date back hundreds of years and most prominent in England. It is believed that samplers were used to teach young girls in America for over 200 years beginning around 1650. One of the most famous samplers from the colonies was stitched by Miles Standish’s daughter, Loara, prior to 1656. No date was worked on this sampler. The original sampler is still in existence today and can be seen at the Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The earlier samplers were stitched entirely from border to border and top to bottom. None of the linen was wasted. Linen was the textbook as there was no paper in the earlier years and when it became available, it was very expensive and not readily discarded as we do today. Linen in various forms has been available for centuries. Stitching on linen provided a way to record family history, marriages, births and deaths. Linen was used as a primer to teach young girls how to darn, embroiderer, stitch numerals, letters of the alphabet and even maps.
The alphabet many times was stitched in capital and small letters. The samplers were usually designed by the teachers and taught to a number of students over the years. Therefore, in studying sampler history you will find that many of the old samplers look identical or similar in style.
Sisters in a family may have stitched the same piece at different times in their school years. Not every child had this opportunity, but the families that were more affluent sent their children to private schools or had private teachers to provide the lessons. The finished samplers were not always framed, but kept rolled up in a drawer or storage chest for use as a reference to stitches and family information. As the girls became older and of marriageable age, the sampler was used to show a potential suitor that a girl was well educated, could darn and mark household linens, read, write and capable of managing and running a household.
Apparently great care was given to protect and keep the samplers in good condition as many of these old samplers are in existence today either owned individually or in museums. In studying an old sampler, it is interesting to see all the different stitches used by young girls who were approximately 6-12 years of age. Silk thread was used on many of the old samplers and the stitches very intricate and some complex. The samplers also included verses from the bible or favorite poems, fruit, floral and bird motifs, which would have been a very involved task for a young girl. Some of the samplers included initials of many family members, which today, helps the scholar identify the origin of the sampler.
I have had the opportunity to reproduce some of the old samplers and it is a fun and challenging project. My designs, however, do not include any reproductions at this time, but I do try to design my pieces so they reflect what a young girl would have been taught to stitch so many years ago. When working any type of needlework, remember how important it is to include your name or initials and a date. That way, you have recorded your own history.