This quietly expressive  sampler is carefully ordered yet full of life, combining birds, flowering plants, decorative motifs, and a small dog resting at its centre. Together, these elements create a gentle moral world in which beauty and meaning are closely entwined.

At the heart of the design is a plain, sincere verse that offers a promise rather than a command. Its modest lettering and instructional tone suggest the work of a child, consistent with the role samplers played in a young person’s education during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The initials M A C, thoughtfully placed within the design, are believed to refer to the stitcher herself, marking a quiet and personal claim of authorship.

The imagery beneath the verse softens its message. The dog is shown not as an idealised symbol, but as a familiar companion — calm, trusting, and present — conveying affection and belonging. The verse speaks to a child’s understanding of love as daily kindness, something that may be lost through cruelty and restored through patience and care.

Rooted in a long tradition of instructional sampler verses, the design reflects Enlightenment-era values that linked kindness toward animals with moral character. The sampler stands as a record of care in both its making and its message, preserving a moment when a child learned not only how to stitch, but how to love gently and responsibly.

What You Will Receive

Two versions of the chart are included:

• A six-page colour chart, suitable for printing

• A one-page colour chart, designed for viewing and use on a tablet, phone, laptop, or computer

Thread Legend

My Little Dog has been reproduced using a palette of 23 colours. The model was stitched using Soie 100.3 from Au Ver à Soie. Conversions are provided for Soie d’Alger (SDA) and DMC.

Stitching Details

The sampler is worked in cross stitch over two threads of linen, with an outer border of back stitch worked over two threads (one square of Aida), and an inner border worked in large eyelets.

Credits

This sampler has been reproduced by Sandra Moffit, with the model beautifully stitched by Bhooma Aravamudan. At the heart of Hands Across the Sea Samplers is a team of needleworkers passionate about antique samplers and sharing these historic works with stitchers today.