Welcome to The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter produces reproductions of the world's finest samplers, found in museums
and private collections. Exquisite materials are assembled to recreate these masterpieces of
needlework, and kits are complete with detailed instructions and stitch diagrams, enabling
the modern needleworker to reproduce these pieces exactly as they were originally made in
centuries past.
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TSL Newsletter
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TSL Galleries
Visit our customer gallery to read some of the letters and emails we have received along with photos of finished samplers stitched by our customers. In our awards gallery, you'll see Scarlet Letter Samplers that have won blue ribbons and other awards. The antiques gallery contains many of the antique samplers that have passed through The Scarlet Letter over the years, including many that have been reproduced.

WE ACCEPT PAYPAL BUT THIS OPTION DOES NOT SHOW UP ON OUR ONLINE ORDER FORM. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE PAYPAL SIMPLY SEND YOUR ORDER, AND YOUR MAILING ADDRESS TO ME AT samplers@scarlet-letter.com AND I WILL SEND AN INVOICE TO YOU THROUGH PAYPAL.
MAN DOGS AND DEER
Flora and fauna were highly celebrated in nearly all 17th and 18th century pictorial embroideries. Executed entirely in cross or tent (half cross) stitches, the embroidered pictures embellished cushions and furniture and reflected a changing attitude toward domestic comforts, by serving to brighten monochromatic wood and stone interiors.
More about Man, Dogs and Deer
A COUPLE IN AN EXOTIC LANDSCAPE
This is an usual early 18th century needlework picture (circa 1730). The formula is similar to other examples: a couple flanking a tree, but it is usually more like a biblical "Tree of Life" with deciduous leaves and fruit, and the couples look more traditionally western. The exotic woman appears to be holding either a zither or a book: the gentleman appears to be playing a pipe as he leans on a sheep crook. All of the traditional elements are there- shepherd, shepherdess, sheep, dog, yet something is odd.
More about A Couple in an Exotic Landscape
THE EDUCATED STITCH
The majority of historic samplers that we see today were worked as part of a child's education, many in the home, but the majority worked in the classroom. Seventy eight beautifully photographed illustrations, with text, are in this 71 page full color catalogue. The first 35 purchased will receive a free chart of an English "Puzzle sampler", similar to one illustrated on Plate 40.
$32.00 plus $7.50 for priority postage
More about The Educated Stitch
ELIZABETH GRAY
This English sampler featuring "Sheffield General Infirmary" with stylishly dressed people on either side, above a lawn decorated with animals, will be available in June.
More about Elizabeth Gray
MARY MOSS
This simple, sweet, naive English sampler has meandering floral and Greek key borders, centering a large basket of flowers and foliage.
More about Mary Moss
ELIZABETH EYLES
This sweet English sampler is the first I've ever seen with a border made up of flying cherubs. It also features a "geode" (mosaic) parrot- a distinctively stylized bird that appears on other samplers made in England, New England, and the Netherlands throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
More about Elizabeth Eyles.
JANE HOWELL
This finely stitched sampler has a multifloral border centering an alphabet and numerals in an unusual pyramidal configuration, a verse, and a scene executed in petit point, featuring a cozy cottage flanked by trees and oversized blossoms.
More about Jane Howell.
MARIA TOMLINSON
Maria Tomlinson, who most likely was born, raised, married and buried in Nottinghamshire, stitched the east front of Wilton House in Wiltshire as it might have appeared in 1841. The house has a long and rich history.
More about Maria Tomlinson.
JANE WALKER
This lively Scottish sampler features a four sided honeysuckle border with double running stitch flourishes, and eight rows of colorful alphabets including one with intricately illuminated lettering.
More about Jane Walker.
THIRTY DAYS HATH NOVEMBER
The depiction of a lazy shepherdess intrigued me when I first saw it in a blurry old illustration of an eighteenth century New England canvaswork picture.
More about Thirty Days Hath November.
ABIGAIL BACON
This sampler could possibly have been made in Connecticut but the surname is quite common throughout New England. Abigail was ten years old when she made her sampler.
More about Abigail Bacon.
NEWEST ANTIQUE SAMPLERS AVAILBLE FOR SALE
These antique samplers are available for purchase. Some of these samplers will be reproduced in the future.
GALLERY UPDATES
We have updated our customer gallery with pictures of Eleanor Parr stitched by Willena and Jennie Bean and Log Cabin stitched by Mary.
MORE NEW ITEMS
If you want to see more items that have been recently added, check out our list of new items. It shows all items that have been added to the TSL website during the past year. You can display the list at any time by clicking on the cherub logo in the right column of any webpage.