"I walk slowly, but I never walk backward"

~Abraham Lincoln

Slow and steady progress, and with each step, the goal is closer, though not yet visible. Every stitcher knows the feeling of being immersed in a project that seems to have no end. One stitch after the other, and one day you see a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm still looking for the light . . . one stitch after another.

The concept of "a stitching room of one's own" is borrowed from Virginia Woolf's 1929 book A Room of One's Own. Woolf believed that a woman needed a designated space and resources (otherwise known as cash) to write. It's interesting to apply this to stitchers -- having a room to think, create, and listen to a threaded needle as it passes through linen. And man, oh, man -- Virginia was right about the "cash" thing . . . you need cash for stash.

Years ago, when my parents bought their house, my mother claimed a closet-sized room with a window as her sewing room. In no time, the room was filled to the ceiling with fabric bolts, ribbons, button boxes, thread cones and a black Singer sewing machine. We kids called it "The Twilight Zone" because it was unlike any room in the house.

Today, my mom still keeps her stitching room. A red geranium blooms out of control on the window sill, and the room is still ceiling-high with sewing paraphernalia. Though she has plenty of space to expand into other rooms (empty nests now), she elects to keep her separate sewing place.

I don't have a designated stitching space -- I use my music room, which doubles as a string quartet room when friends come over to rehearse. It's also a writing/painting/practice area. Boy, Virginia Woolf was right -- a designated "creation" space is essential.

What is your stitching room like?

". . . we can not dedicate ~ we can not consecrate ~ we can not hallow ~ this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract." ~ Abraham Lincoln

Memorial Day has its roots in the post-Civil War era, when individual towns started to observe Decoration Day. People "decorated" the graves of Union and Confederate soliders with flowers. The "Birthplace of Memorial Day" is Waterloo Village, New York -- it is credited with the first Decoration Day observance on May 5, 1866. Most of us know Decoration Day, now called Memorial Day, as a national holiday observed on the last Monday in May.

In his address at Gettysburg, President Lincoln honors soldiers as having "consecrated" the land through their ultimate sacrifice. To consecrate -- to sanctify, to make holy.

In the modern interpretation of Memorial Day, the concept of "consecration" extends to all U.S. soldiers who fought in any war. The men and women who have given their lives for our country have indeed blessed us, the living, with a way of life that is defined by freedom.

I grew up on the New Jersey Shore and so, today marks the start of beach season. Yay! (Tonight, every bar on the Jersey Coast will be packed to the gills -- which exit on the turnpike? Every exit.) The scent of tanning lotion is in the air. Bring on the fun -- let's picnic, barbeque, swim, play tennis, surf, travel, garden, clean our closets, relax and . . . stitch.

Here in New York City, it's Fleet Week. The Yankees are home, playing at the new Yankee Stadium. (We're on a 9-game winning streak!) The Town is abuzz with visitors and us locals who love long weekends in the city.

This weekend of leisure is made possible by the same sacrifices that Lincoln described at Gettysburg. I'll make sure to take time on Monday, to honor the servicemen and servicewomen who gave their lives -- in order to preserve our way of life.

Have a good Memorial Day Weekend!

"Let's Take The Scenic Route" ~Me

I received some emails about the availability of the snail pattern in Sunday's post. I designed "Scenic Route" last year, but never published it . . . and so, it's posted here, as a freebie chart.

The photo shows a version stitched with Presidential Blue (voila! -- a Lincoln connection, lol) floss by The Gentle Art. The linen is a favorite -- 28-count Magnolia by Lakeside Linens. Because it's a monochromatic design, it can be stitched in any bold color for a silhouette-like effect.

Good 'ol Largo The Snail . . . he always stops to smell the roses. (Point taken!)

"The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time" ~Abraham Lincoln

It's graduation season, when commencement speakers seek to inspire new graduates by using a quote like this one. The concept of "one day at a time" had to have been a survival technique for President Lincoln who, along with duties as the nation's chief executive, was charged with the task of prosecuting a war to preserve the Union.

Whenever I think I have a lot on my plate, I think of President Lincoln's to-do list and, whoa -- there's instant perspective.

We all seem busier than ever these days. Forget about the Joneses -- I'm just trying to keep up with myself, or the concept of where I should be. But still, is it simply human nature to think that we're busier than our ancestors? Was life really simpler then? Or did our great grandparents recall the carefree days of their own childhoods -- as they tried to grind out a living, raise kids and keep house? I suspect they did.

(Sampler Update: It's coming along . . . onward to July 4th.)

My goal for this summer is to relax and slow down a bit. Like Largo the Snail in the photo, instead of seeking the shortest distance between A and B, I'm going to take the scenic route. Shall we? Good! Meet you in the park in 15 minutes . . .

"that the government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from the earth" ~Abraham Lincoln

The sampler is coming along slowly, but surely -- this photo captures a section of the first 100 words. I'm way behind, as I should have been farther along as if this date. (Sigh) Work, life, stuff -- they're wild cards. I'm getting concerned about making my July 4th deadline, but there's still time to regroup . . . eek, I better get back on schedule!

