The Biblical forbiding of making an IMAGE , has been accepted also by the Islam. Thus if you research and look closely at Jewish and Islamic embroidery , you will see that forming letters was a traditional way to avoid that. But one doesn`t see many Samplers of letters which is a more western tradition. Jewish and Islamic Embroidery, tended to embroider complete or partly Sentences from the scriptures, and or dedications to persons, either family members or some respected comunity person. mirjam