Stitched by:                Susan Goss

Designer:                   Olwyn Horwood

My mother was a skilled seamstress who could sew and do lovely hand work and crochet and she tried (in vain, alas) to teach me.  My left-handedness and her teaching methods didn’t mesh, so I came to handwork rather later in life.  My sister got me started on counted cross stitch and my ANG group has finally convinced me not to call myself “just a cross stitcher.”

I really enjoy working on linen and am always “up” for a challenge.  This piece fits the bill on both counts.  It is my first sampler and it is almost a yard square.  I loved doing the cross stitch bands and borders but put it aside for almost two years because of the drawn thread panels.  These were the real challenge for me—here I’ve done all this work and you want me to CUT SOME THREADS!  And, I think I fussed about (and cussed) every one of the 396 dove’s eyes in the two panels.  (Not that I counted them or anything.)

I was thrilled to have been awarded a second-place ribbon in the independent project (non-professional) category at the ANG Seminar in Nashville.  This piece (and “Tuscany”) were my first-ever entries into any sort of judged exhibit or show.  I feel very honored that you selected this piece to go into the “What is Needlepoint?” section of the ANG website.

Excerpt of Conversation between Tony Minieri and Judy Souliotis about this piece
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