America’s Tapestry

In Williamsburg, after two days of 15,000 plus steps in the heat, I think I broke Stacy.   What a reversal of roles.  LOL.   Saturday morning we were on our way to Aroma Cafe by 7:30 to meet friends for breakfast.   Lisa and Bob were great ambassadors of the area. (Lady Huzzah on Flosstube)   We walked through the farmers market, toured Colonial Williamsburg all day, saw all the exhibits, shopped, had ice cream for a late lunch and got back to our hotel about 6.   Both of us were hot, tired and sticky, so we each showered and got comfortable before walking to a nearby Mexican restaurant for a light dinner.   

Oops.  We got TOO comfortable and ended up eating cheese, pepperoni, and crackers drinking wine from our souvenir drinking vessels while watching Netflix.  A necessary stop at Goodwill the day before  provided non-plastic options for beverage consumption. $0.99 wine glass and $0.99 coffee mug worked just fine.

I was ready to crash but never thought I would see the day when Stacy was happy to stay in for the night.    The heat took its toll on her.  Me, I am more used to it working in the yard but had no complaints about just chilling with my feet up.

We were Williamsburg, VA for the specific purpose of seeing the America’s Tapestry at The College of William & Mary.  If you are not familiar with the project, check out this link - America’s Tapestry.   A quick down and dirty, this was the brainstorm of Stephan Romero.  The concept was a tapestry depicting lesser known historic facts one from each of the 13 original colonies.   All 13 are finished now and circulating to different venues as one exhibit.

Delaware, the First State,   Depicts Major Henry Fisher who set up a system using the lighthouses and express riders to alert Philadelphia of British ships in the Delaware Bay.   I can let you in on a couple of “Easter Eggs” I learned about.  I hear there are initials stitched into one of the ice flows on the left.  

Each was displayed with a write-up explaining what was depicted and a message from the State Co-ordinaries.  Stacy and I both worked on the Delaware Tapestry and she also worked on the Maryland Tapestry.

Pennsylvania, #2.    The “western” PA flag and the “eastern” PA flag.  Flags were both political and military symbols.     Under the “L” in Pennsylvania, a Raven was added to the roof of the building.  \

New Jersey, #3   Women fundraising for the war, making socks for soldiers and funding provisions.   Dr. Bodo Otto inoculating soldiers against smallpox

 Georgia, #4  Free and former enslaved black soldiers from Haiti were know as the Volunteer Riflemen of Saint-Domingue and fought in the battle of Savannah.  

Connecticut, #5  Known as the provision state, sent troops to fight at Valley Forge (PA), Brandywine (DE), Germantown (PA) and Monmouth (NJ)    The woman run Connecticut Courant, featured in the lower left, published her newspaper even after the British set fire to her paper mill.

Massachusetts, #6    Patriotic Americans refused to drink tea and instead started drinking chocoalte.   It became a staple for the Continental solders.   The cacoa beans!

Maryland, #7  The 1st Maryland Regiment held  off the British to allow Washington and the Continental Army time to evacuate.   Know as the “The old line state” because they held the line and didn’t allow the British to advance.  The Wye Oak is also featured,  Maryland’s state tree, was 460 years old went it came down in 2002.  Lastly, the State House with Washington giving his resignation speech.  

The faces, the jacket front, ……

South Carolina, #8     The top of the mural depicts the alliance with the Catawba tribe.  The young man, John McCord was 13 when he volunteered for the war.   Like other young volunteers, he worked in the camp helping with meals and caring for sick.  His hands, the fire, the tents, the horse, the trees in the background.  Oh my!

New Hampshire, #9      Trouble started in New Hampshire with the Pine Tree Riot.   Colonists protected that the British were allow to chop down any tree over 12 inch wide for their ship building.  This tapestry had a lot of surface embroidery.  The Easter Egg here is the shape of the 13 colonies are incorporated as rocks in the stone wall.    I couldn’t find all 13 but I bet they are all there.

That is a stitched feather!  Love the grass and the shadows under the man’s feet.

Perhaps you can find the 13 colonies.

Virginia, #10   This was stunning with the dogwood flowers throughout.   Virginia ore was mined and used for making munitions. Aberdeen, an enslaved man who defied his master by enlisting with the Continental Army worked for 7 years in the Wythe County Mines.   He was granted his freedom  in 1783 gratitude for his service.

New York, #11

North Carolina, #12  The dresses were amazing.

Rhode Island, #13  This was clever how they separated the different scenes.

 

Each and every one was a true work of skill and dedication.    We had to go around more than once to take them all in and each time seeing something different.  Firm plans are not set as far as where the tapestries will be displayed.  It is my understanding they will first circulate through the 13 colonies.  If you have a chance to see them, take it!   Check out their website for the most accurate and up to date information.  

Thanks for touring the tapestries with me.