The next time you write a speech, be sure to study the Gettysburg Address for form and function. Abraham Lincoln uses an age-old oratorical technique called parallel construction -- rhythmic word/sound repetition. The stunning last phrase -- "of the people, by the people and for the people" -- is an example of this technique.

Parallel construction has been around for centuries -- consider Julius Caesar's not-so-humble "Veni, Vidi, Vici" ("I came, I saw, I conquered"). Not a day goes by when we don't see VENI clued as "Part one of Great Caesar's boast" in a crossword puzzle.

And there's . . . Henry David Thoreau's "Simplicity, Simplicity, Simplicity!" Timothy Leary's psychedlic credo of the 1960s, "Turn on, tune in, drop out." (Dopey advice, if you'll pardon the pun.) And Gertrude Stein's mantra-like "rose is a rose is a rose is a rose."

Apropos to the mission of this blog, one of the most notable examples occurred in August 1963 -- 100 years after the Gettysburg Address, when Martin Luther King delivered a speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Dr. King repeated the phrase "I have a dream . . ." so memorably that the speech is referred to as the "I Have A Dream" speech.

And King sustains the momentum. He repeats "Let Freedom Ring . . . " (evoking the image of a ringing Liberty Bell perhaps) that leads to the final parallel construction: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

* * * * *

Happy Mother's Day to all . . . this earlier essay pays tribute through Lincoln's words about his own mother.

"I hope your life will open into perpetual beauty and goodness" ~Abraham Lincoln

On November 18, 1863 President Lincoln arrived by train at Gettysburg, Pennsylania -- one day before he would deliver his address at the burial ground. Among the greeters at the station was a little girl who offered a bouquet of rosebuds, saying "Flowers for the President!" Touched by the gesture, the President bent down, kissed the child and said: "You're a sweet little rose-bud yourself. I hope your life will open into perpetual beauty and goodness."

Perfect words for the occasion -- Lincoln stayed in the moment. That sentiment -- of one's life opening into beauty and goodness -- is especially meaningful on a spring day, like today . . . to take a moment and enjoy the park, the garden, the patio, a newly-planted window box. More and more I find myself detaching from the endless (and predictably meaningless) media chatter of daily life, delivered via computers, cell phones, iPods and Blackberrys.

I've become highly selective about reading, listening, viewing. John Meyer on a Twitter feed? I love his music . . . but his Twittering self? No thanks. I'd rather practice the guitar. And then there's the Blackberry, aka the Crackberry . . . .a useful tool, except when it becomes a pulsating pocketbook fascist (that is, if we allow technology to boss us around).

Perhaps that's why we're drawn to stitching. The tools haven't changed in centuries -- linen, thread, needle, scissors. These tools are so honest -- they won't spam you, vibrate, ring or buzz. They won't freeze up or crash so that you lose all the work you've done for the past four hours. And you don't have to download a security patch to use the scissors you bought six months ago.

Sampler Update: This week I'll post a photo of the first 100 words of the sampler. Looks like I'll have to pull some all-nighters between now and July 4 -- eek! A number of you have asked about the historical sources I rely on. My main reference is David Herbert Donald's superb biography -- Lincoln.

Tomorrow is a day off from all work . . . Christopher and I will catch the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and then dinner at one of the excellent restaurants in Brooklyn we've yet to try (about 5,292 of them). Gosh, I really need to recharge my mental batteries by -- celebrating hanami, communing with nature, having a few Sour Apple Martinis . . . and then back to work on Monday.

Happy May weekend to all!

" If people said what they thought, most conversations would be brief " ~Author Unknown

Though this quote isn't ascribed to Abraham Lincoln, it sounds like something he'd say.

Brevity -- the soul of wit, according to Shakespeare. It's also the mark of a great writer. In this case, Abraham Lincoln used brevity -- a solemn, dignified brevity -- to honor the memory of fallen soldiers. Few orators -- indeed perhaps only those at President Lincoln's level -- could write a two-page speech that would become one of the most quoted addresses in American history. The Gettysburg Address contains 272 words, arranged in only ten sentences.

The Gettysburg Address is shorter than this blog entry.

As you can see, I decided to make the upper-case letters, the sentence starters, extra large -- to break up the density of the text. The sampler is configured in an east-west design, with sweeping lines of text, running from coast to coast. Those extra-large capital letters add variety to the long lines. I think they'll make the prose easier to read.

And now, it's time to introduce two hard-working cast members: Linen and Thread. [Polite applause.]

The sampler is stitched (over two threads) on 32-count Lambswool Linen from Wichelt Imports. The thread is Nutmeg from The Gentle Art. This design calls for a huge amount of Nutmeg -- enough to spice up 272 gallons of egg nog.

Why am I even thinking about egg nog today? It's 91 degrees in New York City. You could fry a block of tofu on the sidewalk. Entirely too hot and humid for April! We have no choice but to cool off with the appropriate beverages. This evening we'll mix up some Sour Apple Martinis (Apple Schnapps, Vodka, Maraschino Cherry, Ice, Ice, Ice). Jeeves, please turn on the Casablanca fan . . .

I wonder if The Gentle Art makes Sour Apple Martini thread . . . Happy Sunday to all, and I hope you'll partake in some pre-prandial beverages this evening!