A Pioneer Sampler
Young girls learned needlework in the frontier period. While practicing embroidery
stitches,they created samplers containing Bible quotations, wise sayings, poetry, the
alphabet, and simple pictures. Traditionally, these samplers were made on linen or
wool cloth and embroidered with wool or silk thread.
Encourage each student to design a cross-stitch sampler. Plot the sampler on graph
paper. The design may be embroidered with floss or aida cloth or colored with
crayon or colored marker on a piece of muslin. If crayon is used, set the color by
placing several pieces of paper toweling over the crayon mark and pressing it with a
hot iron.