 

Mid-summer Updates

Almost no stitching happening between purging and traveling.   But I can share some French Alphabet news.   My good friend Pat was up for the challenge and offered her help.   She even did a little trial run using three different methods.  We both agreed on the fray check sample and she went to work with straight pins and a toothpick laying the fibers straight.   I have not had the time to stitch the border motif for that area but today is another rain day in South Jersey so maybe today will be the day.  Just to be safe, I may put a small/quarter sized piece of lightweight interfacing on the back after the stitching is done.    I knew what had to be done but between dry eye issues and floaters I could not get a clear field of vision to do the work.  Crisis averted and I am forever thankful to Pat who came to the rescue.

The craft purging and sorting has been completed.   I won’t sugar coat it, it was eye opening, it was overwhelming, it was head scratching but it was rewarding.    I have had that “oh no, where is……”  moment already.    I can’t say I have anymore room which surprises me with all I trashed or donated.    The basket on the twin bed on the right is a collection of items for an upcoming EGA auction.    I am thankful I have a bedroom for ‘all’ the things but really would love a dedicated stitching room/craft room.   Happy for now that things are sorted and mess is gone. 

Here’s another benefit of sorting the ‘things’.   I had a three tiered stand on the kitchen counter that I decorate seasonal.   My kitchen is not that large and it seemed to block the sight lines.   I found this galvanized tray in the closet and re-arranged all my summer decor items in it.   Much happier with the look now.   The three-tiered stand will be going away.

I can share the cutest needle minder of the summer that I got when I visited Liberty Hill in Williamsburg, VA

Not much stitching going on this time of the year seems it is becoming the July/August standard.  I have gotten in the minimum required on my two August WIPGO’s.  With my assignment for each being only a paltry 5 hours a piece, how do I ever think I will get them finished???  Both do appear two more times on WIPGO so there is hope.    I am halfway through the Tra La La design and think I will focus on finishing the stitching this month.   I want to cross another WIP off the WIPGO list!!!!  This is being stitched on 36 count glacier and not the gray pictured on the pattern.  

I was able to add all the stitching from the blue line under the word ‘hornbook’.    I would have like to get more done but one would actually have to sit down to stitch.     This piece is 28 over one on banding.  

I did not finish my HOD Patreon for July.  And the August has been released.  I want to complete July’s house, then work on the August house.  Then and only then, the Tra La La design.  Got to prioritize.   A week in the Outer Banks coming up and a 3 day sleep over with the grands, it could be hard to get any appreciable stitching done.   

Next up, I will share pictures of my trip to Williamsburg and a visit to the  America’s Tapestry display at the Muscarelle Museum at the College of William and Mary.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Keep on smiling, keep on being grateful, keep on sharing and caring and….keep on stitching!    R

Dog Days of Summer and Dog Days of Stitching

Let me just start with the bad news.    Not bad-bad,  just a big fat bummer bad.   And this is a big one……in more ways than one.  The French Alphabet.     Two vertical threads where the border will be at the very bottom right, are “broken” ??  How?  I don’t know.   I have contemplated using Fray Check - but decided 

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against it.  I have thought about a super light-weight interfacing on the back.   I tried to re-weave it using a thread from the salvage but I couldn’t see it well enough - even with magnification - when done, it looked like a tangled mess on the back like when your bobbin is wrong with the sewing machine.  For now, I am staying away from that area.   I am not happy with this piece at all right now but I am going to soldier on.  

To add insult to injury, I spent the better part of a day frogging the previous day's stitching.    I now have adopted stitching two-lengths-of-thread-a-day approach on days that I stitch. (?)  Shouldn’t that be every day?   IDK. Life gets in the way some days.  Next goal to complete the top border and then the top row of the alphabet.   Come heck or high water, I will get it done.  

The glasses are for prospective on the size of what I call my tablecloth piece.  

Better news, the Shakespeare’s Peddler Retreat was great, great, great.  Theresa runs a very organized event.   Every detail was planned and covered.   Her humor and fun little announcements and games were great.   It was also so great to see many of my needlework friends who I only see at retreats.   And to meet some new friends.  There were some Floss Tubers there too.   And a blogger or two as well.  It is funny since we invite Floss Tubers into our living room we think we know them.   The overall theme was “neighborhood” and our tables were named  like “DMC Drive”, “Smyrna Crossing”, “WIP-poorwill Way”.  The table gifts everyone gave were awesome -  I need to step it up some.   There was no class - just stitching.  Theresa had a trunk show and gave us a stunning kit.  (below)  And there was a rummage sale of charts that others brought in.   Alas, some jumped into my bag.     

I would definitely attend and recommend any of her events 100%.   Here I am being an enabler.  Isn’t this needlework community just beyond great.

The Show ‘n Tell was beyond fabulous.  

Look at the teeny tiny animal crackers in this stitcher’s sewing kit.

Clara, 1876 was about 2-inches tall!!!  That gives you a perspective on the size of the Animal Crackers.

As you can see, someone celebrated one of those milestone birthdays during the retreat.   Stacy, my travel and stitching buddy, really went all out to make it a very special day for me.  

Home I came and the purging of everything craft-y-like started.   When I made the choice to finally do it, I really wanted to jump right in but I put the brakes on.  I told myself I didn’t need any more  half-a$$ projects on the list.   Starting with the guest bedroom closet, the blankets, pillows and other bedding not/never to be used were boxed up for donation.   This gave me room to put my paper crafts on the shelves in plastic see-thru bins I bought.   How many sets of colored pencils does one person need?   Extras boxed up  with some to the grands and others to donate.   

