Art
A sampler is a piece of linen embroidered with letters, numbers, and decorative patterns. Girls made them to practice stitching skills they'd need for a lifetime of sewing—mending clothes, making household linens, and creating finely finished garments. The sampler was proof of her ability and her patience.
Art · Full story
Your fingers are pricked and sore. The same cross-stitch pattern repeats again and again—A, B, C, a border of roses, your initials, the year. Hours of work. But when you finish, you'll frame it, display it in the parlor. It shows you're ready: ready to manage a household, ready to be a wife.
Reflect
What skills do young people today practice and display to show they're ready for adulthood?