tara's stitch*illo project 2017

A good friend of mine has a mantra, Practice makes Practice. To me that means that the more I do something, the easier it becomes, the more I can do something easily, the quicker I am, the more I can get done, the more I can polish the skill and so on.  The text block is sewn together.  But wouldn't you know I had to do that twice. I decided after the first go around I didn't like the thread thickness. Now it is pasted up and waiting for rounding and backing.  Thread has also been ordered from Colophon Book Arts Supply and has arrived!  In hindsight I should have finished my design first so that I would know what colors to order, but having chosen the rainbow, I think I'm covered.  I am enjoying the process of designing the spines even if it is slow going.  I managed to recreate Elizabeth Drinker's poppy and now need to see if I can scale it down enough to fit on the spine. Possibly the poppy will go sideways, not up and ...

For just over ten years, I have had the privilege to be charged with the care of some of our country's most significant historical papers at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania . Hidden among our vast collections of personal papers, manuscripts and genealogical materials are special gems such as this needlepoint covered bible. HSP does not collect artifacts. But when something such as this comes with a collection and is part of the researchable materials... well, who are we to discard it. And of course by now these have become items of research value themselves.  The Smith Family Bible's embroidered cover dated to the mid 18th Century. HSP is also the repository for  Elizabeth Sandwith Drinker 's personal diaries which span the years, 1758-1807. These are not the sparse, pithy, diaries of recording the weather and other mundane duties. Rather, they are eloquent and detailed, full of information of her daily life. Most often, the diaries are researched for h...