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This sampler was created to commemorate the marriage of my son and daughter-in-law, Jason and Suzanna. I wanted to stitch a wedding sampler for them, but just couldn't find one to suit me.

Being a needlepointer and preferring the look of antique samplers, I did not want to use Aida cloth. I ordered a 24" x 36" piece of Edinburgh "dirty" linen. This was my first attempt to stitch on linen.

I started collecting antique reproduction patterns and sampler books and researching meanings to the motifs. I had a booklet by Darleen O'Steen and used her carnation border ("Mother's Love"). I included the marriage blessing which we had received as a wedding gift, using a 17th century font. I liked so many of the different design forms that I had discovered that I decided to mix them all together for a naive personal look. I included American, English, Dutch, Scottish, Irish, Spanish and contemporary motifs. I also had to design a few myself.

It never occurred to me (novice that I was) that I could cut the 36-count linen to make a smaller sampler. I chose 36-count because when stitched over two linen threads, the design would end up being 18-count, and that was the size graph paper I had. I taped pieces of the graph paper together to make it 24" x 36" and worked on my husband's pool table. I would find a meaningful motif, chart it, cut it out and tape it where I thought it should go on the large master sheet.

Every one of the motifs has a meaning to me and to the couple. They met in college, hence the University of Virginia Rotunda. My son went to law school at William and Mary College, hence the Wren Building, which is over one thread because the motif would have been too large otherwise. I included their baptism churches and the state bird and flower.

It took over a year to complete my chart. I began stitching in June, 1992 and finished on October 27,1992. As you have probably deduced, I had no other life at that time! Thank goodness for Dazor magnification lights!

Another son wants a wedding sampler, too. He said he wants two more carnations than Jason has! I'm dragging my feet. All those queen stitches for each carnation!