A few years ago, the National Library of Scotland put on an exhibition about maps. As part of that, they published a post about map samplers, which I have only recently found, and I thought I would share.

I also thought I would share my own blackwork map. I traced a map from my school atlas onto graph paper, then used that as a cross stitch chart to work the coasts and county borders in back stitch. Each county has a different blackwork design to fill it. Finding enough designs was the hardest part. It was surprising how often I found a “new” pattern in a book, only to examine what I’d already done and find I had used it already.

As you would expect, the V&A also have some map samplers in their collection, along with plenty of other eye candy. Always worth a look!