Needlework Connections
Many people have personal stories about needlework. Sometimes it's a memory of a Grandmother or Aunt doing "fancy work" on a special item like a holiday tablecloth. It could be a handmade gift celebrating a birth, wedding, anniversary, or birthday. Or it could be embellished everyday items like pillowcases or dishtowels. For many their story includes mentoring and an introduction to a lifelong passion of stitching.
Nelly's Needlers, Woodlawn's volunteer needlework organization, have put together a display of pieces that have deep personal meaning for them. It showcases works by their ancestors and descendants to tell a story of common threads stitched across generations.
Lauren Lyles: Thinker
My father lived by - and was a shining example of - the philosophy that great results could be achieved through hard work and determination. Inspired by that sentiment and his beautiful blue eyes, I surprised him with this cross stitch design, which he proudly hung in his office. It is now mine, and reminds me to keep trying my best and never stop learning.
Kathy Myers: Stamped Cross Stitch Sampler
This pattern stitched by her grandma started her interest in samplers.
Kathy Myers: Grandmother's Dresser Scarves
These were given to her by her maternal grandmother. Both of her grandmothers were her first teachers in embroidery.
Molly Reynolds: Framed Cross Stitch
This was stitched by my boyfriend's mother as a young adult for her grandmother, commemorating fond memories at grandma's house.
Beth Britt: Asian Girl with Umbrella
My Mother took me to select my first piece of needlepoint, at age 8, an Asian girl with a parasol.
Mary Andrews: Cross Stitch Sampler
My grandmother, Mary Ann McKenzie, stitched this from a kit in the 1930s. I grew up with it on the wall in my bedroom.
Diane Clark: Quilt
Started 1938, quilted for the first time 1944, finished in 2001. A letter, given by her mother with the quilt, said, in part;
When I was a little girl it was a Mexican custom for girls to learn how to embroider pretty things. When I became about the age of five your great-grandmother Vega felt it was time for me to learn. I was anxious to learn because I had watched her make pretty things and wanted to do the same. The little squares on the quilt are my first embroidery done over a few years, maybe until about 8 years old. When I reached the 6th grade I was in a Home Economics class and one of my projects was to make a quilt. As you can see I made an attempt but was not satisfied and just let it stay for many years. I would like you to have this collection of my first embroidery. It is special to me because it has many loving memories of your great-grandma Vega and me.
Deb Kempton: Nora's Christening Bonnet
On a trip to Brussels, Belgium, I purchased this bobbin lace handkerchief. When my daughter married, I made her bouquet and wrapped this handkerchief around the stems. When she had her daughter, I turned the handkerchief into a bonnet for her baptism. I added ribbons in the shape of a trinity to reflect her Irish heritage and pearls from wedding dresses.
Deb Kempton: Family Christening Gown from 1892
This Christening Gown was made for my great grandmother. When my mother was expecting me, she was given this dress by her grandmother, so I was the first, after my great grandmother, to be baptized in this dress. Since then, all my sisters, cousins, second cousins, my children, their children, and now our grandchildren have been baptized in this dress. Many members of our family have served in the military so The Dress has traveled around the world several times.
Susan Fournier: Pineapple needlepoint, framed
My mother-in-law stitched this piece and gave it to me. It is special to me because she is the one who taught me to do needlepoint. I, in turn, have taught my daughter-in-law to stitch.
Dianna Campagna: Rooster needlepoint and crewel rooster
My mother was a very gifted seamstress, making almost all of my clothes (as well as those of my dolls) through elementary school.Being a child of the Depression and then as a young woman during World War II, my mother learned much of this out of necessity. She painted and sketched, crocheted, embroidered, quilted, and eventually I got her interested in needlepoint. This is a framed surface embroidery piece that my mother stitched along with a piece I did in needlepoint last year - I chose them because they both have a rooster.
Chris Loeser: Stitched burlap card “MOM”
This was stitched by my son when he was in elementary school. I have always cherished it. He did take a liking to cross stitch and made a couple of refrigerator magnets but, alas, the interest died, making all of his projects even more special.
