Getting Stitched on the Farm

Summertime Visitors

Summer is a great time to entertain friends and relatives in the country. Everyone can enjoy the outdoors. I really enjoy sharing our rural life and animals with others. This weekend, my sister Lynn from Maryland and her twelve year old son Francisco, who lives in Brazil right now, were here to visit. Julia and I took them to the Farmer's Market in Brattleboro on Saturday and then we did some shopping in the downtown area. Lynn especially loved my favorite Indian store Adivasi. Our friends Peggy and Clara came for dinner and we barbequed some lamb.

It was so hot on Sunday we didn't want to move. Lynn had her jean jacket to stitch on (more about that tomorrow) and Franny wanted to learn to stitch too. I told him I would teach him if he was game. Franny is crazy over the Barcelona soccer team so he found their logo on their website and we printed it out. I gave him some gold felt and he picked some wool colors. Using my light table, he traced the logo onto the felt and then I taught him to stitch. In two days, he had finished. After he was finished, he said he was bored!

Here's what Franny has to say about stitching:

KN: Franny, what do you like about stitching?
FM: I liked that I was able to represent something I liked in a different way. I don't like to draw because I don't have the talent. But stitching was something I was able to do and it came out really nice. My patch looks just like the official logo of my favorite team - Barcelona.

KN: What stitches did you use?
FM: Backstitch, Satin Stitch, and Running Stitch.

KN: What are you going to do with your embroidered patch?
FM: Save it as a memory of the first stitching project I have ever done.

KN: What was your favorite thing about this visit to the farm?
FM: I loved hand feeding the pigs and goats with bread. My cousin Julia and I made delicious cookie brittle yesterday and I made lunch for everyone. My uncle's friend Bill Pratt took us for a ride in his Argo. It was the funnest thing to do. It went through the woods and also swam through the water. It was an adventure.

We all had a great time and look forward to their visit again next summer. Pick up a copy of Kids' Embroidery and maybe you can teach a visiting friend - either child or adult - to stitch.