Samplers from the Welsh Folk Museum

Samplers from the Welsh Folk Museum Collection by Christine Stevens

The first 'examples' or samplers were random collections of stitches and patterns kept by women as a reference work at a time when published pattern books were not readily available. But as printed pattern books became more common, the original use of the sampler declined. Increasingly they began to be used for teaching needlework to young girls and many were the work of young schoolchildren. Others were made in the home and record family events and national and local occasions. The various types of samplers, their motifs and designs are fully described in this well-illustrated booklet.

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