Stitching tales from Texas
Meredith McBee lives in Dallas, Texas. With 4th July around the corner and the pandemic restrictions easing she’s all about friends, finishing WIPs and fireworks right now!
When you’re a proud Texan, stitching to celebrate your state is a great idea, especially if you can raise some money in the process! Meredith McBee shares her stitching highlights so far …
Meredith has been stitching for nearly eight years. Her love of stitching is shared with her Dallas friends, “Cross stitching isn’t super-huge in Dallas, but needlepoint is!” she explains. “Many of my friends began cross stitching as young girls and have moved onto needlepoint since. Any estate sale or garage sale has old cross stitching supplies – you can tell it was popular in the 1970s! At college, many of my friends saw me cross stitch in my free time and became interested in the craft. I began a group called ‘Stitch ’n’ Bitch’ which met every month to cross stitch and socialise. One month we had 45 people come! Cross stitching is so accessible; these gatherings were a really great way to spread the craft!”
KEEPING CONNECTED
Meredith’s busy stitching social life didn’t slow down last year, even with lockdowns in place. “At the beginning of the pandemic, I hosted a video call every other Thursday with my friends. Some would bring their cross stitching, others would share their bread-baking expertise. Every ‘pandemic hobby’ was explored, that’s for certain. Now, we keep up on Instagram! I love sharing my crafts on Instagram (@craftymerebear). I’ve loved ge ing to know new stitchers over on Instagram from all over the world during the lockdown period.
“I cannot emphasise enough how mentally beneficial cross stitching is for me. There is something about following a pa ern and using your hands to make something that occupies both the body and mind – it takes you to another world.”
Despite the lockdowns, with the pandemic easing, Meredith is looking forward to Independence Day. “The 4th July is a very festive holiday! Almost everyone gets the day off work, so it’s a time of family and friends, and of course, food! Since I’m now fully vaccinated, I will be travelling to Atlanta, Georgia to visit a childhood friend at her new home. I imagine we’ll have drinks and a barbecue with coleslaw, hot dogs, hamburgers and potato chips. Once the sun sets, we’ll watch the fireworks.” Meredith’s pride in her country is matched by her pride in her state. “I used Texas as inspiration to make a cross-stitched denim jacket. I designed and stitched the Dallas skyline into the state of Texas and added sparkle stars to make it more special. It took me about a month and was auctioned off to benefit the Make A Wish Chapter here in North Texas – we raised over $300 from that jacket!”
NEW SEASONS
At the moment Meredith is busy working away on a Happy Halloween piece by Satsuma Street. “I’ve missed the deadline every year for the past two years
(CrossStitcher does not help with all the tempting new pa erns). So 2021 will be the year I finish it into a pillow, which I will proudly display year-round!”
Meanwhile she plans for summer to be a whirlwind of stitching gatherings and a chance to finish off more WIPs, “My stitching plans for the summer include gathering a group of cross stitchers and needlepointers at a local patio to stitch! I want to finish the Happy Halloween piece I’m working on along with the rest of my works-in-progress (it’s ge ing a li le embarrassing at this point). I also want to try my hand at designing my own pa ern.”
I cannot emphasise enough how mentally beneficial cross stitching is for me