I didn't learn to cross stitch until 1987, when I was largely confined to bed during the last months
of pregnancy with my daughter. I had always been partial to crewel embroidery and candlewicking,
but I soon found cross stitching to be quite a lot of fun.

			Completed 1990	Completed 07 July 1990
	Design which appeared on the cover of the June/July 1990 issue of "Cross Stitch Quick & Easy" magazine which inspired my prize-winning adaptation.		This won a major prize in a national contest! I changed some of the dishes to appear as Jadite, and added my favorite scripture.
Completed 31 May 1991	Completed 23 May 1992	Completed 2 Nov 1992	Completed 16 Jan 1993	Completed 9 Mar 1993
I charted the scripture from The Book of Mormon, and added it to a border design.	A quick refrigerator magnet, to which I added a scripture	A Diane Brakefield beaded design, with colors changed and shape adapted, made for Lewis and Mary's second anniversary	I charted the scripture, and added it to the adorable pig designed by Diane Brakefield of Caldwell, ID.	This is my original design.
Completed 17 Apr 1993	Completed 26 July 1993	Completed 28 July 1993	Completed 1 Aug 1994
I adapted this design, "Country Antiques" by Carol Schick of Montoursville, PA so that the bottle would appear to be made of cobalt glass in honor of my collection.	Another of my original designs, this one of a quotation by Jerry Seinfeld	I stitched this design of a Confederate Cavalryman when I still had delusions that I could honor my Confederate ancestors (which I do), without appearing to be a racist (which I decidedly am not).	I charted the scripture enclosed in a ribbon border designed by another, which I have found to be very versatile.

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EMBROIDERY

When I was little, my mother used to sew a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing.
She informed me that she was embroidering. From the underside I watched her work within the boundaries of the little
round hoop that she held in her hand, I complained to her that it sure looked messy from where I sat.

She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "You go about your playing for a while, and when I am finished
with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."

I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled
from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Child, come and sit on my knee."

This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower, or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy.

Then Mother would say to me, "Child from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was
a plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."

Many times through the years I have looked up to heaven and said, "Father, what are you doing?"

He has answered, "I am embroidering your life."

I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The thread seems so dark. Why can't they all be bright?"

The Father seems to tell me, "My child, you go about your business of doing my business and one day I will bring you to Heaven
and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."