June 2020 | Volume 1 Issue 3
e m o c Wel
Has your brain ever been so full that you’re just not sure what to say? If you’ve watched our FlossTube or The Daily Dish, you know that I’m rarely without words. But, to be honest, I’m finding myself at a loss on how to greet you this month. I think it’s because I feel that I have failed you all, my wonderful StitchLifers. You may have noticed that this issue is dated December 2020/ January 2021. You may have also noticed that you are getting this in early February. I’m not going to bore you with excuses for my tardiness. BUT.... I hope you have seen all the cool stuff that we’ve been working on for you in the last few months.
s s U U h h t t i i w w t t c c e e n n n n o o C C
The first Stitch/Life Stitch Box, Plant Love in 2021, is out in the world and getting great reviews from key stitching community influencers like Steel City Stitchers and Bendy Stitchy. You can learn more about Angie King, the artist whose watercolor was the inspiration for this box, on page 12. Our featured creator this month is Sian Fish of Urban Stitches. If you haven’t heard about her amazing After Dark SAL — and its wholly inappropriate for the prude blackwork designs — you’ll learn something new. Hell, even if you are doing that SAL, you will learn lots about Sian and her eccentricities in the article starting on page 4 (you’ll see the StitchLife exclusive pattern on page 8). That’s just a taste of what you’ll read in this issue...and I didn’t even get into the other Stitch/ Life boxes and new kits available on the website. You’ll have to stay tuned!
We are always looking for new contributors— or just ideas for future features. Contact us! We’re all over the place!
Email TeamStitchLife@StitchLifeMag.com Web StitchLifeMag.com Facebook facebook.com/groups/StitchLife Instagram @StitchLifeMag Patreon patreon.com/StitchLifeMag YouTube bit.ly/SLFlossTube
s t n e t n o C 2 8 10 15 18 23 26
WELCOME
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URBAN STITCHES: MIRTH + MERRIMENT
FREE PATTERN FROM URBAN STITCHES
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SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE AFTER DARK SAL
URBAN STITCHES: IN HER OWN WORDS
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GET TO KNOW CHIRP AND WHIMSY
ANATOMY OF A VIRAL POST
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WHILE YOU’RE STITCHING: BEYOND CRAFTING
KICK ASS WOMEN: JACINDA ARDERN
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STITCHPERATION
FEATURED STITCHALONG: SNARKY & MODERN WINTER SAL
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BOOK REVIEW: A BITCH IN TIME
LNS: HOBBY HOUSE NEEDLEWORKS
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FLOSSTUBE DIRECTORY
StitchLife Magazine is an independently produced, subscriber-driven publication. Unless otherwise noted, all content is created and owned by StitchLife Magazine. Re-use, reproduction. or reselling of the information in this publications is prohibited. For more information about StitchLife, please visit www.stitchlifemag.com.
Mirth + Merr
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written by Dana Costa; photos courtesy of Sian Fish
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riment
Urban Stitches’ Sian Fish talks squirrels, NSW patterns, and the importance of humor
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ou don’t have to talk to Sian Fish, Chief Squirrel Wrangler at Urban Stitches, to know that she has a fab sense of humor and impressive sense of self.
Not surprisingly, that’s her approach to parenting, too. “I have two children, 9 and 11. I try to make sure that both have an open and supportive upbringing. I want them to feel that they can talk to me, that I will support them, Just browse through the British creator’s and I will do so with as little judgement as I website and social media and it jumps out at can,” she said. you. But if you do a deep dive into her website, you The Bristol (UK)-based forknow she’s absolutely himer IT professional has a larious. (See related story background that makes on page 10) you want to grab a milkshake, sit across from her If you have the good forin a restaurant booth, and tune to ask her a few queslisten to her talk — stoptions you learn that she’s ping her only to ask claricomfortable in her skin, fying questions. funny, smart, and crazy talented. Oh, and eclectic. Sian (pronounced Sharn) has been stitching on-and-off since her school days. Her next step “My sense of humor is as eclectic as my art,” was to pursue qualifications in textiles, teachshe admitted. “It’s a very integral part of me ing herself to hand- and machine embroider and often it’s what attracts me to other peo- for her exams. Since she chose textiles over ple. All my best friendships are based on at art for her studies, it’s not surprising that her least two people sniggering at the most inop- work spans from the practical, like clothing, to portune moment.” the artistic, like embroidery and cross stitch. It’s not hard to imagine sitting at a café or park with Sian sniggering over something that catches your eye. The more inappropriate, the better. She just has that vibe — open and welcoming.
