My Stitching Cupboard

This is my stitching cupboard...a cabinet of curiosities, of sorts. The little stuffed leopard hiding on the bottom shelf is a companion from my childhood. The many fabrics and baskets of threads have been collected throughout the years.

The bell pull hanging beside my "stitching cupboard," was stitched by me for my mother, many years ago. It's traveled full circle and when she made her way to heaven, it returned to me.

There's a little petit point, angel pillow on the third shelf...a stitched gift from my daughter when she was newly married. The cupboard also houses my grandmother’s needle case and bits of her embroidery work. I open the cupboard, and enter a world of memories, inspiration and possibilities. If only I could bottle the musty, sweet fragrance of the linens, threads, wools and ribbons.

My list of visions for stitched projects that I long to begin, is far too lengthy for the time that remains for my earthly days. Still in any given moment, according to my mood…I reach for my needle, thread and hoop, or I warp the loom, or knit and purl. Prayer accompanies the process.

I like to imagine the long line of women's cupboards and stitchery stretching throughout the ages. Our stories are woven into the things we hold dear. In this way, our lives become our tapestries and legacy. Our stitching is our secret language, for future generations to discover.