Sampler (needlework)

[6] Coptic sampler fragments[7] of silk on linen in double running stitch and pattern darning have been found in Egyptian burial grounds of 400–500 CE.

A collection of fifty dechados (samplers) was listed in the 1509 inventory of the possessions of Queen Joanna (Juana I, 1479–1555) of Castile (Spain).

The first printed pattern book Furm oder Modelbüchlein was published by Johann Schönsperger the Younger of Augsburg in 1523, but it was not easily obtainable and a sampler was the most common form of reference available to many women.

The museum has two other samplers believed to date from the 16th century, one from Germany with religious motifs and one from Italy with floral patterns and grotesques.

The fourth band from the top has the initials E R, the royal arms of Queen Elizabeth I, and the maker's name SUSAN NEGABRI in bold letters.

By the middle of the 17th century English, Dutch, and German samplers were being stitched on a narrow band of fabric 6–9 in (150–230 mm) wide.

As the work of sampler making moved into schools in the late 17th and early 18th centuries design styles changed.

Alphabets and verses were added along with pictorial elements such as architectural motifs, landscapes, and large potted plants.

The stitching of samplers was believed to be a sign of virtue, achievement and industry, and girls were taught the art from a young age.

[24] Berlin woolwork designs had naturalistic shading and more depth of perspective than the flat two-dimensional objects on traditional needlework.

By mid-19th century adult needleworkers were devising long and narrow stitch samplers having geometric patterns done in woolwork.

Samplers are widely stitched today, some using kits purchased from needlework shops, some from chart-packs, and many from patterns available on the Internet or through e-mail from designers.

Popular topics include designs commemorating births and marriages, family trees, and mottoes of all kinds.