Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Ceiling

NAME:  Joanna Lopianowski-Roberts

DESIGNER:  Joanna Lopianowski-Roberts

STITCHER'S COMMENTS:

Growing up in Vancouver, BC, Canada, the child of Polish immigrants, my needlepoint world was limited to tent stitch, cross stitch, and the Polish embroidery that was present on tablecloths and other items throughout our house, which I never attempted to duplicate. So, when I finished a small cross stitch project in 1995 and was looking for something larger, it was only natural that the medium I would choose was cross stitch on Aida fabric. It was all I knew.

Looking back, perhaps it is a good thing that I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. My sole purpose on choosing to cross stitch the Sistine Chapel was to have a substantial project that would keep me occupied for a long, long time. Little did I know that it would take me nine years.

Both while stitching the Chapel and now that it is finished I have experienced numerous delightful moments. These include:

• Seeing how the quarter stitches on the faces actually managed to capture facial features.
• Being amazed at how all the colors and scenes were coming together, so that when the piece was unrolled and admired the eye didn’t focus on any one area, but would play around.
• After a stressful day, looking forward to the incredibly relaxing effect of needlework and the sense of satisfaction at creating beauty from canvas and thread.
• Showing the completed piece for the first time to a needlework professional (Marjorie Littlejohn), being delighted at her reaction, and realizing that we actually did have a work of art on our hands.
• Finding out that the world of needlework is so much bigger than what I had previously thought; with limitless possibilities.
• Having the piece accepted by the needlework community and seeing the amazement on stitchers’ faces when viewing what I had created.
• Upon making the design available to others, discovering that there are many stitchers who are undertaking to replicate the entire piece.
• Most recently, having my husband start his first project - “Tragedy and Comedy” on a tea towel and become a true convert to the calming influence and sense of accomplishment of needlework.

I have come to have a very special relationship with the Sistine Chapel Cross Stitch. Not only have I become partially defined by it, but it has opened up a world I didn’t know existed and shown me the exquisite and exemplary needlework that others are creating.

I view the Chapel as an enabler for me and for others – it doesn’t matter how daunting a task may seem; if taken one small stitch at a time there is no limit to what we can accomplish. Truly a lesson to be remembered when dealing with life.

Excerpt of Conversation between Tony Minieri and Judy Souliotis about this piece
Back to main list

---