Welcome!

You have come to the homepage of the Simply Samplers exhibition. On this website you can:

  • Find out how the exhibition came together
  • See some of the samplers included in the exhibition, and find out more about them
  • Create your own sampler using our interactive game
  • Naomi Tarrant, expert on embroidered textiles, answers some FAQs

And much, much more!

Embroidered Samplers

sampler patternThis exhibition includes 23 embroidered samplers produced in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The pieces have come from Museums across the East of Scotland, and many are going on show for the first time. Often produced by young children, these beautiful objects give a valuable glimpse into another age. It took many hours of practice to produce the samplers, which often have surprising symbols and motifs included in their designs!