A unique glimpse into our cultural history, and particularly women's history, through more than 80 historic samplers - many specially photographed for the book. Through exceptional first-hand research, involving travel around New Zealand and overseas, author Vivien Caughley has created a fascinating story that opens a window on our past, and the history and craft of needlework. It features samplers by colonial women as well as those who stitched samplers during World War II. This beautifully produced book will appeal to needlework practitioners, artists and designers, academics, and genealogists. The reverse of the jacket features a design of one of the samplers with instructions.

Author Biography

VIVIEN CAUGHLEY is a researcher and writer, and is currently an Honorary Research Associate at Auckland War Memorial Museum, in Applied Arts and Design. She speaks regularly to interested groups about her research into New Zealand's textile culture and history, and was recently the keynote speaker at the Costume and Textile Association of New Zealand (March 2013), where she spoke about her research into the Cook Map Samplers, and is scheduled to speak on the same topic at the American Museum in Britain, in Bath later in 2014. She has written a number of research papers and articles for publication. Her chapter "Women's Marks: the King Family Samplers" is included in the 2014 Church History Bicentennial Project publication, and she has written a chapter in "Mapping South, Journeys in South-South Cultural Relations" (Gardner, A (ed.) Melbourne, 2013), and "Australasian History of Education Review (2009)."