SASSSY-BONNETED PRUVENTURES WITH AUDREY

Sassy-bonneted Pruventures with Audrey

Getting to know Audrey Emmett-Delamere is like getting to know her creation, Prudence Kitch. Both are women seemingly straddling two worlds: The traditional and the modern.

For example, Seattle, Washington (USA)-based Audrey enjoys cooking, painting, knitting, and gardening but at the same time, she is drawn to modern stitching patterns that juxtapose gorgeous florals with the word fuck.

Prudence has many of the same interests...and definitely the same love of surprising people who think they know what to expect from her. Before learning more about Prudence, you need to know more about Audrey.

A married mother of two little ones, Audrey says that as long as she’s making something, she’s happy. She enjoys cooking nice dinners for her husband, raising her children, tending her roses, “and shit.”

But she’s also a self-described feminist Gen X-er. “Our version of feminism came with certain expectations,” Audrey explains. “Think flannels, Doc Martens, and an absolute hard-line stance against the domestic norms our mothers and grandmothers experienced.”

“I’ve always been a feminist,” Audrey says, “because, as Maya Angelou said, it would be stupid not to be on my own side.”

But she still has admired and respected friends

written by Dana L. Costa

who Audrey says think of her as a sell-out because she chose raising her children over her career. But Audrey takes their opinions in stride.

“I don’t fault them for [their opinions],” Audrey says, “but my concept of feminism is about choosing one’s own path. This is mine and I’m fucking killing it. So, to me, Prudence is a feminine feminist. No one told her she had to wear the bonnet, and she will speak her mind.

The path to creating Prudence started when Audrey began after the 2016 election, when she began cross stitching, with Prudence’s emergence coming a few weeks into quarantine, which started in Seattle much earlier than in other parts of the United States. She was inspired, according to Audrey, by quilting staple and folk image Sunbonnet Sue, who gained popularity in the early 1900s. “A dear friend of mine was going through something and I was thinking of her and her incredible strength in taking back her life,” Audrey says, “when I came across a quote: ‘Stop breaking yourself down into bite-sized pieces to serve others. Stay whole and let them choke.’ I had to stitch it.” Taking a cue from her own interest in blending flowers and swear words, she liked the idea of a “proper young lady” taking a stance. Voila! Prudence was born.

But Prudence’s world doesn’t start and end with her. Also in her circle: the Unsolicited Sir Richard Pickering (aka Dick). “Richard is a creation I’m hav

ing way too much fun with,” Audrey says. “I initially thought of him as just a one off, so he didn’t really have a name.”

After posting his first appearance in a stitching Facebook group, Dick needed a name and a member of that group, Nora, suggested a villain name. “He reminded her of that ‘well-meaning co-worker in every workplace harassment avoidance training video’.” Dick seemed too obvious of a name, so Audrey suggested Unsolicited Richard then he was officially dubbed the Unsolicited Sir Richard Pickering. “I laugh every time I type it,” Audrey admits. Another one-time guest in Prudence’s orbit is an unnamed character who Audrey describes as “not exactly woke, but not a lost cause.” Like Dick, this one-timer may become a semi-regular character and Audrey plans to turn to the Prudiverse for naming suggestions.

That fan base is growing. Prudence’s Facebook group has more than 1,100 members in just a few months. When asked about Pru’s popularity, Audrey is speechless.

“As a design, she’s a simple creature, but she has developed a pretty distinctive voice that, I’m happy to learn, seems to resonate,” Audrey says, adding “at least with the cool people.” The beginning of a Prudence Kitch design sometimes starts with the come-backs Audrey wishes she would have thought of during a conversation. “We all rehash crap in our heads,” she says. “and have won long-past arguments while in the shower.”

While Audrey is the driver of Pru’s success, Prudence is also, in a way, Audrey’s alter ego. “You might say that Prudence represents a better version of myself,” Audrey ponders. “She’s a lot more confident than me; she’s wittier and more elegant; not at all self-deprecating.”

Luckily for Pru’s fans, Audrey is in the process of creating digital patterns of “Pruventures” plus stickers and a calendar that will be available for purchase soon.

Find Prudence — and Audrey and her company, Stitch by Drey — on Facebook (www.facebook. com/PrudenceKitch) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/prudencekitch). Audrey made this pattern exclusively for StitchLife !

Those of us who have been stitching, even for a short time, know that the cost of supplies can be overwhelming, especially over time.

The required investment for fabric, floss, needles, and patterns — let alone hoops (or QSnaps or scroll frames), needle minders, good lighting, pattern holders, project bags, needle threaders, and many of the other goodies that make cross stitching easier and more enjoyable — adds up quickly.

If you are in a rural area where local needle shops (LNS) or big-box stores are hard to find or difficult to get to, the prices may be higher or you may have to pay a bundle for shipping, especially if you just need that one color of floss to finish your project.

As a hoarder of all types of craft supplies — but a hoarder with a limited craft-supply budget — I’ll share some ways to expand your stash without breaking the bank.

VISIT CHARITY SHOPS I’m a huge fan of charity shops (aka thrift stores, secondhand shops, etc.) because the prices usually can’t be beat. As someone who makes the rounds at local charity shops, I definitely have favorites. Some are favorites because they are consistently good sources, and some are favorites because of the charities they benefit. Once you find a good shop, get to know how often they restock shelves and when they have special sales. One of my faves has 50% off craft supplies every Friday. Score!

ASK FELLOW STITCHERS I’m notorious for going all-in on something rather than testing it first. Here’s an example: I’m not a fan of bobbining my floss. When I saw StitchBows on sale on the DMC site, I bought enough for all my floss, all bazillion colors of it. Then I put all these skeins on all these StitchBows. I hated it. Now I’m rehoming all these barely used StitchBows. I am sure I’m not alone.