We have just four weeks left until our first embroidery session. An awful lot needs to happen in those four weeks, not least of which is the release of our linen from customs. Despite all last week’s assurances, the cream linen is still tied up in customs. Since time grows short, for the kits we have decided to use white linen, inexplicably released from customs while its sister – the cream we chose for the jacket – still languishes. We will soon post diagrams and instructions for the project stitches here so anyone may practice them without waiting for their kit.

About the kits, we want to encourage you to stitch a sample, or a partial sample, if you are at all interested in working on the jacket. Please don’t count yourself out, or assume your stitching isn’t ‘good enough’. We want to make this experience available to as many people as possible, not just because we need help but because a project this good begs to be shared. We need a sample of your stitching so we can make sure the embroidery on the different motifs matches in terms of thread tension and stitch density.

Don’t feel that you have to be a master of every stitch in the sample, either. If there’s one you hate, skip it. The important thing is to get involved. We’re looking forward to meeting you!

We’ve begun planning the schedule for our first embroidery bee, June 19-22. We’ll have good food, good conversation, plenty of time to stitch, and special presentations by some of Plimoth Plantation’s resident experts. Check back for details.

I have treats for you today! Two beautiful photos, one of the stitch sampler from the kit (see? not too much sewing time); and one of the souvenir motif. The butterfly is inspired by one on the original jacket. Look carefully, and see how the wing is detached? Some of the original jackets have these free-edge detached buttonhole stitch details, either on a wing like this, or a leaf, or most sweet of all, the top layer of a pea pod which folds back to reveal peas underneath. This photo shows the butterfly finished as a scissors fob. Please note that the kit includes the finishing instructions but not the finishing materials.

The sample kit was designed by Tricia Wilson Nguyen, who has been consulting with Plimoth Plantation on this project. Many of you know Tricia from her busy teaching schedule, others from her beautiful embroidery designs and her needlework company, Thistle Threads. We’re very fortunate Tricia was available and willing to work with us on this project.

Everybody think liberating thoughts about a certain piece of cream linen, and hopefully I’ll have good news to report tomorrow.

Tags: kits, samples

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007 at 9:01 pm and is filed under Participate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.