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

President Lincoln knew a thing or two about time management. I try to focus on one thing at a time, but sometimes life is overwhelming. My mind goes a mile a minute, and in all directions.  Time to stop, make a cup of tea and . . .  breathe.

It is said that the young Yo-Yo Ma learned a Bach cello suite by memorizing one measure per day. Just one measure per day. Breaking down large projects into manageable pieces.  That seems to be the trick.

One thing that inspires me to no end is -- Stitchers Who Finish.  I love cruising the blogs, admiring the amazing finishes of other stitching addicts.  Their energy is contagious and maybe -- just maybe -- I'll get organized and finish that WIP that's been going since . .  (gulp) . . . last March.  Give me strength!

Last week I heard from Jennifer K., who finished her own version of "272 Words." She provided these pictures of her completed journey. Well done, Jennifer! Thank you for keeping President Lincoln's words alive and fresh in our minds.  

Your "272 Words" finishes are important and ever-inspiring . . . please drop me an email if you've crossed the finish line. Or . . . if you're in the midst of stitching the piece, I'm equipped with bottles of chartreuse-colored electrolyte drinks and high-protein energy bars to vociferously cheer you on from the sidelines. Compression pants and sweat bands are available, as well.

Having stitched the piece myself, I had my own "commitment" issues! (Maintain your energy levels with chocolate.)  It's tough sometimes, but we all complete marathons in our own personal way.

There's something about stitched words on linen . . . it's magic, isn't it?

"Everywhere is within walking distance . . .

if you have the time" ~Steven Wright

Now that the "272 Words" chart has been published, I thought it might be helpful to offer some stitching tips specific to this design. Some of these points are based on questions from stitchers and store owners. I'll update this post as questions arise, and bookmark it to the site. Here are some general guidelines:

~ TECHNIQUE: Technically, this is a very simple stitching project. The pattern calls for full cross stitches only. No backstitching, French Knots or Algerian Eyelets. Nothing fancy. Just plain old vanilla -- full cross stitches. The real challenge, I think, is endurance -- the time involved in stitching a piece that's 349w x 375h . . . roughly 22" wide and 24" high. As Steven Wright says: "Everywhere is within walking distance . . . if you have the time." I am reminded of how Yo Yo Ma first learned the Bach Cello Suites; his father instructed him to learn one measure per day. One measure! A measure here, a measure there -- after a few months, you've got a Gigue and a Courante under your fingers. So to with stitching . . . a word or two per day . . . in a few months you'll have the Gettysburg Address on linen. (Of course, we stitchers know that we can't restrict ourselves to merely one word a day . . . stitching is too darn fun!)

~ MODEL: The model is stitched entirely in colors from The Gentle Art. DMC equivalents are provided, but, using Mad Men marketing parlance . . . "results may vary" if the piece is stitched with DMC only, or a GAST/DMC combo.

~ THREADS: The colors are largely localized, with GAST Nutmeg the color of Lincoln's words. The "Gettysburg" caption part is stitched in green (Chives). The chart calls for 10 skeins of Nutmeg (I used 5-yd. skeins). This is a generous skein count -- allowing for frogging and adjustments for variance in overdyed thread color values. I used the darker parts of the Nutmeg skeins for the capital letters, as a way to accentuate the beginnings of the sentences . . . especially the opening words, and important capitalized words like "Liberty" and "God."

~ STARS: The 50 red and blue stars (stitched in Mulberry and Freedom) contain no political message in terms of red and blue states. The aim was to have "ABRAHAM LINCOLN" stitched in an "Chief Executive" blue (GA Freedom) -- suggestive of The Presidential Seal. The two stars on either side of his name are in Mulberry, to offset the blue. (Okay, so I'm a recovering Political Science major, but politics is a subject for other venues.) :) There's no doubt that our 50-state complement was made possible by Lincoln's preservation of the Union. Each of the 50 stars in the sampler is identical in size; the entire complement is included to show strength in numbers. Again, inspired by the Presidential Seal with its 50 white stars in a circular pattern.

