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Make a Sampler

© Sharon Washam

When learning to embroider or use a particular form of embroidery, you can make a sampler. A sampler is a piece of work that involves samples of stitches, alphabets, designs, and more. You can "test" a particular method or stitching in order to see if it will work in a more artful setting.

Some samplers are single stitch samplers...in which you use one stitch in many formats to make the sampler. Some samplers involve a combination of stitches. Most of the popular samplers are cross stitch samplers which have the sayings, the house and some greenery or other things of nature.

I find samplers adds love to a home. I look for a story in the sampler...a story that tells what the person who designed it said or tried to say. For this reason, I encourage the embroiderers of the world to design at least one sampler for a family heirloom.

Let us start the process of making a sampler by finding a short saying that you cherish or live your life by. A passage from the Bible works for some people but there are many books and sites on the web that deal with sayings. Once you find your favorite short saying, think about what design you would like to have around the saying. You could also simply put name, birthday, or some other personal information about yourself or another person. Would you like to put in a border all around the saying? Would you dress it up with the alphabet and/or maybe a house with children or a garden? What items would you put in your sampler that best describes you or your life?

What stitches do you want to display in your sampler. Do you want just one stitch or several different types of stitches? Finally, what colors would you like to use? Do you want it to be all one color? Fall colors? Winter colors? Spring colors? Or Summer colors? For more information and slants on samplers, the following sites offer great information.

Victoriana.Com - History of Samplers http://www.victoriana.com/archive/jacobs...

Needlework Samplers.com - Great information about samplers http://www.needleworksamplers.com/index....

Sampler Collection http://www.niu.edu/acad/leps/sampler.html

Shakespeare Peddler Articles: http://www.shakespearespeddler.com/symbo... http://www.shakespearespeddler.com/antiq... http://www.shakespearespeddler.com/sampg...

Caron's Samplers throughout the Ages http://www.caron-net.com/featurefiles/fe...

Seven Examples of Samplers http://www.edmar-co.com/pk/p18.htm

Huber's Antique Samplers http://www.antiquesamplers.com/

These sites will give you a scant idea of the variations of samplers you can make using a variety of stitches. I wish you good fortune as you venture out to learn more about samplers and how they enrich our lives.

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