Samplers have been worked in Britain since the sixteenth century, and provide a valuable social record as well as being works of art. Originally collections of patterns gathered together for reference by needle and lace workers, they came to encompass works of piety, of love, of education, and commemoration. Young ladies would stitch the alphabet, multiplication tables and religious extracts not only for decoration, but to keep them from being idle, and to impress the relevant lessons deep into their consciousness. They are among the few antiques that record precisely when they were made, and by whom, which makes the changing fashions in stitches and decoration all the easier to trace. This book, written by one of Britain's leading experts on the subject, and illustrated with superb photographs of a great range of samplers from Britain and the United States provides an ideal introduction to these amazing embroideries for collectors and those interested in social history and the history of art.