Kim from Wisdom with Needle & Thread

I met this week's Blogger of the Week via Kaye who was talking about the beautiful work her friend did.  I went over and was bowled away by the things she was showing.  She has a wonderful generous spirit and while most people celebrate milestone Birthdays with a long gift list, she did 60 RAKs that year and sent the most beautiful and exquisite gifts out to people in the blogosphere.  Not just stitched items but hand painted china pieces too.  The timing of her feature is quite serendipitous as she recently hurt her hand and can't craft.  Hopefully this will cheer her up!  Please welcome Kim from

Wisdom with Needle & Thread

1. Please introduce yourself – name, where you are from, family, pets etc.

Greetings! Kim McCool here. I want to thank Jo for thinking of me and inviting me to participate in the “Blogger of the Week”. I live in the middle of the USA in the state of Iowa. My husband and I live on a small farm. He’s the groundskeeper, I’m the house help <G>. We have an upper garden, a lower garden, orchard, greenhouse, 25+ acres of tillable land, the other 25 are woods. DH and I have lived here for 20 years and have worked to create an environment for wildlife. On any given day we see deer, fox, coyotes, turkey, hummingbirds, and a multitude of other birds throughout the seasons. We’ve even had a pair of mountain goats (YEP, mountain goats) show up in our front yard. Our farm overlooks the Mississippi River Valley and in the winter we see the majestic bald eagles flying overhead or perching in our trees.

I have a daughter (34) and a grandson (3) living in Atlanta. DD is a professor at Georgia State University. My step son, wife and three children live in Michigan (over 10 hour drive) and a step daughter lives across the river from us. All are great kids and we love seeing them all whenever their busy schedules allow.

Of course, I can’t go without mentioning our two schnauzers - Emma (my lap dog) is a 5 pound teacup Schnauzer and our 85 pound GIANT Schnauzer, Bella (DH’s “REAL dog <g>). Don’t know what we’d do without them.

2. How long have you been stitching and how did you start?

I started stitching when I was in fourth grade when I was 9 years old….so I’ve been stitching for over 52 years (COUGH!). My parents and I lived out in the country , my closest playmate was 5 miles away, so Mom needed to keep my busy. A good friend owned a knitting shop (I learned to knit from her, too). In the shop was a canvas of a ladybug - the hole count was probably 3 holes to the inch - it was HUGE. That was my very first project and I immediately fell in love with the process.

3. How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start? Is there a story behind your blog title?

I started my blog in 2013 with the encouragement of LynnB of Happiness is Crosstitching.

4. How would you describe your stitching style? Are you a serial starter, a rotator, a OAAT (one at a time), highly organised, random and eclectic, etc.?

An interesting factoid - I’M A OAAT eater….so I guess that’s spilled over into my stitching style. Yep - definitely a OAAT stitcher.

5. Do you have a favourite designer or style of design you are drawn to?

I love classic things - Little House Needleworks and pretty much anything to do with horses, dogs, Tudor-related themes, romance - I’m a romantic at heart.

6. Which piece are you most proud of in your collection?

This is a difficult question to answer. I can look at each piece and it brings back memories of when I stitched it - both happy and bittersweet. The best way I can answer this question is each piece is a reflection of me. Currently I’m attempting to go through our home, documenting each piece in a notebook for my DD so she will know the story behind them. When I’m no longer here, she will be able to look at the stories and, maybe, feel me there sharing each tale.

7. What has been your worst stitching disaster?

The worst one was knitting a miniature (1:12) scale sweater. I was ¾ of the way done, knitting along, oblivious to the world around me. Suddenly Bella, our Giant Schnauzer, EXPLODED - barking at aliens who were invading the house. (NOTE: There were no aliens to be found). I was so startled, most of the stitches came off the needles….I haven’t had the inclination to start one again.

8. Which new technique would you like to try, either stitching, finishing or another craft?

I’ve been learning to sculpt, sculpting fairies, mermaids and wee little ones with polymer clay. I’d like to try my hand at sculpting horses next.

9. Do you have a box of finished-but-not-fully-finished pieces?

Oh yes…..about a dozen of them - stitched and begging to be finished into something.

10. What's your favourite way to fully finish a project and what do you do with them?

It depends on the project. Sometimes they’re made to hang on door or drawer handles, some are pillows, some standalone, some framed.

11. Which of your projects most represents "you"?

My “me” project is the needlepoint footstool with panels from the Cluny Tapestry.

12. Tell us a secret about yourself. Or a joke. About anything!

I love Sci-Fy. I’m a huge fan of Dr. Who, Star Trek, Fringe, Eureka, Grimm, Once Upon a Time, etc. BUT……..I’ve never seen, nor read, any of the Harry Potter stories.

You can see all the 60 RAKs on this page here - Wisdom with Needle and Thread - 60-RAKs