Chris Loeser: Blue Hardanger
When I went to my hometown in South Dakota for a visit many years ago, my Aunt Evelyn showed me a lovely new needlecraft she had discovered. She was staying up nights working on small pieces of hardanger to give to her friends as thank-you gifts for helping with her mother’s (my grandmother’s) birthday party. She got me very excited about Hardanger as well and when I returned home, I searched the Yellow Pages for “Hardanger” and was thrilled to find a store near Mount Vernon Rec Center that sold Hardanger supplies and offered classes. This piece is one that Aunt Evelyn did and had hanging in her house. When she died, I was lucky enough to be able to take it. I now love working on Hardanger projects and thank Aunt Evelyn for getting me started.
Susan Fournier: Teddy Bear
I taught my daughter-in-law, Tanu, to do needlepoint and she did this piece for her daughter. She has since taught her daughter and her son to needlepoint.
Laura Folk: Gregory & Julianna Christmas Stockings
My mom, Lorna Folk, was a mother to nine and grandmother to 26. While knitting was her first love, and crocheting a close second, she also enjoyed needlepoint. She made stockings for each of her 26 grandchildren and every one was different.
Teri Sprackland: Sampler
This sampler was made by my grandmother, Della Norman and passed on to me. It was featured on a holiday card for Pathways Homes, a local housing nonprofit.
Teri Sprackland: Rose Quilt
Della Elnora (Williams) Norman [1892-1973] was an accomplished needlewoman known for her quilting and embroidery skills from Norman Corners and Chapman, Dickinson County, Kansas. She made the hand-embroidered rose quilt for me in 1973. It was the last needlework she completed. It was then hand-quilted by her Ladies Quilt Circle and her daughter, Helen (Norman) Edwards. I consider the quilt to be my most prized possession.
Laura Folk: Backgammon Board
My sister, Pat Folk Kopitke, stitched this for me when I was in the Navy, stationed in Norfolk, VA in 1978. It traveled with me to Italy and back, and has seen many years of play.
Diane Clark: Topsy Turvy doll
My mother made this topsy-turvy doll between 1938 and 1942. She lived in Cleveland, Ohio, at the time, and attended free sewing lessons that a church offered to the local children.
Molly Reynolds: Blue pincushion
This was my first ever stitching project, completed when I was 4 years old. I wasn't old enough to enroll in the Nelly's Needlers Children's Workshop classes, so my mother gave me some materials from a sewing class she was teaching for my sister's Girl Scout troop to keep me busy while the workshop was held.
Mary Andrews: Blue Jay in Hoop
This was designed and stitched by my daughter, Sarah Catherine Andrews in 1975, when she was 10 years old.
Molly Reynolds: Tooth Fairy Pillow
This was stitched by mother, Deb Kempton, and created using fabric matching the curtains in my childhood bedroom. She has made one of these pillows for each of my siblings and now for her grandchildren.
Barbara Gay: Franc Gay Sampler
This was stitched by my Grandmother, following an Erica Wilson pattern.
Ann Hammersmith: Sacred Heart
My grandmother, Lucile Hammersmith, stitched this piece when she was in high school, about 100 years ago. She went to an all girls’ school at a time when needlework was a skill that all young ladies were expected to have. Grandma won a gold scissors pin as a prize for her stitching.
As a little girl, I remember snuggling with Grandma while she showed me embroidery stitches. It was a special time for us and Grandma passed along to me my interest in needlework. I am forever grateful to her for this legacy.
Deb Kempton: Wedding Dress Embroidery
I stitched this as a surprise inside my oldest daughter's wedding dress. I researched back through generations of women in our family and designed motifs with their birth year and flower for the month they were born. An interesting surprise for me - seven generations before Ann, the bride, was another Anne.
Mary Andrews: Pink Seersucker Pillow
I stitched this in 1972 for my 7 year old daughter.
Deb Kempton: Doll Story Quilt
Designed and stitched with my oldest daughter when she was 8 years old during an eventful school year when the children were out for months due to heavy snows and a teachers strike. Needing something to do, we took a class together at a local recreation center and created this story quilt in the style of the American Girl Doll, Addy, to share the story of our family and all the things we liked to do together; hike, camp in nature, and stitch.
