​Here we are on the way to February! The weather has been SO COLD here and we have had some snow for the first time in 3 years! 

 

The first snow was only half an inch but we managed to get two school days out of that.

 

The second snow was two inches and my two youngest grandsons enjoyed every minute of sledding with friends, making snow angels, and they even managed to get a little snowman. There was school from home for a few days and once the roads were safe, they spent some time with me.

 

That was three weeks ago and the weather has been so unseasonably cold for North Carolina that we still have icy snow piles in shady spots.

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I have been deeply concerned about the disasters caused by Hurricane and the fires in California and political situations. These are fraught times.

 

In the midst of concerns, life has been trotting along. I finished charting my gorgeous pastel 1779 Netherlands Queen Stitch sampler and my friend Ann is busy with the model. 

Karen is stitching the model for a precious small Scottish sampler made by  7 year old Ellen Margaret Jessie Murray in 1855.

 

I am also charting the sampler made by Ellen's Aunt Agnes W. H. Calder when she was 11 in February 1836.  

 

Rebecca is busy stitching the model for a wonderful small sampler that I have reproduced for MESDA (Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts). The Eliza Baynard sampler was stitched by a young Cherokee girl who was attending the Valley Towns school here in North Carolina. We do not know the name of the child as Eliza Baynard is name of a school benefactor. A write up by Jenny Garwood of MESDA will be included . The profits from the sale of this sampler will go back to MESDA.

 

Sharon has the materials for the magnificent 1814 Call To Arms Scottish sampler, my Unicorn of antiques.

 

Models for the very rare 1779 Netherlands Queen Stitch motif sampler and the 1814 Call To Arms Scottish samplers will not be finished and framed in time for the Nashville Needlework Market. I will use the antiques for the booklet covers and will show the models in progress.

 

In addition to charting samplers, I have developed a new lecture about antique sewing accessories, 'Useful Antique Tools & Treasures' and created a new 'Quaker Sewing Bag & Needle Book' class. I've been designing and  stitching Small for  Nashville and working on the Scottish Castle Etui I will be teaching this October in England. 

 

I hope that you are staying cozy and getting some stitching done. I better get back to it!

Cissy
PS - Please help yourself to my free Friendship Math sampler. Several stitchers in Georgia have been working on it.

(Contact me at Cissy2449@gmail.com if you would like to discuss interactive lecture options, available classes, and dates.

Shops - please email me about wholesale orders.)
 
 
 
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