“I started with embroidery,” she said. “Prior to having children (and therefore I had spare time), I decided I wanted to learn cross stitch. I created a design from a photo and stitched it. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t grab me. I think December 2020/January 2021
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I was looking for something calming but fun. I hadn’t found modern cross stitch at that point and was slowly working my way through traditional crafts.” Sian’s designs typically fall into one of two categories: humor or politics. “The political designs occur when I’m angry or sad or passionate about something,” Sian explained. “Beyond that, if it makes me laugh, I’ll try and design it. My styles can be pretty eclectic, like me, but I have a special place in my heart for typography.” Her designs 100% reflect this love of fonts, kerning, spacing, and leading. While there isn’t one consistent design style, but bold typography and strong messages are common throughout her body of work. There is a great mix of quick, easy projects and more involved patterns that suits your levels of skill and time commitment. Like so many other stitchers, Sian finds a certain peace in cross stitching. “I like the repetitive nature of cross stitch,” she said. “It’s very mindful and grounding.” Her surroundings likely contribute to that sense of grounding. She lives with her family in a Victorian house in the hills between Bristol and Bath, which she describes as “close enough to people if I need them, but close to green fields and cows mooing.” Lucky for us, she often uses her designs as a way to calm her frustrations. “To create is a very calming and centering process,” Sian
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said. “It helps me deal with things larger than myself.” Her current endeavor is the popular After Dark Stitch Along, available free on her website or her Facebook group. (See related story on page 9). “I’ve wanted to create a SAL, but was looking for the right inspiration,” Sian said. “I had a few ideas buzzing around, but this was the one I could visualise and see a design cohesion to.” While designing, she wanted to be true to her esthetic but keep the stitcher in mind. She wanted to make it obviously fun to stitch, but also practical, so to speak. Knowing how expensive framing can be, she designed the piece to fit into a standard frame; she also wanted to make it stash-compatible so people can use the fabric and floss they have on hand, especially given many are facing pandemic-driven isolation and challenges related to affording — or even finding — new stitching supplies. “Many people doing the SAL have chosen black fabric and neon colors (which leaves me with stitch envy), but I wanted this to be as accessible as possible to anyone wanting to take part,” she said. Sian chose 14-count, white Aida with red variegated floss for her test stitch, which she worked on while watching iZombie. “Have I mentioned I’m a slow stitcher? Well, I’m 5 seasons of iZombie slow,” she said.
Regardless of their pace of stitching, not everyone will love Sian’s style. Her designs often feature graphic content and colorful language…ok, she has lots of peens, boobs, and swears, especially the f-bomb. That doesn’t bother Sian one bit. “It would do a disservice to craft to say that it has never been an outlet for feelings and opinions,” she said. “Some people like stitching teddy bears, some people like stitching flowers, and some people like stitching swear words. There is nothing innately wrong with these things.” It all goes back to the changing nature of cross stitching; it’s not the twee craft of your grandmother’s era, Sian explained. Embroidery stitches in traditional cross stitch; new gadgets; old tools used in new ways; new ways of dying fabric. Sian considers the content of cross stitching to be in the same category as supplies. “As cross stitch has become more mainstream, it is easier to put over a point to others. It’s no different than being able to share a message or a frustration with others,” Sian said. But the history of art has always been about advocating change and, like it or not, change is political because it involves people’s thoughts and feelings on a topic or issue. And, as Sian succinctly explained: it can draw people in or push them away.
With such global upheaval — due to politics and the on-going pandemic — sometimes stitching one’s feelings is the best way to manage through the uncertainty. “I often feel frustrated or feel powerless when political maneuvers occur. I’m British, but a lot of my customer base is in America,” Sian said. “When I see things happening in either country and look at the ramifications of what will happen internally and externally, I often feel the need to create something to let out my frustrations.” Sian’s patterns definitely share her feelings on the events of the world — messages of inclusivity, defiance, mindfulness, and more. She’s not shy about expressing her feelings in the most Urban Stitches way possible. “There can be delight in surprising or shocking people by subverting a craft, however there are no craft police. Everyone is entitled to stitch what they want,” she said. “You can take a craft and change it. The direction of the craft itself is up to you. That’s the joy of art.”
