Cross stitch sampler

[Firestarterr]

I have always wondered what a cross stitch has to be for it to be considered a sampler I googled it but I haven't quite gotten a straight forward answer.

[starrley]

The Wikipedia answer is this: A (needlework) sampler is a piece of embroidery produced as a demonstration or test of skill in needlework. It often includes the alphabet, figures, motifs, decorative borders and sometimes the name of the person who embroidered it and the date. The word sampler is derived from the Latin ‘exemplum’ - an example.
Basically, it's just a stitched work that is rows of things. Here is the link to our Sprite Stitch sampler event.
My understanding is that samplers were usually used for practicing, especially the alphabet.
Merrywether has some awesome video game samplers.

[funkymonkey]

Here's one of the best I've seen, the Internet Sampler. I particularly like the alphabet layout in QWERTY format instead of the standard ABC.

[Firestarterr]

Awesome. Thank you! That clears it up for me!!!!

[Eliste]

FYI- Samplers used to be (and in some fields still are) regularly used as part of a portfolio- particularly in hand sewing and embroidery. You would create a sampler of your stitching that would exemplify your ability to do different techniques, sizes, shapes, etc. Photos became used a lot, but some places still prefer to see a sampler as a photo can hide your stitching flaws (such as uneven stitching etc) that only becomes apparent when you look at stitches up close and personal. It used to be something that every few years a stitcher would update so that they could show off better their abilities.

[Lord Libidan]

It used to be something that every few years a stitcher would update so that they could show off better their abilities.

I like the idea of this, showing off is my forte

The term sampler is a big loose to be honest. Back when cross stitch and embroidery was invented, there were no patterns, and paper was incredibly expensive, so you would stitch a an alphabet in a font, or a border so you could refer back to it when planning a new design.
Now-a-days its used a lot to describe anything with text in it, rows of stuff, or a border around it.

Although I think I may have to design a sampler now...

[Eliste]

The term sampler is a big loose to be honest. Back when cross stitch and embroidery was invented, there were no patterns, and paper was incredibly expensive, so you would stitch a an alphabet in a font, or a border so you could refer back to it when planning a new design.
Now-a-days its used a lot to describe anything with text in it, rows of stuff, or a border around it.
Although I think I may have to design a sampler now...

I can't ever think of a sampler without it having multiple samples of different types of embroidery on it, which is why full cross stitch ones never caught my interest. Having had to create (and lug around) a sampler for a while, I can appreciate their usefulness, but I do think they are from a bygone era. Photos now are so much better and easier to transport.