March 2026 Update
Dear All,
I hope everyone is enjoying the early signs of spring - no matter where you may be located! As the snow begins to melt and color returns once more to our skies and our gardens, volunteers have been busy putting the final stitches into each of the 13 panels of America's Tapestry.
Did You Know? Each of our panels will be completed at the end of April 2026 and transported to be prepared for exhibition. It is hard to believe that after all these months, the end is now in sight!
If you are joining us this month, please consider donating to our Crate History Campaign! We have raised $3,009 over the last three months! Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. We are blown away by the support! We are now so close to reaching our FINAL goal of $3,500!
Every donation will ensure that our volunteers' work is protected for years to come through the commission of a bespoke art crate to transport the panels on a 2+ year exhibition tour.
If you would like to support us, please share our GoFundMe Page with your community.
What's New?
It's all about teamwork! South Carolina stitchers are crafting beautiful needle art on the North Carolina panel while it is in residence within the Palmetto State. SC state director Karen Wallach has hand colored each of the faces of the Edenton Tea Party ladies. Just look at her exquisite artistry!
Can you believe it? The Connecticut panel has come along so beautifully, thanks to state director Laura Kasowitz and her wonderful team of embroiderers in the Nutmeg State. With a combination of fabric painting, textile appliqué, and over a dozen slips, this process has truly been a collaboration of varied skills and many talented hands. We cannot wait to see the finished product!
A Day at Hershey! The Pennsylvania panel took a road trip to the Hershey History Center in Hershey, PA. There was wonderful turnout, with many patrons taking a stitch on the panel. A huge thank you to the museum's staff for organizing such a memorable event, and of course to our directors Raven Fagelson and Mary Van Tyne for making it all happen seamlessly.
The Pennsylvania panel also achieved a major milestone last month - the floorboards, one of the largest and most collaborative elements of the entire design, is now complete. Congratulations to the many volunteers who helped accomplish this!
The New York panel was visited by the B.C. Stitchers of the Embroiderers' Guild of America from Southwestern New York. The General Peter Gansevoort Chapter of the DAR gave a lecture on the history of the Van Schaick Mansion prior to stitching. Thank you to all those who were able to attend and to our multitalented New York team for facilitating the day's events! And of course, a huge round of thanks to our partners at the DAR for hosting us at the Van Schaick Mansion!
Take a Look: Each panel is filled with jaw-dropping embroidery carefully planned and executed by many talented individuals - just inspect this gorgeous wheelbarrow on the New York panel!
There's a Cat in New Jersey! Examine this beautifully embroidered cat by volunteer Chris Peters on the NJ panel. After carefully stitching the feline friend at home, she affixed it to the panel in Mt. Holly last month. Thank you for your beautiful contribution to our project, Chris!
In the News
The Delaware panel visited with the University of Delaware's Fashion and Apparel Studies Program last month! Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to place stitches in the panel and to learn more about their state's role in the American Revolution. Thank you to Professor Katya Roelse for facilitating the collaboration and to our fearless Delaware directors Amy Gilley and Becky Gutin.
To watch the video segment, please click here.
In their "Freedom 250" Series, Share America featured the Virginia panel of America's Tapestry as they highlighted artists across the country celebrating our nation's 250th anniversary.
Operated by the U.S. Department of State, Share America emphasizes "stories and images about American society, culture, and life, and about the principles that underlie our nation's foreign policy and engagement with the world." To learn more, please visit: https://share.america.gov/.
PieceWork Magazine highlighted America's Tapestry in a recent blog post in an effort to share how our country's vibrant needle arts tradition carries on 250 years after our founding. Thank you to editor Karen Elton Brock for composing such a wonderful article celebrating our project and to the entire team at PieceWork for taking an interest in our story. We are honored to be included amongst the many inspiring projects and talented artists across the globe featured regularly in their publication.
Tapestry Talk - Maryland and Pennsylvania
Have a look on our webpage to watch the interviews I conducted while visiting with our teams in Maryland and Pennsylvania. You will learn about the amazing artisans behind these panels, their personal connection to embroidery, and the importance of fiber arts as we celebrate our nation's milestone anniversary.
Stitcher Spotlight: Meet Janis Bidwell Burnham Waine!
Janis Bidwell Burnham Waine is an embroiderer on the Connecticut tapestry panel. A resident of West Hartford, she has been stitching for over 40 years. Janis has primarily practiced counted stitch.
While working on the panel, Janis worked on the newspaper motif of the Connecticut Courant in an outline stitch. Janis is a proud member of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Her Ancestor is buried in the East Hartford CT cemetery. In fact, Janis has a cradle that her Ancestor made in which to rock his children to sleep. With such a significant tie to the American Revolution, Janis was eager to stitch on the state's panel. Looking towards our nation's anniversary, Janis hopes that we remember all the stories of our past.
Thank you for donating your time and talent, Janis!
P.S. - Want to be featured in our newsletter? Fill out our form!
If these photos leave you wondering how you can help our project, please consider donating by clicking the link here!
If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please click here for instructions.
Don't forget - Liberty needs YOU!
Our Liberty doll series is still available. Proceeds from each sale go towards the completion of the America's Tapestry project. Each doll has been designed and crafted by hand by me.
Bring home your 250th anniversary commemorative doll today! Click here to learn more.
That's all for now. Thanks for reading and happy stitching,
Stefan Romero
Project Director
More Project Updates
February 2026 Update
Grant updates from the NEA and Coby Foundation, gorgeous needlework progress across our 13 panels, and meet stitcher Nancy Nelson from the New York panel.
January 2026 Update
Welcome to 2026 - our nation's anniversary year! Winter events across the 13 states, from Valley Forge to the Peabody Historical Society, bring communities together through needlework.
December 2025 Update
Young patriots take up the needle, Girl Scouts stitch on the Delaware panel, and the four New England panels convene for a historic EGA Region Day in Nashua, NH.