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Girls learned needlework at an early age to prepare for their future household duties of sewing clothing and mending linens for their families. Samplers display hand-embroidered designs using thread made of silk, wool, or cotton on cloth, typically linen. Samplers served two purposes—they improved a young girl’s embroidery skills while teaching her the letters of the alphabet and numerals. Girls learned to make samplers at home or at school. Designs might be adapted from embroidery pattern books or school primers. Girls often embroidered their names, ages, and the dates they completed the samplers. This one reads: Sarah Kautz is my name Marietta is my station Heaven is my dwelling place & Christ is my salvation When I am dead & in my grave & all my bones are rotten When this you see remember me Else I shall be forgotten Sampler courtesy of the collection of the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. See "#AmericanFolkArt: An Enduring Legacy", on display, pre-security, in the International Terminal. http://bit.ly/AmericanFolkArt This image was posted on June 08, 2018.