Thursday, July 24, 2008

Celle and Memories



In years to come, when I look at this sampler, I will think about the long conversations I had with my mother and dad while working on this sampler. Since they are 88 and 84, I really treasure this time.

I don't know about anyone else, but I stitch in memories when I do my needlework. I can look around my house at my needlework and remember when and where I stitched so many pieces. I see my son as a toddler when I look at a crewel surrounded mirror. When I see my flower thread sampler, I think of the yearly trip to the Peaks of Otter in Virginia. My needlework charts my children's growing up years and when I go to the houses of some of my friends and relatives, I see the pieces I have done for them and remember that time again.

When I look at Celle, I will remember this vacation and the time I spent with my granddaughter, Eli (Elizabeth Anne), sitting on the porch watching the birds, and the time I spent talking to my folks. I'll also remember the genealogy side trip to Boonsboro, MD where I saw the same mountains and hills my ancestors knew, and the time I spent with one of my favorite cousins when I researched my Hawn family in PA. In every stitch, I think there is a memory.

I also stopped in Charleston on my way back home and saw the Southern Girlhood exhibit there. It was fantastic and being alone, I could spend as much time as I liked viewing it. I went back and forth between the samplers and a nice little bench out front where there was an antiques magazine on the exhibit. Of course, I would love to have had someone to "ooh and ahh" with, but only a sampler lover would have wanted to take the time I took reading each description and looking over each sampler thoroughly.

3 comments:

Carolyn McNeil said...

Yes, like a song that reminds you of a special moment,needlepoint projects can take you back as well...
Carolyn
http://www.stitchopedia.com
An encyclopedia of needlepoint stitches…

~mj~ said...

You have won an award! See my blog please...:)

Deb said...

Hi, Ann, I'm a new visitor to your blog. I'm a stitcher, sampler lover and bookish blogger. Just saw a link to you in my travels around stitching blogs today. I've loved visiting with you. Beautiful work you're doing. Yes, I do the same as you when I stitch...remember times and people...think of things to connect to the pieces..leave little clues of that in my stitching...sometimes even sharting those things with my only daughter or in my journal about stitching. I think that's some of the heartfelt joys we get from this wonderful gift we enjoy. It was nice to see you tell it...
Deb
http://lavenroseramblings.blogspot.com/