25 Years ~ In Memory of the Space Shuttle Challenger

Certain images burn into your memory and capture a generation. The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster was one of those. The astronauts of today are our pioneers, daring to cross into the unknown to discover what lies ahead of for all of us. The seven crew members of the Challenger were such intrepid travelers. Today we remember the ultimate price they paid to extend our knowledge of the unknown. I wanted to share a photographic triptych I created in February of 2003 after the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon entrance into Earth's atmosphere. It speaks of the wonder of space, the infantile knowledge we hold of the vast universe and our continuing quest for the future. I used images of the disasters and my children, along with those from the Pearl, located in Reykjavik, Iceland, training site of the first American astronauts. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the brave crew and also to our current astronauts who daily face the challenges of space.

image © 2003 Beth A. Seal

Mr. President is Released Today!

Hi Friends!

Introducing my first new chart for 2011, Mr. President, the initial pattern in my new series entitled Fathers of Freedom. This series will feature quotes from our founding fathers along with their silhouettes. Of course George Washington is the logical first founding father to feature, as "Lighthorse" Henry Lee stated, "First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen." George Washington played many roles in the development of our new nation, from Commander in Chief of the struggling patriot army to our first president. As president, he had the task of developing the executive and judicial branches of our Federal government. Many of the precedents that he established are still followed today. The quote that is featured in Mr. President was in a letter to James Madison a year before General Washington became our first president.

Now for the specifics of the worke. The model was stitched on 28 count Golden Tan Cashel linen from Zweigart using DMC floss. The incredibly gorgeous frame is hand-grained from Valley House Primitives. (http://www.valleyhouseprimitives.com ) Their MCQ moulding in Lancaster Red with Yorktown graining. I can't say enough of how great Janet and Joy are to work with! The stitch count is 189 x 68.

I hope you enjoy stitching this series, look for the next installment in May.

All my Best,

Beth