Hands to Work–Hearts to God by Shannon Newson of Kansas City, Missouri

In 1993 the Sampler Club to which I belonged decided that we would each design and stitch a sampler. We would then exchange the graphs with each other. This is my effort. This sampler is stitched on 30-count Norden Crafts tea-dyed linen. It is framed under glass in the tradition of many of the antique samplers that one finds today. The moulding was selected for its aged, musty look. I wanted it to look at home in any museum that might display any old needlework. Fibres were blended to give it a soft, aged look.

I wanted this sampler to have a twofold purpose – to reflect my strong Christian beliefs and have a British Isles look to it (to pay tribute to my English and Irish heritage). The symbolism used distinctly reflects both objectives. The trio of gold crowns at the top represents the Holy Trinity. Below the Scottish letters are spools of thread. Strawberries have long been linked to samplers as denoting perfect righteousness. It is considered as the perfect fruit, having no pits or stones. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are again paid homage to with the shape of the leaves. The tree represents the earth. The gold-crowned lions on either side signify that God and Christ Jesus have dominion over our planet from beginning to end. The Irish stitch done in brown, flesh-tone and red reminds us that God is here for people of all colours and races. The Celtic fretwork maze represents the craziness of life and the many choices we face every day. My name is stitched tone on tone as a testimony that my sins are washed away by the shed blood of Jesus Christ because of the acceptance of Him as my Saviour. The hands on the bottom are outstretched heavenward, as well as to a friend. A copy of this statement, as well as a copy of the graph, is encased in the framed sampler to be opened by a future generation.

This sampler is dedicated to my Mother, Margaret Brindley Chenault, who exemplifies the creed of "hands to work…hearts to God" better than anyone I know. She is a sterling role model.