By Donna Sawyer

I recently saw online that people were working on project while being locked down at home.  I decided to work on a wool penny rug.  I had started it over two years ago and appliquéd all of the wool flowers on it. When that was done, the seams between the different wool pieces needed to have fancy stitches sewed on.  I sewed on fancy stitches and they were so bad that I put the piece away and knew I would never finish it.  At least two times I had it in my hand to throw in the trash. Something told me not to so I would pack it away.

Fast forward to the pandemic.  I found it last week and decided to try making fancy stitches between the pieces of wool.  So, I ripped out my previous stitches and began work.  It was coming out so nice that I just kept going.  If you look closely, you will see the new stitches.

However, the story gets better.  Last fall, I taught a class at adult Ed and it was call “Fancy Stitches”.  Each week I taught new stitches to a class of six ladies.  The class went so well, I signed up to teach Fancy Stitches, level two this semester.  To get ready for Level two, I taught myself more stitches and made 20 samples for my students to see how to apply what they were learning.  I practiced every day in preparation to teach this semester.  I am getting pretty good, but my stitches are not at a level that is good enough to satisfy me.  I am glued to the TV during this pandemic and this wool piece is soothing my nerves as I watch the new world unfolding.

So, this is the story of a “Pandemic”, my latest penny rug. The piece is now finished. Thank you for any interest you have shown.