September 2025 Update

Dear All,

It's that time again - school is back in session, the leaves begin to turn, and momentum builds towards the holidays. As our calendars begin to fill up and responsibilities mount, it is always nice to turn to the therapeutic practice of embroidery!

What's New?

August was a busy month for America's Tapestry. Events took place across the thirteen states that engaged communities and visitors across the East Coast.

Colors abound on the Maryland Panel, directed by Sally Poole & Mary Tod. Fabric paint has been applied to add dimension and vibrancy to the embroidery. The panel is being stitched at the Maryland Center for History & Culture in Baltimore. Come join us!

Paint and appliqués feature prominently in the New York Panel, directed by Jenni Paperman at the Van Schaick Mansion. Documents within the design were printed onto fabric and prepared to be stitched onto the panel by skilled quilt makers. A dark blue paint has been applied on the ground fabric to let the documents stand out from the background.

Skilled volunteer Carol Newhart has carefully hand painted several intricate details of the New York Panel, including these British army tents.

A Bespoke Bed Quilt

New Jersey volunteer Lynn Leeds carefully crafted a handmade quilt for a soldier's barracks on her state panel. The colors interplay beautifully with the dark aubergine of the bed frame and add unique texture to the design!

A Mesmerizing Waterfront

New Hampshire State Directors Carol Ganse & Michelle McPheron have been exploring varied-length split stitch for the Connecticut River using a mix of Splendor Silks and DMC embroidery floss. The stitch is achieved by stitching back and forth while skipping a row. The colors are beautifully blended in various combinations to mimic the flow of the river!

In The Press

The Hartford Courant documented the Connecticut Tapestry Panel at the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford this August as volunteers Chanda Kumari and Fnu Briyanka stitched outdoors. The state panel features Hannah Bunce Watson, the first female editor of the Hartford Courant (then called the Connecticut Courant)!

Delaware Public Media featured the state panel in advance of an event at the Biggs Museum of Art. Thank you to Martin Matheny and the team at DPM for featuring us! To listen, click here.

The Carolinas Unite!

North Carolina director Gail Smith and South Carolina director Karen Wallach attended the Southern Comforts Fiber Market in Charlotte, NC for a weekend in August. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who came out to stitch with us!

A Beach Day for the Delaware Panel!

State Directors Becky Gutin & Amy Gilley traveled to the Rehoboth Beach Museum and the Winterthur Museum, Garden, & Library to stitch at their beautiful venues this month. Thank you to our regular and visiting stitchers for your beautiful work on the panel!

Stitcher Spotlight: Meet Lynn Leeds!

Lynn lives in Medford, NJ and embroiders on the New Jersey Tapestry Panel. An active stitcher for about 5 years, Lynn has primarily worked in cross stitch, canvaswork, and quiltmaking. While stitching on the state panel, she has utilized quite a lot of backstitch as well as appliqué, which can be seen in the image in this month's newsletter of the beautiful bed quilt. She learned of the project through her EGA Chapter, Colonial West, and became interested in participating.

Since working on the panel, she has learned more about the fundraising efforts of colonial women during the Revolutionary War to raise funds for the Continental Army - a prominent theme in the New Jersey design. Lynn deeply enjoys celebrating America's 250th anniversary with this project. Thank you for contributing your time and talent, Lynn!

Want to be featured in our newsletter? Please fill out our volunteer form by clicking here.

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

Stefan Romero

Project Director