Mexican sampler made by Anacleta Galves in 1869. Collection of Lynne Anderson. Image courtesy of the owner. 

“Este dechado” means “this sampler.” It is a phrase often found stitched on the schoolgirl samplers of girls and young women living in Mexico. With these words, the young sampler makers ask us to pay attention to their work - look carefully, interpret the meaning, understand the process, and appreciate their accomplishments.

In Mexico, as in all western European countries and their colonies, needlework was an extremely important part of female education – all girls were taught to sew and most were expected to demonstrate their embroidery skills by creating a sampler.

In the 18th- and early 19th-centuries, elaborate dechados made from sumptuous material by daughters of Mexico’s elite socio-economic classes were viewed as testaments to the girls’ religious virtue and a culmination of their needlework instruction.

As the Mexican government assumed more responsibility for the education of its citizens, the making of dechados became more widespread and the importance of fancy needlework gradually changed.
 

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In this richly illustrated presentation Dr. Anderson will provide an overview of girlhood samplers made in Mexico across time – the materials, formats, needlework techniques, instructional sequence, and possible meanings underlying some of Mexico’s distinctive motifs.

In addition, she will introduce a few of the girls who embroidered Mexican samplers; provide insight into the educational options available in urban and rural areas; and discuss the impact of an increasingly secular educational system on the production and appearance of Mexican schoolgirl needlework.

Using images of Mexican dechados from her own collection, as well as collections in Mexico and the United States, Dr. Anderson will present a curated view of Mexican schoolgirl samplers – their making and their meaning.