Everything out of the closet.  

I ‘hope’ I have found all the paint brushes and have them in one place.   A zip lock bag of at least half of them has been packed away in the donation box.

Everything that needs to find a ‘family’ has landed in the room I use for crafting.  Things you can’t see that are sorted are the three boxes of small frames that were reduced to two boxes.    All the paper mache finishing boxes are now all in the same bin.  I found 5  6 bags of polyfil.   Three were opened.   I combined bags and marked two for donation.   I found 13 pillow forms - all now together in the blanket chest.  Each of the above were in different under the bed boxes, different shelves in the closet, different closets in different rooms.   Argh!  I just about have the guest room done and I think I will need a week more to thoroughly and completely do the craft room.  No pain/no gain.

I have done little cross stitching  or at least it seems that way when I look at my progress.   Both WIPGO assignments were completred.   I did finish the stitching for  the HOD Rocking Horse but did not fully finish it.       

I did not finish the July Gingerbread house yet.   Operative word - yet.   I think the new pattern comes out the 5th of the month so I better get on it.  Cathy H from HOD always does the best color combinations.

New numbers were called today for WIPGO and I need to look up what they are. 

I did work on Harvest Friends a little.  Sorry for blurry left hand pic but you can get the visual of what I did.

I got myself one of those Bird cameras.  Actually, my husband treated me for my birthday.  I am not having much luck.   The first location was too much foot traffic and no birds other than the goonie  birds pix of my husband and myself.    I dumped all the food, filled it with newly purchased feed even spreading some on the ground below it.   No birds.   Next location was besieged by every ant in the back yard stopping in for a visit.  Somehow an alarm was activated in this location and any time you got in range you heard  “Alert - leave this area - recording in progress.”  It was kind of like “Danger,  Danger Will Robinson!”   Moved to yet another spot to an area minus the over abundant ant population and I wait.     No more alerts sounding but no birds either   I researched it and it says it may two weeks up to a month for birds to get comfortable to visit.   So I start the clock again.

For August, my WIPGO pieces will probably be the only ones I work on.   I have some stitchy gifts to make and I will need to concentrating on them.  I have a lot of deadheading in the gardens to do.  

So that’s  update from my corner of the planet.  Thanks for stopping by.  Stay safe, be kind, be happy…..and keep in stitching and making.

The heat is on……July

Has it been hot enough for you?  My back yard pegged at 107.6 at 2:54 on July 2.    I stopped looking at it after that.    And the last few days, has it been wet enough?   All I know is the weatherman better not say were are still in a drought!   Thank heavens for AC.   I feel for those in Europe who do not have AC.   

What about the FIFA games!  Those Norwegians (my ancestors!) sure are having fun with their Viking Row and what fun the Scots had with the traffic cones on all the statues.  Just good harmless fun.  Everyone is becoming fans.   And imagine having the claim to the fame of drinking not only a plane dry but also the city of Boston who needed emergency beer deliveries.   I feel like FIFA sure has been a goodwill event.  This could come down to England against Norway - my ancestors against my husbands.   

I finished the scrapbook.  Once I started it went smoothly.  I starting by sitting to review where I was and got back into what my thought process was.  I never respect the invisible pressure that is lifted once a job is completed.   And I never respect the time things take to do.  It is done and soon to be delivered.  

 I finished Liberty Inn from Chessie & Me.  It was one of  my WIPGO calls for July.  I recently saw a similar stitch finished on a paper book-like box and I think that is what I will do.  While I have a few Chessie & Me kits, I think this is the first I have stitch.   Such lovely threads and a good variety of stitches.     

My other WIPGO  call was Harvest Friendship.   I met the goal of 5 hours and then some.  Win win.  Somehow, side by side, it doesn’t look like much.  Any forward progress is good.

 

I got the floss I needed but have not yet finished June Merry Moments ornament from HOD.  I haven’t started the July ornament yet, the Quilt Gingerbread house.   Since I have been focused so far with these, I will make sure I get them done by the end of the month to keep my record ‘perfect’.

I put a lot of time in my French Alphabet.   

 

Most important - the border meets!   

I am looking forward to attending the Shakespeare’s Peddler event in Allentown, PA at the end of the week.    Hopefully I will keep a tight reign on the purse strings.    I plan to work on the outer border of the French Alphabet and have more progress to share next time.  

I am now ready to start an all-out 100% craft sort and purge at the end of the month.  I have been laying out a plan (in my bird brain) of where to start, what to eliminate.  I have bought some (Amazon!) storage bins and I am ready.   I am going into this knowing it will get worse before it gets better.    I acknowledge that there are things - while good things - that I will never use.   I know of a craft resale store and they are going to get a boatload when I am done.  I am hoping some young crafter with a limited budget and the desire to craft will find bargains.

Thanks for stopping by, stay safe in the heat - hydrate, don’t drown - go around high water, be kind because kindness matters and keep on stitching/crafting/creating!