Art
A sampler is a piece of cloth stitched with letters, numbers, and decorative patterns—a girl's first homework in needlework. Made by hand between ages 8 and 14, samplers taught the fine motor skills and patience that young women needed for sewing, mending, and embroidery throughout their lives.
Art · Full story
Ellen Maria sits by the window with her sampler stretched tight in a wooden frame. The needle moves in and out—cross-stitch after cross-stitch, row after row. Her fingers are pricked and sore, but the alphabet is almost done. When she finishes the border of flowers, her mother will praise her neatness and her discipline.
Reflect
What skills do children learn today that seem ordinary but shape who they become?