One of the earliest surviving examples of a north European cross stitch sampler dates to the first half of the 16th century and is believed to come from Germany. It is now housed in in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (T.114-1956). The sampler is made from an even weave linen ground and is embroidered in both cross stitch and long-armed cross stitch using silk yarns in various colours. Details about the sampler will be included in the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Embroidery, Vol. 3, which is being produced at the TRC in Leiden and will be published by Bloomsbury, London.
There are various different patterns worked on the linen ground, including religious (Catholic) designs, inscriptions, stylised flowers, as well as geometric motifs. A selection of the geometric patterns from this object are given below. Please click on the illustration to find a PDF file for you to use. Enjoy!
A selection of geometric cross stitch patterns from a German sample (early 16th century; charts by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, based on V&A T.114-1956).