I'll update this "Stitching Tips" list as questions arise. Of course, these are just guidelines.

Finally -- why is there an apple in the photo? I had a piece of Lambswool left over from the "272 Words" cut of linen. The apple is part of a small new design. Isn't it amazing that the same cut of linen looks completely different against an alternate color palette? It's the miracle that takes place when thread meets linen . . . isn't that why we love to stitch?

Have a good weekend! "272 Words" recently went on a road trip across town, at the invitation of our local EGA Chapter. More on that next week. Ciao!

"I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille . . . "

Scorecards. These days we're deluged with every imaginable stat involving football, baseball, tennis, golf. The U.S. Tennis Open, college football, the NFL season, the World Series. Stats, stats, stats. The first cool breeze of autumn is accompanied by a confluence of sporting events and stats!

And so, in keeping with the spirit of the season, we present official stats of "272 Words," the Lincoln Bicentennial Sampler, direct from the commentators' booth at The Stitching Network:

"272 Words"

Stitch Count: 349 Stitches Wide x 375 Stitches in Height

Fabric: 32-count Lambswool from Wichelt Imports

Thread: The Gentle Art

Design Size: 21-1/2"W by 23-1/4"H

Framed Size: 29"W x 30-1/2"H

Frame Info: Professionally Framed at Where Victoria's Angels Stitch (more info to come)

It's tough to capture the true color of the linen in photos. To get a closeup of the frame in the top photo, I notice (sigh) that the fabric appears much lighter than it really is. Lambswool is one of my preferred "light" fabrics - it's a creamy color, but free of intensely-yellow undertones . . . like the color of freshly-whipped buttercream frosting. Lakeside Linens makes a beautiful creamy fabric color called "Magnolia." It's a little lighter, but in the same tonal family. 28-count Magnolia linen was used in this dog sampler.

My mailbox contains some questions about the blog photos -- where are they taken and with what type of camera? Is there special propping? I use a Canon PowerShot A510. The propping usually consists of a few height-adjustable music stands and foam core covered with lace curtains. Through trial and error, I discovered that the best photos occur in "artist's light" -- the clear eastern light of the morning sun. My living room windows face east and this (below) is the home-spun setup. Nothing fancy! Except for cropping, the photos are untouched and designed to show the actual features of the needlework, for good or for ill.

And that wraps up this edition of "Stitch Talk." Tune in next time for an action-packed play-by-play of chart making (!). See you at the next tailgate . . .

We Celebrate Labor Day!

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, honors the accomplishments of working people -- but to be honest, I always associated this holiday with the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of school. But today is a memorable Labor Day for me, a milestone of a 7-month-long project. "272 Words" has been stitched and framed. This blog, however, continues on. After all, President Lincoln's Bicentennial year extends to February 12, 2009 and there's lots to talk about. It's rather a luxury to have an entire blog devoted to one design. I will publish a chart of the design in the coming months -- details to be posted in mid-September, along with stats (design size, framing specs, etc.).

Today's story is told in pictures. Please click on the photos for a close-up view. Your encouraging comments over these last months continue to inspire, going forward into the next chapter of this sampler's life. I very much appreciate your taking the time to visit!

At times friends asked whether I tired of the project. Apart from a bit of physical fatigue (eye strain, finger cramps), I never tired of Lincoln's message. As stitchers, you are well acquainted with the amount of time involved in stitching even a small piece. With each stitch, the prose slowly appears on the linen, letter by letter -- that gives us time to meditate on each word. The Address unfolded in slow motion, allowing the stitcher time to absorb the depth of Lincoln's message. The Gettysburg Address is a national treasure. Thank you for joining me today.

"272 Words" -- The Gettysburg Address

"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation . . ."

". . . conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

"Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live."

"It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this."

"But, in a larger sense, 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."

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us . . . "

". . . that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom . . . "

". . . and that government of the people, by the people, for the people . . . "

". . . shall not perish from the earth."

