Tuesday, 23 May 2017
Tuesday, the 9th of May, time to leave Nashua.
In the morning travelled by car back to the Boston airport to fly to Cincinnati, Ohio,
as I had been invited by Ellen & Tom Chester (of ‘With My Needle’ fame)
In the morning travelled by car back to the Boston airport to fly to Cincinnati, Ohio,
as I had been invited by Ellen & Tom Chester (of ‘With My Needle’ fame)
to stay with them for a few days.
Arrived there late that afternoon to be met with huge smiles and hugs
from both of these lovely people.
Together we drove to their golf course community subdivision,
along the peaceful tree-lined streets to their street - Shaker Run
past the golf clubhouse
to their beautiful home
Every morning Ellen wakes early and settles down
on her favourite couch in the family room
to stitch for a few hours before beginning her daily chores.
Isn't this an awesome spot?!
On the walls of the dining area hung antique cross stitch piece after cross stitch piece -
each piece worked on perforated paper. Just wonderful!
and was taken to my gorgeous bedroom!
Antiques and samplers everywhere!!
I felt like royalty!!
That evening - and the next - enjoyed a delicious dinner
at their gorgeous antique table
in their elegant dining room
with antique samplers adorning the walls.
The arms of the chair are not threadbare like my stitching chair!
Later in the morning Ellen and I went "antiquing" and at lunchtime Tom joined us
at the Golden Lamb Inn which was built in 1803.
Since being built this inn has hosted many USA presidents for a night
and so most of the rooms were named after those who had stayed.
Unoccupied rooms were 'roped off' but open for viewing
and the décor in each room was fabulous.
Rooms on the top floor were "mini" museums showing the articles and lifestyle
of the original Shaker owners/family.
Back home at Ellen's I wandered from room to room to room
in absolute awe of Ellen's handiwork.
On every available space on every available wall
(front lobby, lounge, dining room, family room, hallways, landings, bedrooms, etc.)
sampler after sampler after sampler hung.
I can't possibly show you all but to follow are a few pictures of them -
the first being the picture Ellen posted on her blog when she and Tom
first moved into this lovely home.
And here are a few more - but only a very, very, very few of the many.
One of my favourite areas was what Ellen called, "Quaker Alley".
It was the walkway between the hall/dining room and the kitchen.
On both sides of the walkway there were Quaker sampler designs -
all reproductions of samplers created by girls in the late 1700's and early 1800's
at the Ackworth School, England - the boarding school for children of Quaker families.
One wall -
and the other wall
As for the samplers on the walls in Ellen's office - I will have to show these in my next blog.
In addition to the wonderful array of samplers hanging on the walls,
there were cabinets and baskets throughout the house
overflowing with needlework pieces -
huswifs, pincushions, scissor fobs, needlebooks, etc., etc.
The cabinet pictured below is filled with antique needlework pieces.
On top of this cabinet were baskets
and just look at the contents of just this one basket!
All pieces stitched by Ellen!!
I cannot find the words to adequately describe the feast for the eyes
and peace for the soul.
As mentioned above .... more in my next blog.
Till then ..... enjoy stitching your current project.
