Studying old embroideries really puts you in the shoes of the stitcher. I have always been fascinated by samplers and am always a bit overwhelmed by the thought that the stitchers were so young. I thought you might enjoy studying samplers too, so I have put together a small selection of charts, histories, and luscious photos of favourites from my own collection. Each one is a little piece of history you can recreate for yourself.

I bought this striking but slightly damaged red sampler at auction some years ago. It caught my eye because I love alphabets and it was seeing stitched alphabets that started my passion for samplers.

This design is a joy, despite being stitched in just one colour. Not having to change colours gives you more time to appreciate each little motif – my favourites are the little bird carrying a letter and the crossed keys on the top right.

In your lovely JG Book Box, you will find: