Samplers in Time

During one of our trips to Williamsburg,Virginia, we visited a museum with colonial era sampler embroidery. These pieces of handwork were stored in a special light controlled room to protect the fabric from further deterioration. Each one was placed in a glass case fitted into a file drawer that you could tip out to view at a better angle. I was fascinated by the change in design and style from the earlier time to the later 18th Century samplers. The early spot motif/ band samplers with bands or strips of designs showing the needleworkers' range of skills gave way to schoolgirls' samplers with  borders and alphabets alongside poetry verse. These slowly changed to become even more detailed and associated with family lists of births and deaths, historic events, etc.-they also showed larger depictions of houses and buildings.
"The earliest known surviving colonial sampler was worked by Laura Standish, daughter of  Myles Standish, who had traveled to America on the Mayflower-.Although undated, the sampler was worked at some time around 1640-1650."From -Samplers- By Rebecca Scott, 2009.

Usually, to our eyes, these old samplers look stained/washed out and the colors dull--yet there are some examples today of how the embroidery actually looked  with bold and muted shades of red, blue, green, gold and brown.

Try comparing sampler patterns designed today to several from the past--to see what designs and ideas have come down to us....through time!

Common type of verse found on early samplers:
"Love by hope is still sustained
Zeal by the rewards that's gained...
Weakness strength from prudence wins-
Honesty it's credit wealth-
Temperance the support of health,
Joys from calm contentment spring.." (Samplers by R. Scott, 2009)