WORLD CROSS STITCH DAY
In the quiet hour,
Lingering patiently,
Obliviously, unbothered I sit,
Vowing to create a masterpiece.
Efficiently using thread,
Stitching back and forth,
Turning work,
In moments of -
Time.
Cheerfully seeing it all come together,
Hoping no “frogging” is needed,
I love the world of color, I have formed,
New creation,
Grateful for my talent.
Irene M. - Oregon
The Birth Sampler :
To Murdoch Winston Arthur Russell .
The love of stitching has filled my life,
With countless joy-filled hours,
From that little girl on her grandmother's knee,
Learning how to embroider bright flowers...
To this widow, who now is a grandmother too,
Still holding an idea I've long treasured -
That creating a picture with needle and threads,
Is a love that just cannot be measured.
With needle and threads and endless care,
(Each 'x' is a precious small kiss!)
I stitch in the knowledge that, when he is grown,
My grandson I hope will know this -
I recorded the day,
In my own little way,
When he first arrived here in the world!
The years hurry by as if in a blink,
And every stitcher hopes, I think,
That their stitches will not be forgotten.
There's an old dedication I'm going to borrow...
So I'll add it along with my name.
I'll write this small rhyme
So my grandson, in time,
Sees it on the back of the frame.
As so many stitchers have wished in the past,
When a work of their hands is discovered,
When each small loving stitch is uncovered at last,
It was crafted and handmade with love.
May my new grandson smile and agree with the words
That I'll add to the back of the frame,
In the hopes that one day,
(As the old stitchers say)
I'm someone who's not just a name!
So here's my last wish,
Which is sent from my heart -
May our x's be counted with smiles,
With each finish a part
Of a lifetime of art,
With our memories woven inside!
"When this you see,
Remember me"
Dedicated to my grandson, Murdoch Winston Arthur Russell, born 16th June, 2026.
Kathleen S.
May your skeins never tangle
Your thread never knot
Your needle stay nimble
Your eyesight never be shot
And when at last you can cry
"It is finished! Behold!"
Your fellow stitchers all know
That's worth more than gold.
Fiona - Scotland
WINNER
When you get that sudden creativity burst,
Don’t think… Oh this poem is the worst.
No worries about size,
You still might claim the prize,
If you submit your poem by the first.
There was a young stitcher from Prague,
Who wanted to stitch her pet dog.
She stitched through the night,
But come dawn’s early light
She discovered she needed to frog.
There once was a young man named Mitch,
Who wanted to make money from stitch,
In a suit and a tie
He barely got by,
But when he switched to a thong he got rich.
So long ago they used to say:
“A stitch in time saves nine.”
For shirt repairs and holey socks
Those ancient words are fine.
But for this busy day and age
I’ll share some words of mine:
To cross with needle, floss and beads
Just makes my life divine.
Sisu L. - Michigan