Shop Sian’s patterns on her website or Etsy. StitchLifers (that’s YOU!) can get 15% off purchases on the Urban Stitches website using code STITCHLIFEMAG. Offer valid through December 31, 2021. One per email address, please. Other ways to find Urban Stitches: Instagram ; Pinterest and Facebook.
December 2020/January 2021
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Free Patterns !
Thanks, Sian, for this amazing pattern — just for StitchLifers. Download here. Want to be part of Urban Stitches’ After Dark SAL? It’s free on Facebook or learn more about it on the next page!
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Shedding Light
on the Urban Stitches After Dark SAL Urban Stitches’ After Dark Stitch Along is definitely NSFW (not suitable for work) but it is a super-fun blackwork pattern to stitch. The free, 16-week SAL has taken the interwebs by storm since it launched on January 1, 2021. As of mid-January, the Urban Stitches After Dark SAL Facebook (private) group has about 3,600 members. The beauty of the SAL is best described by Sian herself on the FB group page announcements:
The SAL has been purposely designed to be created in any colour or colours you want. It’s a stash buster if you want it to be. Work with what you have. You can, of course, buy new fabric and floss, but it isn’t mandatory.
love
A very active group of stitchers, the group shares their own twists on the designs that Sian has created. Like Sian’s original design, the personal variations are bold and inclusive; and many stitchers are creating their own blended combination of the elements they love. “I have tried to include patterns to interest all genders and sexualities,” Sian said. “It’s important to me that all feel that there is something for them, not that it is swayed to just a heteronormative individual.” Unlike other SALs, these changes to the pattern are not only welcomed, but encouraged. This approach makes the SAL a collaborative effort that boosts group interaction, but gives Sian, its original creator, the appreciation and credit she deserves.
racy ,
Would to share a pic of the SAL so far but it’s so we’ll let you decide if it’s for you. Head over to Facebook to check out the current SAL release. December 2020/January 2021
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Urban Stitches : Purveyors of Mirth &
Member of th
ABOUT ME My name is Sian, and I am the owner, creator, designer, chicken tamer and chief squirrel wrangler extraordinaire at Urban Stitches. I design cross stitch and blackwork patterns for people who want to be heard, for those who want to chuckle while they stitch and for individuals that just love a bloody good swear word. Or two.
ABOUT CROSS STITCH I get a great sense of satisfaction from observing the diligence of the team and growing those ideas into a pattern that will look amazing gracing a wall, adorning a cubicle, or as pride of place hanging over the loo – creating that very special je ne sais quoi (as the squirrels say) that your fingers have been twitching to tell everyone about.
I live in the South West of England with my 2 children, husband, 2 fluffy cats and 1 rather cumbersome clumsy dog.
There is a special Zen-like moment during stitching that helps clear your head and reduces stress. The uncomplicated nature of following a pattern and producing a cross stitched item is both relaxing and fulfilling.
ABOUT SQUIRRELS I have an elite team of squirrels who scour the odd corners of internet (and occasionally binge watch daytime TV) looking for the best misfit ideas. They pick out the juiciest nuggets, bury them in strange and unusual patterns and wait for them to grow into charts for you to purchase. They have been rigorously trained to only forage for the ripest ideas and unearth the choicest memes by a strict regime of being woken early, having a cold shower, being given coffee on tap and then handed a toddler to look after for half an hour. From there, only the most on-the-ball squirrels go on to perform a thorough internet search for new ideas by 7am.
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ABOUT MY CROSS-STITCH PATTERNS Each and every one of my patterns is designed by me individually. I do not use software to automatically churn out masses of patterns from pictures from the internet – I manually create every picture and every font you see. This is important for several reasons: • The cross-stitch patterns you buy from me are designed to be stitched – not just scanned by software. • I check that the colours go well together, that the symbols in the pattern are easily discernible between each other; and that both the pattern and the end stitch feel right. • I agonise over whether the use of more advanced cross stitch techniques such as backstitching and French knots add to a pattern or not.
