Crafting Friendships
After moving to Maryland years ago, I joined a local stitching group. The first Friday of every month would find us around a dining room table, which was covered in snacks and stray threads, with needlework projects in our hands.
A mix of ages and skill levels, the gathering was a source of camaraderie and inspiration.
It was also a nudge to get out my cross-stitch projects and do a little work on them. I moved away, but those gals still craft together, welcoming newcomers regularly and recently celebrating their 25th year.
I miss the personal bonds we formed around that table, and this sense of wistfulness grew as I read your stories about your own craft groups. Some formed to work on a collaborative project; others are more like the one from my Maryland days, each member creating her own thing. Still, they’re all linked by laughter and friendship. You can read about them beginning on page 18.
May your own dining tables be places of fellowship this season, whether for a little project or a big meal. We have some great ideas for the Thanksgiving feast—a pie on page 31, stuffing (or dressing, depending on where you’re from) on page 34 and ideas for leftovers you’ll love on page 44. Plus, there are plenty of pumpkin crafts to keep you busy. If you have a craft group of your own, bring the sweet little cross-stitch design on page 20 to your next meeting.
It’s simple enough that you can chat with friends and still keep count of your stitches. A little post-pie project, anyone?