Vierlande is a rural area just outside of Hamburg on the river Elbe. The name “Vierlande” literally translates as “four lands” and refers to the four parishes in it (Kirchwerder, Neuengamme, Altengamme and Curslack). The area has a rich cultural tradition of dress and folk art. Girls in this area would create stunning samplers, which in the 19th century were often fully worked with black thread on linen. Some time ago, I was fortunate to get the opportunity to purchase a large Vierlande sampler (AKGIT 1833 – which is also available here). This sampler inspired me to design something in this beautiful pattern’s style. I took several liberties in my design but wanted the overall feel of the sampler to be in the spirit of traditional Vierlande samplers. The design features a large tree of life at its centre, and surrounding it are (half ) medallions. This monochrome design features only full crosses and can be worked on any counted cross stitch material of your choice. Make sure to also check out “When this you see, Remember me” pattern, and the two other Vierlande style samplers in “Mini” and “Medium” formats, as well as the AKGIT 1833 Vierlande reproduction sampler.