The Exemplary 2024
Best of Show
1st Place, Non-Professional Non-Original with Instruction
Judge’s Choice
The Academy Heart (Jody Adams Award)

I was inspired to stitch this piece at the beginning of the pandemic. Like everyone else, I was confined to my home in April 2020 when Long Dog Sampler released the Pandemic pattern. They created a stitch-a-long on Facebook and it felt wonderful to be connecting to fellow stitchers even if it was virtually.

The wonderful part about Long Dog Samplers is that they don’t recommend any specific fabric or thread color. It is completely up to the stitcher. I chose 25 count navy lugana even weave and DMC 712 (cream) stitching the pattern one over one.

The only change I made to the pattern was to add the cat charm in the lower right-hand corner instead of stitching the motif. It was part of a necklace that belonged to a friend whom I tragically lost in February 2021. It is a way to remember her always.