Embroiderer's Life From A Religious View: Short Life In Some Cases And Moral Upbringing

The English word 'sampler' derives from the Latin 'exemplum', or the old French term 'essamplaire', meaning 'an example'. Before the introduction of printed designs, embroiderers and lacemakers needed a way to record and reference different designs, stitches, and effects. The answer was to create a sampler – a personal reference work featuring patterns and elements that the owner may have learned or copied from others, to recreate again in new pieces.

Many of the embroidered motifs used on the samplers held a special meaning, such as acorns meant fertility and life, carnations for maternal love, the lily for purity, chastity, and innocence. These special meanings helped bring the sampler to life and provided it with warmth and feeling given by the needleworker. It was not just an object to be hung on the wall for show.

The embroidered sampler was not only a piece of needlework, it was a way for the creator to express their feelings and their way of life.