& Merriment
he Artisanal Guild of Holistic Humorists from the Urban Stitches website • I listen to your feedback – and because I use my knowledge and skills to create the crossstitch patterns, I can change those patterns – and I do. I have improved several patterns based on feedback from you. • My patterns don’t breach copyright or licences. Although I live in the UK the majority of my customers are based in America and Canada. Therefore, where I can I provide my patterns in American English and British English – but I do tend to focus on the American English spelling first. It is always possible – despite my best efforts – that I make an error on a pattern. Fortunately, these are very rare – but they have happened. If you find such an error, please let me know – I will change the pattern and am always quite grateful for all feedback. FOR WHEN I AM FAMOUS I am a compelling figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row. By day I am a fighter of crime, by night an infamous cross stitcher. I was scouted by the Queen’s Own Guard, I am the subject of numerous documentaries. When I’m bored, I build large suspension bridges in my garden. I enjoy urban hang gliding. I know
the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. On Wednesdays, after work, I perform recitals of obscure limericks free of charge. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Haiti. I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid on time. On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami. I have made extraordinary four course meals using only couscous and a toaster. I breed prizewinning shellfish. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis. The laws of physics do not apply to me. In case you’re wondering, my favourite dinosaur is Pachycephalosaurus and my favourite colour is pizza. December 2020/January 2021
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COLLABORATIONS
getting to know
Chirp and Whimsey photos courtesy of Angie King; written by Dana L Costa
There is a popular phrase in the world of communications: The medium is the message. Coined by Marshall McLuhan in the mid-1960s, this theory proposes that how words are delivered is more important than the words themselves. Mr. McLuhan obviously never experienced the watercolor art of Chirp and Whimsy’s Angie King. The Vermont-based artist expertly blends thought-provoking messages with her signature style of dreamy images and colors that are enhanced by her watercolor technique. And those messages are getting her noticed. Before the U.S. elections in November 2020, Angie shared an image on Facebook of one of her pieces, What If They Lose, and it went viral (see related story). That’s how StitchLife learned about Angie’s art, and approached her for a collaboration on the Start Fresh for 2021 mystery box. 12
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“I was so honored when StitchLife reached out,” she said. “Collaboration is such a fun thing, and it was humbling to think that more people would see my art in this new way.” After chatting about the mystery box theme, Angie had an idea of a new piece for StitchLife. “I thought about the idea of a fresh start,” Angie explained. “Since my art has lots of plants and color, the idea of planting love in the new year seemed like an easy fit. I sat down to paint and this is what came out.” “This” is Penelope, the star of the StitchLife mystery box, and her whimsical world of flowers and beauty. Penelope, named by the folks at StitchLife, is just part of the world that Angie has created through her art. And it started with a little bird that she named Chirp. “Every message that I felt like I needed to put down on paper came in the form of a little bird,” she explained. “As I continued to paint, Chirp showed up everywhere.
And wherever Chirp was, whimsy followed.” As public demand for Angie’s art grew, she created her company name, Chirp and Whimsy, from the birth of Chirp and the whimsy that followed. Surprisingly, Angie’s hasn’t been working in watercolors for a long time. She picked up watercolors a “few years ago” after working in photography. “One day I found a set of watercolors and started to paint. And I loved it,” she recounted. I loved how unpredictable it was. I loved how patient I had to be. It became therapy for me; a way to disconnect from the world around me while also processing so much of what I was thinking and feeling.” After sharing her watercolors with trusted friends — and getting their support and encouragement — she took the leap, doing a public show at a Davis Studio, a local art school in Burlington, Vermont. “Almost all the original pieces sold out in minutes. I realized right then and there that my art was more than just a hobby,” Angie said.
brings people together in a common understanding of its messages of hope, inclusivity, and beauty. “I hadn’t really begun to understand that [these messages] were, in some ways, universal,” Angie said. “[My art] was something that brought emotion, connection, love, and hope to others. It was something I wanted to share more.” Like many artists, Angie is greatly impacted by what is happening in society today and, as a teacher, she’s usually surrounded by children — either in her classroom at The Bellwether School in Williston, Vermont or at home with her two daughters. “It can be a lot,” she said of the goings-on in the world today. “No matter what is happening in the world, children are curious, and capable of thinking and feeling big things. When they ask about “grown-up” things, I ask myself, “What do they want to know” and “What do you think they need to hear?” “I often paint as if I were talking to a child, boiling down a big idea into something digestible,” she shared.