Beth Britt: Embroidery Towels (2)
Stitching has been part of my family history at least since my great grandmother. She did crochet work, my grandmother did cross stitch, embroidery(represented by the 2 hand towels here) and tatting.
Critchett Hodukavich: "A B" tea towel
My grandmother stitched this towel for her trousseau.
Dianna Campagna: cross stitch tablecloth and napkins
This luncheon tablecloth and four napkins that were given to my mother by her father for her 16th birthday. The design was printed on the fabric and her stitching is still beautiful. They are over 80 years old and I have used them frequently throughout my adult life! I am happy that I have so many pieces stitched by my mother and it brings a closeness to her that I cherish. I know that my love for needlework started from watching her, playing with her sewing implements, and being the beneficiary of her patience and skill.
Susan Fournier: Tablecloth with Blue Foxtail Flowers
My grandmother stitched this beautiful table cloth with soft blue foxtail flowers. I can remember her working on it. She was the one who taught me to embroider.
Judy Martin: Red and White tablecloth
This was given to me by a friend after his mother passed away. We were on a trip to Ecuador with a travel club and discovered we had grown up less than 5 miles from each other. Small world!
Deb Kempton: Flour sack dish towels
Embroidered by my grandmother, who taught me to knit, crochet and embroider. She lived on a farm in a very small town in South Dakota. She liked to make even basic utilitarian items, like dish towels, pretty. I love the sassy designs she chose and she gave me this set when I went off to college. I knew my roommate and I were not destined to be forever friends when I came home one day to find her using one of these dishcloths to wipe up a spill on the floor!
Teri Sprackland: Wedding Quilt
This quilt was made in 1976 by female friends and family to celebrate her marriage. The pattern and snowflake designs were individually created and sewn. It is backed by an old wool blanket and has seen many years of use.
Paula Davis: Overall Sam quilt blocks
These quilt blocks were part of my father's baby quilt that was made by his grandmother. He was born in 1928. When he died, my mother cut up the 12 blocks and divided them between her 4 daughters.
Diane Clark: Doilies by Maria Rosario de Vega
Letter to Diane from Mother - The doily you hold was made by your great-grandmother Maria Rosario de Vega. It is one I have treasured but found too delicate to use and had fear to ruin it in some way. I could almost envision her sitting in her chair and thinking out a pattern or checking out other patterns to help her satisfy her customers. She would make a lot of this kind of hand work and go to the market in Guadalajara. If there is anyone you follow in an artistic hand and interest in needle work, I believe it is your Great-grandmother Vega. She would want you to have this. With love and pride in your goodness, Mom
Diane Clark: 3 pillowcases
Two of these were stitched by my grandmother many years ago. She also crocheted the edging. I stitched the third pillowcase as a girl and used it regularly.
Kay Jarrell: Cross Stitch Tablecloth and Napkins circa 1970
This stamped cross stitch design set was purchased by my mom, to give her mother. My Nana like to have something useful to do when she was staying at our home. Nana had always embroidered, sewed for her household, knit and crocheted. I have very little of what my Nana stitched, so this set is significant to me.
Beth Britt: Needlepoint Pillow
My mother taught me to needlepoint. It was her needle art of choice. This is a pillow she made in my favorite color. She preferred very classic designs and Asian inspired themes in her stitching. Since then, My Mother and I further passed along the love stitching to Carl who does cross stitch, beading and needlepoint. His Fairy with Beads is also displayed in this year's Show at Woodlawn.
Dee Gainer: Crib Quilt
This crib quilt was my first needlework project, made for my first daughter 45 years ago. It has been well-loved; a tail is missing, some seams have frayed. It will always be special, however, because of the other family members who helped to create it. Stitches were placed by both grandmothers, an aunt, and the two great-grandmothers who were still living at that time.
Judy Martin: Framed Sampler - Days of the Week/Jobs
I love this piece because it shows a farm community and how people came together to help each other and enjoy their friends in common occupations.
Jessica Pearlman: 50th Anniversary Sampler
This was her first needlepoint project. She made it for her Grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Critchett Hodukavich: Family Tree Sampler on perforated paper
This is a Family Record that was stitched on perforated paper in July, 1847 and was done by my grandfather's great aunt.
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