Jeff, Jojo, Taz, and I have revised our “Mission.” Originally we were going to travel all over the US and maybe Canada, “boon-docking” where we could utilize our solar panels to provide the juice for whatever propane couldn’t energize—things like putting out the slide to give us living space and what few lights we might need beyond our lantern. The fridge and hot water can be run on propane. So anywhere we could be a defined distance from the road (per National Forest regs) we could just park and play.
For me, play was to visit needlework shops in the areas we traveled. By talking with the owners/managers I would come up with favorite threads, colors, and stitches of the owners. Using that input I would design a sampler. Describing that process was the original Mission of this blog.
Well, shit things happen, times change gas prices skyrocket, and Wal-Mart the economy pushes lots of small shop owners out of business!
We are into plan Z-19.
And this blog is all over the place, but not where it started out.
The yellow dot is where we are camped in Senate District 32 of Alabama
I can’t really tell you what we’re doing outside of sitting in Alabama where the weather is great and the rent and utilities are real low. We know we’ll be here for a year unless a hurricane forces us to evacuate. We will re-evaluate our plans a year from now as to whether we head back north or stay another year.
Unfortunately, there are no local needlework stores outside of the chains and I am back to my old faithful internet stores. I really miss the joy and inspiration that comes from walking into a shop and seeing all the geegaws and whatsits. And picking up the patterns and books, reading a bit before I create my priority list. But that’s neither here nor there in terms of a Mission Statement or description.
When I look back upon the past several years, most of my posts fall more under the subtitle of this blog—”And Other Stitching Challenges.” Completing the “Shop Sampler” is going to be an incredible challenge, one that may need to go to the bottom of the “To Do” list.
But I’m wondering. If the Mission changes and the Shop Sampler is not the focus, should the title of the blog and mission statement be different?
I think not. I think I may need to reconsider how I gather the Shop information. I’m thinking that I may enlist readers to help me. And I’m thinking I may create a challenge to make it work. Maybe something like this:
- I write a formal challenge asking for the shop name, the shop web and/or email address, the shop owner/manager’s favorite thread and color and the favored stitch using that thread and color.
- Readers email me or make a comment on the formal challenge post with the requested info.
- I add each submission to a page under the Sampler Shops button (at the top of the page) after I send a note to each Shop so they can check out the link.
- Once a month I choose one submission randomly. That poster will receive a token of my appreciation…maybe a small, a tool, a bit of fabric…nothing major, just a token.
- Start all over again the next month.
So…that’s what I’m thinking. What do you think?
The Shop Sampler 
