Aren’t there times when things just come to you and all of a sudden you realize why?  One of the features of this month’s issue was on a Ladue resident who makes me look like sloppy seconds when it comes to needlepoint.  She stitches rugs.  Really.  Big rugs and a lot of them.

“When we moved into the house 54 years ago, I couldn’t afford an Aubusson rug, so I decided to make my own.”  That first rug was actually designed and made by someone else, but then the owner began to design and stitch rugs herself.  Fourteen so far.  Some she has made for her own home, but she comes from a long line of women who have acquired things with generations in mind and she has stitched for her children as well.

The top three images are her dining room and the rug pattern was based on her wedding china.  In addition, each chair cushion is stitched with the initials of a family member.  The entry rug is based on a French garden design and the runner, above, features the blooms from her garden as they appear through the seasons.

The first rug took her seven years to make.  Her partner in craft is First and Last Stitch a nationally known (for people who know these things) needlepoint shop.

The rug above and below is her daughter’s dining room and, again, the pattern is based on wedding china.

She says she is never bored and finds stitching soothing and I must say that is part of the appeal for me as well.

This is the daughter’s living room and the pattern was based on Chinese Export pottery that has been in the family for several generations.

When asked how she’s cares for her rugs the daughter replied, “You hope someone spills something and then you don’t worry about it anymore.”

“Everyone should enjoy their things.”  That came from mother to daughter as well, I bet.  To read the text and enjoy the rest of the magazine, click here.

All images courtesy of St. Louis Seasons.  No, really, this time I asked.