Skip to main content

Finding Needlework in Unexpected Places

Rudy and I recently went on a vacation.  We visited the southwestern area of South Dakota - The Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, Prairie Homestead, Badlands National Park and downtown Rapid City.  It was a great trip.  The area has had a lot of rain this summer.

While at one of the souvenir shops at the Crazy Horse Memorial, I noticed a couple of cross stitch kits for sale and decided to purchase one.  The next day we stopped at Prairie Homestead on our way to the Badlands and found a cross stitch kit in their souvenir shop with a stitched example.  This kit also came home with me.

The kits purchased on our vacation are by The Posy Collection.  I have a third one from The Posy Collection in my stash as well.  Rudy purchased it for me when he was visiting the Guadalupe Peak area on a field trip with some grad students.

This is from the web site for The Posy Collection:

Texas resident Posy Lough has been translating America and American history into counted cross stitch kits for more than three decades. Her projects have taken her across the country — from New England to the Deep South and into the Great Midwest, Southwest and Far West. Her kits depict the homes of our presidents, our historic sites, our gardens and farms, and our natural wonders. Each project has an underlying theme relating to our American heritage.

I just love these small kits.  They include the pattern, fabric, embroidery floss and a needle.  I think it's a great way to memorialize your travels.  I encourage you to look for them when visiting historic sites across America.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Exhibiting to Inspire Others

Coming up in September (19-27) we have the Panhandle South Plains Fair  in Lubbock, Texas. I have had one piece framed and have done finishing work on a few others so far.  I plan to exhibit these pieces in the cross stitch category.  It would be nice to win a ribbon, of course.   Another way to look at it is:  Who will I inspire by showing my work?  Who will want to learn this or that technique of stitching or finishing?  Who will want to create their own designs?  Who will teach and inspire someone else? First up is my Assisi-style embroidery.  I created this embroidery as part of my journey in EGA 's master craftsman in counted thread embroidery program.  I adapted some patterns from the book Here Be Drolleries by Nancy Spies of Arelate Studio and added some designs of my own to create my design of a "peaceable kingdom".  You can find Arelate Studio designs now at 1884 Stitchery . I have finished a couple of small cushions m...

That Finished Feeling

Here are some of the items I worked on over Memorial weekend.  I have to be in the mood to do finishing work and was happy to get these two items done. The first is a thimble purse to be worn as a necklace.  The design is by With Thy Needle and Thread .  The pattern came with the purse frame.  I used a scrap of 40 count linen and overdyed threads I had on hand.  It is stitched with one strand of floss over two threads of linen.  It is lined with a coordinating cotton print fabric.  The pattern suggests using waxed hemp cord for the necklace, but I thought a chain would be more comfortable.  As you can see, the purse from the closure to the bottom measures about three inches.  I like the tree and the scattered alphabet.  And, yes, I put a thimble inside. The other finished project is a small sewing set by Little House Needleworks from the pattern called Fresh from the Garden.  The quilted sewing case and pincushion are pres...

Chasing Master Craftsman Status

As you know, I am a member of the Embroiderer's Guild of America .  One of the opportunities afforded to members is the pursuit of Master Craftsman certification in a number of techniques - beading, canvas, color, counted thread, crewel, design, quilting, silk/metal threads, smocking and surface.  A couple of years ago I began working on the Master Craftsman in Counted Thread Embroidery.  There are several steps - the first being the creation of a family history sampler in counted cross stitch.  Here is my successful piece: The assignment for step two is to create an Assisi embroidery piece.  Assisi embroidery has a void design so that the subject of the piece is done in double running stitch and then the background is filled in solidly, in this instance with cross stitches.  Also, there is typically a decorative border done in double running stitches. I have had more than one idea and nothing has worked out so far.  However, I think my la...