I'd rather be stitchin' than in the kitchen!

The pillowcases, belonged to Mom. I don't know if she made them or if somebody gave them to her. I would like to think that they were some I made, but I am not sure.


When I was a little girl--is that an oxymoron--I was never little. I had a baby sitter, Lana Grant who always was doing "handwork" as they used to call it. I never knew her when she didn't have some kind of stitchery in her hands. She still does to this very day. I wanted to do that. Mama got me started. Many days during the summer, Mom and I would sit and embroidery together. Another fun memory as a child was spending one afternoon a month with the ladies of New Harmony as they stitched on their pillowcases or samplers and gossiped all in one setting. You talk about multi-tasking. Those women could do it all. I learned more in one afternoon at these activities then I could reading the newspaper for a year--giggle. You needed to go to those gatherings so they wouldn't talk about you--snicker, snicker. The love for this hobby has carried on to this day, in one form or another. Because of this, I have earned some extra spending money to support my habit. Three of my daughters have also carried on this tradition as they stitch for fun and profit. Little did Marva Prince know when she took the time to teach me to stitch that it would be with me for life. Below are some of the things of have done in recent years.

This picture of me was taken at a craft store in St. George. My daughters and I stitch for a lady who works under the name Live Well Stitchery out of Cedar. Her name is LuAnne Keets http://www.livewellstitches.com Her big money comes from the items sold during Swiss Days, Utah's biggest craft show held in Midway UT. People climb all over each other to get her work, and just think we are a part of that.

The little baby picture is a sample of one of the many I do for gifts.

I am writing this stuff for my blog because I want to pass the memory of it on to my family. This talent and love for stitchery came from Mom, but the next one--my love for scrapbooking came from my Dad.

Ohhhh, and one last thing. Did you know that when you prick yourself and get blood on your sampler, that your own spit (saliva for you sophisticated readers) will remove it--and, yes, it was your blood, it has to be your spit. I have no idea why, but I know it works.

*******I just found out that the pillowcases were made by my Aunt Camilla Prince. Her children, Claudine and Brent both remember her making them. Thanks you guys for the info.