Wedding Sampler

Back in the day, in many European and related cultures, it was traditional for a young woman to make a "sampler" of her embroidery skills to celebrate her wedding day.  Many "samplers" were also used as a sort of resume if one was going to work in a household that could afford to hire assistance.  Most people still could not read or had access to education, but almost everyone was taught a skill they could use for employment.  So if you could not read or write, you could send a sample of your skills.