Mary Beale School of Needlework - History of Needlework, 18th Century America


© Samplers and Samplermakers by Mary Jaene Edmonds.

I will take you through a course of needlework study and projects so that once you are finished you will not only have beautiful needlework pieces, but a knowledge of the needle arts and the important role it has played in history. With your needlework you will continue this history and most importantly, we will have fun doing it!

To begin with, you will make a marking sampler. A marking sampler is the very first piece of needlework that was made by a young girl. The purpose of this sampler was to learn how to cross stitch on linen.

During America's colonial period, it could often take as long as a year and a half to turn flax into linen! Because it took so long to make, it was a considered a valuable household item. Therefore, it was imperative that linens should be marked for ownership. The alphabet and numerals had to be mastered so that when a girl married she would know how to mark her household linens with her initials. As the family acquired more linens, numerals would be added as well.

This is a Quaker marking sampler from 1820. They usually had more alphabets on their marking sampler. The New England marking sampler was very basic and resembles the one I have designed for you.