This was the first sampler designed for the Holiday Collection in the Story Sampler series.  i designed it in 1994 for my youngest son David.  It was to be one of his Christmas presents.  He was the only child in the family without a nutcracker, and as I did my holiday stitching, he requested "the" not "a" stitched nutcracker and the story.  What an ingenious idea, I thought- for a four year old!