Fenway Park at 100--An update

What happens when a needlepoint designer, designer/stitcher and needlepoint finisher collaborate for charity? Good things!

The radio-telethon held at Fenway Park this past August to support the Jimmy Fund raised more than $3.4 million for patient care and cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The 100th birthday commemorative pillow designed by Cape resident Melinda McAra, finished by Marcia Brown, also from the Cape, and stitched by me brought in $410.99 for the cause! Pretty cool, don't you think?

The Fenway finale

Those of you who've read the March/April 2012 issue of Needlepoint Now may recognize the canvas in this photo. It's by Cape Cod designer Melinda McAra, who created a commemorative version of the original design which I stitched to celebrate the 100th birthday of Fenway Park in Boston.

Over the weekend, Melinda sent me a photo of the finished piece, which was made into a pillow by Marcia Smith Brown, owner of The Binding Stitch, also on Cape Cod. The navy fabric is a nubby corduroy, with little baseballs appliqued at two corners.

This pillow will be auctioned during a radio telethon at Fenway Park in August to benefit the Jimmy Fund, which provides research and care for pediatric cancer patients at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I hope it fetches a hefty price for a good cause!

Stitch guide news

Readers of Needlepoint Now magazine may recognize this canvas: a ring-bearer pillow project which I completed in the July/August 2011 issue. I'm excited to report that a stitch guide is now available for the painted canvas, courtesy of designer/teacher Sue Dulle (www.sudukc.wordpress.com).

The nine-page guide with color photo includes diagrams of all the stitches used as well as a "road map" for their placement. Thanks, Sue, for the great job!