Her success made it obvious that the messages she was painting struck a chord with others. More than just watercolor on paper, Angie’s art exposes human emotion in its most raw form and messages that are relatable across generations. It’s a gift that comes from her fascination with people and her ability to connect with them. “I realized that we have a collective energy that yearns to know the same things: we are enough, we are loved, we have value, we can feel, we can know, we can wonder, we can learn, we can grow,” she said. She translated this realization into art that December 2020/January 2021
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Her connection to people of all ages through her art is undeniable. Angie’s art is like a reassuring hug from a good friend, someone who knows you deeply. “My pictures try to reflect the essence of a person,” she said. Angie admits that she is fascinated by human behavior and considered a career in psychology before choosing teaching. In a sense, Angie hopes that people get the same from her watercolors. “I want people to be seen. Even if I don’t know them,” she said. “I hope that they see a piece and it resonates with them, giving them hope or joy or peace or contentedness or it makes them feel empowered.” She’s felt that same sense — the sense of being seen — when she was reading Story People by Brian Andreas. “No matter what was happening in my life, he had a piece that could connect with my experience. I loved the simple lines and the colors,” Angie said. “I hadn’t thought about him for years and then one friend asked me
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if I knew his work because my pieces reminded her of them. It was a huge compliment.” Angie should get used to the compliments. After her creations went viral, she opened her Etsy shop to sell different iterations of her art, including a 2021 calendar that sold out within days. She’s also finding her way into stores in her area, inevitably expanding her message and medium and connecting even more people to the encouraging and positive messages of her art, and spreading kindness in a sometimes ugly world. “The world can be filled with a lot of challenging moments, and at any given moment there are people who are hurting,” she said. “I hope my art takes away the hurt, just a smidge, and inspires people to help take away that hurt in others.” Shop Chirp and Whimsy on Etsy and be sure to follow Angie on Instagram!
anatomy of a viral post I asked Angie about the origin of her piece What if They Lose, which went viral around the time of the U .S. election in November 2020, and her inspiration to create it . That was a bit of a crazy moment in my art-making history. I was remembering the feeling I had four years prior, thinking about how one election might change so, so much. It was time, again, for another historical vote to take place, and this one felt even more heavy and hard. During a pandemic, it was hard to have hope about much, but this election felt particularly charged and overwhelming. Sitting in bed, I thought about what I would say to my girls, knowing that we would not have a more definitive answer to their questions for some time. And then I thought about what this election, for me, was really about. It was about human rights. It was about advocacy. It was about allyship. It was about anti-racism. It was about believing in and fighting for something better and something bigger than just ourselves. And I thought about how what I fight for and believe in and hope for does not change because of who is (U.S.) President. Being an advocate or an ally is not conditional. My daughters are young enough to think that the election would make things better in a moment if it went a certain way. That piece was my way of saying, “No matter what, we have work to do and will have work to do for a long time. And we care enough to do that work.”
By the next day, a friend sent me a post on another Facebook page. I don’t know how they grabbed the image, but it was that piece, cropped (with no artist credit) with 350 likes. I was floored. I thought, “Wow, that’s a lot of people.” And, by the end of the day there were 1,000 likes and shares. Pretty soon it was everywhere. I don’t know how many people saw it. At one point I have tallied tens of thousands of shares. Some people found out it was me and credited my Facebook page. All of a sudden there were requests to print it. Now, the tiny art business that I did for fun here and there needed to be something more.
So I painted it, started at like 3 in the morning, and it flowed out of me. Once it was done, I posted it on my personal Facebook page where several friends liked it. As the day when on, I posted it to an open group that I thought might appreciate the messaging. It got a handful of likes. Nothing big. December 2020/January 2021
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our first Stitch/Life Stitch Box includes: pattern fabric floss project bag hoop needle sticker candle beeswax
December 2020/January 2021
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INSPIRATION
Jacinda-mania
photo: Derek Henderson for Vogue
written by Dana L Costa
To say that New Zealand has become a progressive model for modern governing is equally surprising and exciting. It’s a new generation of government, led by a new generation of leader: Jacinda Ardern.
Ardern, elected the prime minister of New Zealand in 2017 and reelected in 2020, has seen her share of challenges while on the job: terrorist attacks, the coronavirus pandemic, and breastfeeding.
I’m not going to pretend to understand the complexity of New Zealand politics, including their party system and election process, so don’t expect this profile to discuss the particulars of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s rise to power through the New Zealand Parliament.
