"Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose . . . " ~Janis Joplin

"Freedom" is also the name of the new color introduction . . . the "L" and "N" are part of the ABRAHAM LINCOLN section of the sampler, stitched in Freedom, a dark blue from The Gentle Art. Never a linear thinker, I routinely stitch in reverse and in patches. (The sampler looks a bit odd right now.) Today I salvaged a few miniature roses from the garden, but 3 weeks of drenching rains in NYC have taken a toll on the floral display.

The PENNSYLVANIA is part of GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, stitched with Chives, from The Gentle Art.

How's this for telepathic synergy . . . just as I finished stitching PENNSYLVANIA, an email arrived from Liz in Philadelphia . . . about Stephen and Russell's needlepoint shop in Philadelphia. Rittenhouse Needlepoint is located at 1737 Chestnut St., Philadelphia. The store's blog is lovely. Doesn't it make you want to drop in for some coffee and stitching . . . and shopping, bien sur! I love their slogan -- Instruction, Coffee, Conversation.

And cross stitchers, check out the photo on the blog . . . Nora Corbett -- the distinguished cross stitch designer and artist behind Mirabilia -- is featured with the proprietors at a recent trade show. Very nice convergence of star power . . .

Thanks to Liz from Philly for the intell on this shop. Stitchers, if you're in Philadelphia, Rittenhouse Needlepoint will assist in that all-important activity -- stash enhancement.

Daily Practice

Liz from Philadelphia -- violinist, lawyer and person extraordinaire -- is ahead of the curve on good stuff. Years ago she introduced me to the Ashokan Farewell. If you watched Ken Burns' The Civil War, you heard a beautiful violin solo -- a lonely waltz that weaves through each episode. That's the Ashokan Farewell composed by Jay Ungar.

As research for the sampler, I've revisited the Burns documentary. I'm still haunted by Ungar's waltz. Yesterday I tried it out on the viola . . . hey-hey, it sounds good a fifth lower (in G major now), with the open strings and double stops. I love the dark viola sound, so intriguing, mysterious -- the Edgar Allan Poe of stringed instruments. I've arranged Beethoven's Spring Sonata for the viola, only now it sounds like a Late Autumn Sonata. That's okay by me.

This week's task is -- experimenting with fonts and thread colors for the Gettysburg Sampler. Every mega-sampler starts with a single stitch.