Wrought by Elizabeth C. Gorski, in Honor of
President Abraham Lincoln's Bicentennial Year

New York City

July 4, 2009

"The Other Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863"

The first Gettsyburg Address preceded President Lincoln's by about two hours. Delivered by Former Secretary of State Edward Everett, the first oration on that day lasted 2 hours, as opposed to Lincoln's 3-minute address. Everett, a distinguished Boston orator in the tradition of Daniel Webster, opened with these words:

Standing beneath this serene sky, overlooking these broad fields now reposing from the labors of the waning year, the mighty Alleghenies dimly towering before us, the graves of our brethren beneath our feet, it is with hesitation that I raise my poor voice to break the eloquent silence of God and Nature. But the duty to which you have called me must be perfomed; grant me, I pray you, your indulgence and your sympathy.

Everett's 13,607-word speech is quite a contrast to Lincoln's 272 words. A Mahler Symphony followed by a Chopin etude. Or a Dickens novel followed by an Emily Dickinson poem. What a juxtaposition of scale! But art assumes all sizes, and the two men, each in his own way, honored the fallen soldiers at Gettysburg with grace and humility.

The next day's correspondence between the two men began with Everett praising Lincoln's brevity, to which Lincoln replied: "I am pleased to know that, in your judgment, the little I did say was not entirely a failure."

I'm trying to remember the last time I heard today's crop of politicians speak with such humility and elegance.

We have new followers to this blog - welcome all! A few of you have asked about "272 Words" -- will there be a chart? The sampler is still a work in progress and I'll post the answer here by mid-September. I'd like to make the decision after the piece is framed. Your inquiries and kind words have inspired beyond measure.

Back to the matter at hand . . . the sampler is on its way to the framer, and, for the first time in my stitching life -- I hated parting with the linen! Usually there's a happy dance, but not this time. That piece of linen has been a part of my daily life for months. No more tweaks or color changes. No more frogging, reconfiguring, re-stitching. It's time to let go.

Anyone interested in stitching the first Gettysburg Address -- Mr. Everett's -- on linen? It's a mere 13,607 words. :)

I'm taking a couple days' break from stitching, starting tonight . . . can you hear the Apple Martini being made? I hope you'll indulge in a cool drink as well . . .

Cheers, see you in a few days!

Happy Birthday, America!

On February 12, Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, I began stitching "272 Words," a sampler featuring the full text of Gettysburg Address. Because this is Lincoln's bicentennial year, it seemed logical to begin the sampler on the President's birthday. But when considering a completion date I chose July 4th largely because Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays.

Until a few weeks ago, I hadn't realized the double significance of July 4th as a completion date, compliments of President Lincoln himself. If one does the arithmetic, Mr. Lincoln's famous intro, "Four score and seven years ago," refers to the events of July 4, of 1776.

Today I present photos of the unframed piece. My stitching frame is too small to stretch the entire length and breadth of the sampler. Therefore, with your patience, I present closes-ups of the sampler from various angles. In August I'll publish a photo essay of "272 Words," after it is professionally stretched and framed. A frame will bring the sampler to life.

The final photo shows the sampler, minutes after it was completed yesterday -- 143 days after the first stitch in February. It seemed to me, that a ray of sun beamed onto the work table at the moment the linen was liberated from its frame. I quickly snapped the photo, not noticing the wrinkled linen after months of handling, or the funny way it draped across the table. It was finished. Stitchers know that feeling of elation -- the last stitch is as exciting as the first.

Thank you for joining me on this July 4th, as we celebrate our nation's 233rd birthday. It has been an honor spending these last few months with you, and I look forward to our conversations during the coming months.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Gettysburg Address, by President Abraham Lincoln

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation . . .

. . . conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

"Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live."

"It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this."

"But, in a larger sense, 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.

"The world will little note, nor long remember what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us . . . "





". . . that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom . . . "



. . . that government of the people, by the people, for the people . . . "




. . . shall not perish from the earth."

THE ADDRESS AT GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
DELIVERED ON NOVEMBER 19, 1863
ABRAHAM LINCOLN

~ Wrought by Elizabeth C. Gorski of New York City

on July 4, 2009 ~