Sadly, the first two are challenges that other world leaders have faced. The last? Unique to Ardern. In 2018, she became only the 2nd world leader — ever — to give birth while in office. She also had her daughter, Neve, while unmarried (gasp!).
This is about PM Ardern as a woman in politics in the 21st century and how her role as a modern leader has influenced politics on a global scale. It’s also an exploration in the role of empathy in government. Yes, empathy.
At 40, Ardern has been in politics for about half her life, joining the Labour Party as a teen and working for then-Prime Minister, Helen Clark, after graduating from University of Waikato in 2001.
“It takes courage and strength to be empathetic,” Ardern has said. Especially in government, where so many leaders are from a different generation, and most are men.
Frankly, that’s not the remarkable part of Jacinda Ardern. Not even close. It’s how she has amplified New Zealand on the world stage as Prime Minister in just 3.5 years.
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The Christchurch (NZ) mosque shootings in March 2019 was one of the first events that shone the spotlight on Ardern’s approach to crisis management and policy intervention. In response to the shooting, which killed 51 and wounded 40 more, Prime Minister Ardern said, “Our gun laws will change, now is the time. People will be seeking change, and I am committed to that.” At the memorial for shooting victims, she delivered a message of unity to the people of New Zealand: “We are not immune to the viruses of hate, of fear, of other. We have never been. But we can be the nation that discovers the cure.”
She told lawmakers in parliament that New Zealand had twice tried to change the country’s gun laws. Promising reforms within weeks, the Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts Amendment Act 2019 was introduced on April 1, 2019 and passed just days later. In addition to banning the sale of semi-automatic weapons, requiring permitting for other types of guns, and instituting a buy-back and amnesty program to get now-prohibited weapons out of public circulation. When then-U.S. President Donald Trump called with condolences after the Christchurch shooting, he asked what the United States could do to help. The Prime Minister’s response: “Sympathy and love for all Muslim communities.”
In one of the many ways that Jacinda Ardern started to develop that cure was to never recognize the white supremist killer by name, saying in an address at New Zealand’s parliament, “He sought many things from his act of terror, but one was notoriety — that is why you will never hear me mention his name.”
Less than a year later, the Prime Minister would be tested again, as the Covid pandemic hit New Zealand. In just over 100 days, New Zealand declared the pandemic over — at a time when other countries were seeing case and death numbers rising quickly. A country the size of the U.S. state of Colorado with a population of about 5 million (similar in population to the U.S. state of Louisiana) has seen a relatively low impact on public health: 2,304
“We are not immune to the viruses of
hate...we never have been . But we can be the nation that discover s the cure .” - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern illustration: Briana Arrington December 2020/January 2021
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INSPIRATION
photo: Camera Press
cases with 25 souls lost. Total. In just under one year. Comparatively, Louisiana has recorded 402,000 cases and 8,912 deaths. How was this possible? Prime Minister Ardern approached the pandemic but taking swift and definitive action from the beginning. Starting in February 2020, the New Zealand government began implementing its pandemic plan, designed to deal with an influenza pandemic, but preparing hospitals and instituting border-control policies. When the severity of COVID-19 was being understood by global health agencies, New Zealand, led by Prime Minister Ardern, focused on not just mitigating but eliminating the disease. Starting on March 26, 2020, New Zealand was on a countrywide lockdown, essentially a 7-week national stay at home order. The country ended its community spread in early May when the last identified COVID-19 case was observed. On June 8, just 103 days later, New Zealand declared the pandemic over. In the weeks that New Zealand was at the peak of its lockdown, the Prime Minister gave regular interview, press conferences, 20
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and live videos on social media to keep Kiwis informed as to the state of public health, what measures the government were taking, and how all citizens could keep themselves and their families safe. The transparency has been described as a “masterclass in crisis communication” by The Washington Post. Even today, the New Zealand Ministry of Health gives official accounts of existing and new coronavirus cases — in fact, on January 29, 2020, the Ministry of Health’s Twitter feed reported “There is one case of COVID19 in managed isolation to report in New Zealand since our last media statement yesterday. There are no new cases in the community.” Throughout the pandemic, videos of Prime Minister Ardern explained plainly the importance of the country’s lockdown, proper hygiene, and mask-wearing with complete transparency and in easy-to-understand language. No ambiguity. No gaslighting. No mixed messages. Prime Minister Ardern learned how to be a genuine and empathetic leader growing up in a tight-knit Mormon family on New Zealand’s North Island and is a self-described
photo: Irish Times
“small-town girl.” Growing up, she never dreamed of or even considered being Prime Minister, but she admitted that “everything I’ve ever thought about doing has been in some sense about helping people.” Her desire to help people — as trite as it may sound — drives her top causes: Maori rights, climate change, and economic equality. Those have largely remained unchanged since she was a teen seeing the effects of economic inequality on New Zealand’s Maori people.
