WHS Sampler Collection

WHS Sampler Collection. "...From the 17th century to the late 19th century young girls learned embroidery skills by creating samplers. They would use these skills later in life to create fancy needlework or simply mark linens so they could be sorted correctly after being washed. Proud parents often showed off the finished samplers by having them framed and hung in the parlor. Supposedly, gentlemen admirers judged a future wife's skill at sewing by perusing these samplers.
The heyday for samplers in the United States occurred between 1780 and 1840, so not many were made in Wisconsin. Ohio seems to be the state furthest west where girls regularly did sampler work. Still a number of New England and New York families brought samplers with them when they moved to Wisconsin. Women may have brought their own, but more likely these samplers represented the work of their mothers or grandmothers and served as mementoes of those left behind."