PieceWork May/June 1995
Now available for individual download!

Endurance and Invention: The Seminoles and Their Patchwork
“The story of the Florida Seminoles and Miccosukees is one of persistence against difficult odds and of the ways in which a culture maintains its roots while adapting to new circumstances. The blend of tradition and change is reflected in their distinctive clothing.” Learn about this distinctive type of sewing and design of the Seminole Indians, and try your hand at the Seminole patchwork sewing technique with A Seminole Patchwork Vest to Sew pattern.

Cobwebs from the Steppes: Russian Lace-Knitted Shawls
Travel to Orenburg, Russia with Melanie Falick and Galina Khmeleva to understand the unique traditions of Orenburg knitted shawls from the region. Learn about the history of Orenburg shawls, the techniques for making them, and the ongoing role of the shawls in the local economy. Plus, try your hand at the Orenburg knitted lace shawl techniques from the article with A Russian Lace Scarf to Knit.

Maia Gilmore and the Nearly Lost Art of Swedish Naversom
“A legacy from her Swedish forebears, the goose-eye is one of four stitches that Maia Gilmore uses to re-create the drawn-thread work of the northern provinces of Sweden, known as naversom. Traditional naversorn designs are usually simple geometric shapes, such as rectangles, squares, and triangles, or sometimes hearts and stars. The technique can be used to create table mats and runners, borders on tablecloths, decoration on lampshades, and wall hangings.” Learn the history and techniques of naversom and create your own with A Naversom Centerpiece to Embroider.

Sister Mary Hiltrudis: At the Helm of Ecclesiastical Arts
“Sister Leora Marie cuts doth while Sister Rose Margaret couches gold thread with the aid of an ancient treadle sewing machine. Nearby, Sister Angelita embroiders a face of Christ, by hand, in long-and short stitches. These women continue a centuries-old activity of sewing vestments (clothing) and paraments (hangings) for the church, carrying on traditions through symbols and beautifying through stitches.” Join Martha Baker in an exploration of the traditions of the Ecclesiastical Art Department at the convent of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood in Missouri.

The Stamps That Celebrate Lace Making
Learn about the journey of Mary McPeek and other lace makers to get lace stamps made by the U.S. Postal Service in the 1980s. Meet the designers of the four lace stamps that were chosen and uncover the challenges they faced getting the delicate lace motifs to translate successfully onto postage stamps. Of the stamps and lace designs, Mary says, “Now our children can boast that ‘mom's work is in the Smithsonian.’ More important, the lace that we all love to make was acknowledged in a special way.”

Bamboo, Pine, Serenity: The Living Tradition of Japanese Embroidery
Journey to Japan with Frances A. Kenneley and see the delicate, glimmering fiber work of the katabiras, Japanese summer garments from the Edo period in Japan. Learn about the embroidery specific to this period, and try your own hand at it with A Japanese-Embroidered Tie to Stitch.

Billy Monday: Lace Maker, His Life Story
Enjoy the story of “Billy Monday,” a pseudonym given to an injured football player who, once confined a wheelchair after a sports injury, refused to sit idle but instead put his hands and mind to work knitting and selling lace bedspreads and other lace novelty items. This article from The Modern Priscilla in February of 1914 not only chronicles Billy Monday’s extraordinary life and lace-making, but also gives PieceWork readers a chance to journey back in time as they read this historical piece. Embrace the full experience from The Modern Priscilla with a revised pattern from the magazine, A Doily to Crochet—a doily originally crocheted by Billy Monday.

In every issue of PieceWork magazine, you will be amazed at the amount of information packed into these pages:

• Be inspired by needleworkers past and present. In each issue, you’ll meet needleworkers with unique stories to tell and special projects to share.
• Explore traditional needlework throughout history. In addition to the people who did the work, you’ll get an up-close look at what they created and how they did it.
• Test your needlework techniques with projects ranging from embroidery to knitting, quilting to beading, and crochet to cross-stitch.
• And so much more!

This issue was scanned from an original printed issue.