Learn more about Jacinda Ardern
In October 2020, the Prime Minister won a second term in her post and grew the majority in the country’s parliament. Her drive to help her fellow New Zealanders seems to be unwavering; and with her people behind her, there may be no limit to her contributions. References: She Represents: 44 Women Who Are Changing Politics . . . and the World (2020) by Caitlin Donohue; Wikipedia.org; CNN.com; Britannica. com; usatoday.com; bbc.com; vogue.co.uk; vogue. com; theguardian.com; insider.com; irishtimes.com; beehive.govt.nz; contagionlive.com; cdc.gov; covid19. who.int
Jacinda Ardern with partner (and stay-at-home dad) Clarke Gayford and baby Neve at the United Nations in 2018 (photo: Getty Images)
The Most Powerful Woman In The World: How Jacinda Ardern Exemplifies Progressive Leadership by Madeleine Chapman (2020) Jacinda Ardern: Leading with Empathy by Supriya Vani and Carl A. Harte (release date: June 8, 2021) She Represents: 44 Women Who Are Changing Politics . . . and the World by Caitlin Donohue (2020) December 2020/January 2021
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Stitchpiration : Jacinda Kamala Ardern Harris New Zealand-based StitchHoop has lots of Kiwi-inspired patterns, including this one of Prime Minister Ardern.
Not cross-stitch related but how cute is this Jacinda Ardern art print? It’s from the BoredInc Sheroes Collection.
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SAL OF THE MONTH
photo courtesy of Dana L. Costa (fabric: 16 ct hand-dyed Aida from Sassi Stitch; floss: DMC; palette: Modern Christmas)
Featured Stitchalong Snarky + M odern Winter St it chal ong by Th e F e r n w a y S t u d i o FREQUENCY: WEEKLY START DATE: DECEMBER 21, 2020 COST: FREE! SNARKY & MODERN FACEBOOK GROUP INSTAGRAM: @THEFERNWAYSTUDIO
BOOK REVIEW
Who doesn’t love a good crossstitch book? You always want lots of great patterns in fun colors with witty descriptions and commentary, and amazing guidance on how to make the pattern your own or how to modify to suit your skill level. Those are difficult books to find. Usually, you have to sacrifice one for another like a great format, but the patterns aren’t your style, or the book has no personality. You know, like the book version of a rebound relationship, the one you settle for because it may be better than nothing. A Bitch in Time: 30 Snarcastic Stitches for You to Stab is not your rebound book. This is a long-term love book. Sister-and-brother team Tara and Roy Reed have created TITLE: A BITCH IN TIME: 30 SNARCASTIC STITCHES patterns worthy of their snarcasticness (or is it snarcastiFOR YOU TO STAB cy?): Fun, slightly inappropriAUTHORS: TARA K. REED + ROY W.P. REED ate, punny stitches that are COST: US$23.99 WHERE TO BUY: A BITCH IN TIME ETSY designed not only for their INSTAGRAM: @A_BITCHINTIME humor and shock value but for easy framing.
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And did I mention that art contributor Erin Burnett is a
Reed by birth? But this isn’t just a sibling adventure, years in the making. Their mother, Helen, served as test stitcher for the book and all the other patterns the ABIT team creates and photographs for social media and online stores.
My stitch from the A Bitch in Time book !
