November 2025 Update

Dear All,

Happy November! I hope this month finds you well and looking forward to the many festivities over the coming weeks.

What's New?

I am writing at the conclusion of my marathon road trip - 13 states in 15 days!

Despite the unrelenting pace, I was energized by being in the presence of such kind, welcoming people and of course, gorgeous needlework!

As many of you know, this was the first opportunity I had to meet with the talented volunteers making America's Tapestry possible throughout 13 different states. What a deeply moving, inspiring, and exciting undertaking it was to finally have the chance to witness such artistry in progress by many incredibly talented hands!

For all of you who I had the opportunity to meet, it was such a privilege to learn from you and be able to record the historic work you are doing. I look forward to meeting the rest of you during the exhibition!

Before some gorgeous embroidery photos, I want to share an important message with all of you:

America's Tapestry Needs Your Help!

With stitching underway and the project nearing completion, we need to raise $6,000 to commission an art crate for the panels to safely travel in during their 2-year tour.

America's Tapestry has been invited to exhibit at prestigious venues across the East Coast and requires a museum-grade shipping container to ensure they are protected during months of rigorous transport.

If you would like to support us, please consider donating and sharing our GoFundMe page with your community.

Every donation will ensure that our volunteers' work is protected for years to come.

Click here to donate now!

NEWS FROM THE ROAD:

South Carolina - A Day at Lake Wylie

It was an incredibly busy day with South Carolina director Karen Wallach - we had nearly a dozen volunteers arrive to stitch during my visit!

Karen has taken a "crazy quilt" approach to the panel, allowing for many embroiderers to work on individual motifs which will later be stitched onto the main panel.

North Carolina - A Press Event & Stitching at the Capitol Building

State Director Gail Smith visited the studio of CBS 17, where we had the opportunity to share the story of America's Tapestry with Trent Gilbreath, host of My Carolina.

You can watch the news segment by clicking here.

The afternoon found us in the exquisite rotunda at the North Carolina Capitol building, organized by our collaborators the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Embroidery in Virginia's Colonial Capitol

Our day at the Muscarelle Museum of Art kicked off with a wonderful presentation by Michael Gillman, manager of historic sites at the Town of Wytheville Museums where he presented on the lead mines depicted in the Virginia panel. Thank you, Michael, for such a wonderful presentation!

A Celebration of Embroidery in Princeton

Members of the public gathered at the Historical Society of Princeton for a special day of programming celebrating the incredible work of the Colonial West Jersey Chapter of the Embroiderers' Guild of America. Many thanks to our gracious hosts at the Historical Society and to all our visitors who took a stitch on the panel!

A Visit to the Maryland Center for History and Culture

I met with co-state director Sally Poole and volunteers at the beautiful campus of the Maryland Center for History and Culture.

A Trip to Salty Yarns Needlework Shop

I met Delaware State Directors Becky Gutin & Amy Gilley at Salty Yarns, an incredible needlework shop in Berlin, MD. If you haven't been - add it to your bucket list!

Thank you to the Fiber Talk team for promoting our project! Click here to watch the video.

Gorgeous Needlework at the Glenshaw Public Library

The Keystone State panel could not have asked for a more fabulous setting - a Victorian era library with soaring windows and ample room for the slate frame!

Embroidery at the Hartford Stitch

Director Laura Kasowitz hosted the Connecticut panel at her stitching school the Hartford Stitch, where volunteers gathered to continue their incredible work.

Celebrating New Hampshire's History

My visit to the beautiful Millyard Museum included a morning of embroidery and a wonderful presentation by Sydney Rue, collections manager at the Strawbery Banke Museum. Visitors had the opportunity to marvel at the incredible embroidery on the state panel!

Kim has sampled period appropriate fonts to craft this pamphlet in embroidery

A Day at the South County Museum

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day in Narragansett, celebrating the beautiful Rhode Island panel. The afternoon was comprised of a series of lectures by Christian McBurney, author and Rhode Island historian, Rebecca Kelly, director of the South County Museum, and Karen Katin, director of the RI panel and owner of the Stitchery.

Attendees were encouraged to take a stitch on the panel throughout the afternoon!

Chocolate-Making in Massachusetts

State director and founder of the Mayflower Sampler Guild Denise De More invited me to her home where the panel has been set up in her beautiful (and well lit!) sunroom. Talented members of the Sampler Guild stitched on the panel throughout the afternoon and shared some of the many beautiful stitches they are using.

A Special Event at the Van Schaick Mansion

My road trip concluded with a wonderful evening celebrating the New York panel, generously hosted by the Gen. Peter Gansevoort Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution at the storied Van Schaick Mansion. Thank you all for making this such a special event!

If these photos leave you wondering how you can help our project, please consider donating by clicking here!

Any donation, no matter the size, ensures these beautiful pieces of needle art are carefully protected as they are enjoyed by visitors across the East Coast.

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please click here for instructions.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading and happy stitching,

Stefan Romero

Project Director