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. For this sampler I used a selection of trees of life and medallions, and two small borders at the top. I came across the text “When this you see remember me – tho many miles we distant be” on an antique enamel box. I thought they were fitting words for a little piece such as this. This design features only full crosses and can be stitched on any counted stitching material. Make sure to also check out my other three Vierlande style samplers in “Mini” and “Small” and “Medium” formats, as well as AKGIT 1833, a large Vierlande reproduction sampler.