STORY BEHIND THE ‘PATRIOTIC BAND SAMPLER’
I learned my letters with a needle and thread Lydia May thought, same as
Mama did before me. Each stitch had to mind its place, just like a person
ought to. The birds kept me company while I worked, hopping close as if
they were curious what I’d make of myself.
I set flowers at the top to remind me that growing takes time, and roots
matter even when you can’t see them. The little house came next—plain, but
standing strong—which is all I ever hoped for. I stitched red white blue
the way folks say it, easy and familiar, because those colors are part of
our days whether we speak of them or not.
The bigger house below is the town I know, with windows lit at evening and
flags that move when the wind feels like it. I worked slow there, thinking
about how this land holds us all, hard and gentle by turns. Land that I
love, I wrote, not fancy, just true.
When I tied off the last thread, I knew this wasn’t just practice anymore.
It was proof I’d been here, paying attention, leaving something honest
behind.

Aida 14, Linen 28 ZWEIGART
14 COUNT BAND AIDA CODE NO: 7436-53 (Rustico)
84w X 251h Stitches
Size: 14 Count,28 Count 15.24w X 45.54h cm
6w X 18h inches