A Most Noble Pursuit indeed!

I recently learned that shop owner Margaret had stitched A Most Noble Pursuit as a shop model. Margaret owns Cecilia’s Samplers http://www.ceciliassamplers.com/ in Branson, Missouri. Her daughter, Jessica, with whom I’ve been corresponding, also works there along with Holly and Pam.

Jessica wrote me, My sister Amy also works over here once in a while. And of course the kids are here too. Amy's boys, Tyler (12) and Andrew (11) and my daughter Katelyn (1). It is quite hectic here sometimes!!

Jessica attached this photo of the gang in the shop.

Pictured left to right: Standing are Pam, Amy, Holly, Kacy (Holly's daughter), Margaret, Katelyn, and Jessica. Tyler and Andrew are in the front.

I asked Jessica to send me a photo of her mother’s A Most Noble Pursuit to show you, and here it is:As you can see this is a very large sampler. The stitch count is 408 wide by 242 high!! Our model, and also Margaret’s, uses 36-count, Light Examplar hand-dyed linen from Lakeside Linens and Needlepoint Inc. silk threads. Margaret even used the same frame we did on our model.

Ten design companies (and thirteen designers) collaborated to created this limited edition sampler:
Brightneedle (Ann and Liz)
Carriage House Samplings (Kathy)
Hands to Work (Tracy)
La D Da (Lori)
Patricia Ann Designs (Tricia)
Praiseworthy Stitches (Susan and Pam)
Primitive Traditions (Cathy)
A Stitch and A Prayer (Vicki)
With My Needle (me--Ellen)
The Workbasket (Candy and Mary)

Each of the design companies created a block. The blocks can be stitched on one piece of linen to make a very large sampler, or the blocks can be stitched individually or in groups. Can you figure out by looking at Margaret's sampler photo who designed which block?

The interesting thing about the collaboration was that very few in the group knew each other in advance. All decisions regarding the project (theme, format, linen, threads, etc.) were voted on through a Yahoo group that we set up.

The first time many of the designers met in person was the night before the Nashville tradeshow opened in 2006. Here we are with our framed model in the hotel lobby after having met in person. How many of the designers can you name?Our model crisscrossed the country as we stitched our blocks. (The two overseas designers used model stitchers in the US.) You might find it interesting to learn that the first block stitched is the very last one (lower right hand corner). We then skipped around depending who had time to work on her block. The second to the last block stitched was the last one in the first row, and the very last one stitched was the very first one in the upper right hand corner.

A limited number of charts were printed, and there are only a few left. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Thanks, Margaret, for letting me showcase your masterpiece!!