From the Editor

How many times have you read this in my editorial? "Many thanks to our dedicated and wonderful feature writers. They are the backbone of this publication." Unless people have done a job, they can never fully understand all the pieces and parts of it. To create a continuing feature that goes on and on and on is not only a strong commitment but also a labor of love. When the feature writer gets the inspiration for the next installment of the article, that is only the beginning. Then the research starts and this takes the author many places and hours of precious time. Sometimes art is added to the presentation by means of photographs, charts and drawings. Sometimes bibliographies are needed to support the article and this means more in-depth research will be necessary. Many experts have contributed features that ran for a certain length of time and still run occasionally; among them are Gail Sirna , Ann Caswell, Pam Godderis, Peg Dunayer, Debbie Stiehler and a host of other talented people. How lucky we are to still have so many of these purveyors of needlearts still on our staff! Suzanne Howren and Jody Valentine have been with us since our very first issue in March/April of 1999. Tony Minieri joined us shortly afterwards in July/August of 1999. Amy Bunger with her "Amy"able Advice to Stitchers came aboard in Jan/Feb of 2001. Ann Blalock, our loveable "Stitching Fool," joined us in Jan/Feb '05 and life has not been the same since! Our newest feature writer, Judy Harper, is a joy with her column, "Possibilities." In Sept/Oct 2004 we were joined by Robin Berry with her beautifully documented column, Historic Needlework. Her passion to antiquity helped to educate us in knowledge and appreciation of the history of the medieval and renaissance periods of needlework. Not only did she share her documentation, she also designed and stitched many projects to show a practical application of techniques about which she had written. Robin continues to pursue her art and has just returned from a month-long study of needlework from The Royal School of Needlework in England. In this issue we present her last installment. Kudos, Robin, for a job beautifully done and we will miss you, girl. Robin will spend more time in pursuing her passion and study. We hope to hear from her again at some future time.

It is a little strange that the friends we make in needlework never seem far away or out of touch. I have found that we can pick up where we left off with ease. I have just returned from a wonderful teaching trip to southern California. How exciting to be with old friends and to make new ones. Pat Correz, Lynn Wilkinson and Nancy Cucci planned a fun-filled itinerary that kept me happy and busy. This year I even visited "downtown" Los Angeles and about lost my mind in the "beading" district. I always enjoy shopping away from home and this time was no exception. I could not lift the box (beads, stitching threads, stitching kits, shoes, purse, clothes, and other goodies.) The classes were so much fun and it is always wonderful to spend time with old friends.

You will find this issue chock full of wonderful projects to stitch. To help you enjoy the beauty of the summer season we are presenting the delicate Shadow Rose by Barbara Richardson and June Moes' Romanoff Riches. Other projects include Summer Breeze by Peg Dunayer, Log Cabin Gone Wild by Elizabeth Bozievich and Blue Heart by Pat Miller. You can enjoy a "stitching good time" this summer with these five innovative projects. If you are feeling energetic, you may want to follow the advice of Diane Holman and start Getting Your Stash Together. And, be sure to read all of the timely information that our feature writers have provided in this issue. Happy Summer!

– Joyce Lukomski

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Last Updated June 27, 2007