PieceWork July/August 2016

Go west—embark on an adventure with PieceWork July/August 2016 issue. Mary Bush's "Making a Home on the Range and Elsewhere along the Pioneer Trail" captures the trials of the women who traversed the Great Plains yet maintained a sense of civility along the trail. This and other stories devoted to "country living" illustrate the importance of needlework to those who settled the American West. Take a trip down memory lane with Diane Kennedy's article on the hope chest. Meet Mary Ann Beinecke who was invested in passing on fine embroidery skills through the Nantucket Needlery. Discover the decorative art uproar behind the three enterprising women and their patent disputes.

Recreate one or more of the seven knit, crochet, and embroidered projects inspired by this sense of adventure. Eileen Lee's beautiful knitted Rosebud Fingerless Gloves have a hope chest connection. Stitch Mary Polityka Bush's Pitcher Cover to Embroider and keep your table like the pioneer women of the nineteenth-century. Place Donna Druchunas's Star Rag Rug to Knit in front of your hearth. Craft a family heirloom with Love Grows: A Half-Moon Clutch to Crochet by Katherine Durack. All of this is calling you to undertake your own needlework venture.