Browse by Origin: Irish Samplers

Aran sweaters, Irish lace, woven tweeds and fine linen are what typically come to mind when thinking of Irish textiles. That is not to say that samplers from Ireland are not finely worked. The relatively remote geography is probably the main reason that samplers from Ireland tend to have fewer patterns and motifs than elsewhere in Britain. The most prevalent motifs used fall into four main categories: flowers sprays in urns and vases, flowers or fruit in simple trapezoid shaped baskets, buildings of one or two stories, and a line of crowns.