There was no pattern in this book that I didn’t want to stitch. In fact, when I was choosing what pattern to stitch to go along with this review, I struggled to pick just one. My mood led me to stitch Passive Aggressive (shown on page 16; pattern on page 51) and, if I knew how to count, I would have finished it faster. I was a huge fan of the Using this Book section, starting on page 71 that explains all the key facts for each pattern, including difficulty level, dimensions, and fabric sizes. The beauty of this book is more than skin deep. I assure you. The Reeds have included important details that some books gloss over. One of my favorite elements is the customization suggestions. Many pattern designers don’t encourage customization of their patterns, wanting instead to have stitchers follow their designs to the letter. Not the Reeds! I’m so in love with their suggestions for modifying the Climb every mountain. Die on every hill. pattern (page 9): “Feeling playful? Change the colour of the girl’s dress, shoes, and hair.
Put her in jeans and give her a haircut if you want.” Phrases like that make me wonder what holiday dinners are like in the Reed home. Since Tara was voted Most Sarcastic Female at her high school, I can only imagine the level of snark that flies around their table. I’m so happy that the Reeds have harnessed their collective snark to share with us in their book and their social media. And I’m even happier that they are already at work on ABIT: Volume 2. Purchase A Bitch in Time: 30 Snarcastic Stitches for You to Stab on Etsy and follow A Bitch in Time on Instagram. While you are on IG, follow the authors’ personal accounts, too! Tara (@doorflowerco) and Roy (@thereedstudio)
December 2020/January 2021
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LNS SPOTLIGHT
It’s not easy writing about Local Needle Shops in the time of Covid. True, bricks-and-mortar Local Needle Shops (LNS) were already in short supply before Covid hit, the victim of big-box retailers and large online sellers. I have a confession. I’ve never been to a real needle shop as an adult. I went to one with my mom as a child — and I was probably a brat about it. I’m sure I went to a quilt shop with my grandmother; she was a wildly talented quilter and did wonders with a crochet needle. My childhood recollections are of bolts and bolts of calico fabric, a tight-lipped woman behind the cutting counter, and the smell of moth balls wafting through the store. As an adult, my in-person supply-shopping experiences are limited to big-box stores. Don’t get me wrong, when I need something immediately or want to browse, I will go to a chain store but it doesn’t give me 26
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a blissful feeling, especially if I have questions or want to learn about the best use of a product I have my eye on. I’ve never lived anywhere that had a Local Needle Shop (LNS) where I could spend hours drifting through displays of patterns, fabrics, threads, flosses, and finishings. Or talk to someone who really knows about products, techniques, and inventory because that person is a stitcher or sewist or quilter, not just an employee, so I can boost my stitching game or improve my FFOs (or both!). Hobby House Needleworks in Pittsford, New York (USA) looks like it would 100% fit my LNS wish list. Hobby House owner Kathy Mills is not shy about telling people that she loves to cross stitch. On the Hobby House Needleworks website, Kathy explains her crafting history and that her “one constant was cross stitch.”
photos courtesy of Hobby House Needleworks; written by Dana L. Costa
Known as The Green Log Cabin on State Street, Hobby House is a beautiful LNS and a robust Online Needle Shop (ONS), packed with almost every floss brand you can imagine and such a wide variety of fabric that it would bring tears to your eyes. I’ll admit that I got caught looking at almost every page on the site, poring over the hundreds of patterns (organized by designer and category), accessories, kits, flosses (includes silks!) — and on-brand extras like shaker boxes and to-die-for Lowery Workstands and Needlework System 4 stands. Kelly has provided her website visitors a great glimpse of what they would experience in her little green cabin in Pittsford and the Hobby House Needleworks Instagram page (https://www.instagram. com/hobbyhouseneedleworks/) fills in the blanks — walls of floss, shelves of beautiful fabrics and linens, organized by count and color, and gorgeous finished pieces hanging on walls and decorating tabletops around the store.
I think it sounds like a piece of cross-stitching heaven, doesn’t it? I have every intention of visiting Kathy at the Hobby House when I’m in the area visiting family when Covid settles. OK, it’s a 4-hour drive from my hometown but I can pop over to Toronto (Canada) and make a weekend of it! Anyone know of some good needle shops in southeast Ontario?
Hobby House Needleworks’ website offers free U.S. shipping on all orders over $100, a free newsletter, and a handy fabric calculator. If you shop on their site, tell Kathy that StitchLife Magazine sent you! Editor’s Note: While doing research, I bought a slew of stitching goodies from Hobby House (don’t judge, it was research!). I was thrilled with the service, the speed of shipping, the careful packaging, and beautiful products. Thank you, Kathy and team! -dlc December 2020/January 2021
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