Olé Asa!

Day 2 of this blogging project! The month of February 2012 was dedicated to what I call a "pop-up" project. A Pop-up project is something that I interrupt all other stitching to complete. This time, it was born out of an idea that my sister, Logan, and I came up with one weekend. Her son, Asa, is attending his first Fiesta San Antinio as a member of a men's organization called The Order of the Alamo. When his brother, Corwin, was in college he requested a cummerbund for a Christmas gift since he had those infamous University of Texas Christmas Formals to attend. I looked an looked and then finally said to my husband, Richard,  that I could not, in my extensive search, find a decent cummerbund. He, begrudgingly offered up his "vintage" college cummerbunds as a stand-in gift until I could locate one that met with my approval. Well, they were a hit and Corwin still has them 6 years later! So, this leaves me cummerbund-less for Asa! So, Logan and I searched the world wide web and I poured over the voluminous catalogs at Needle House with Fiesta 2012 in mind. I kept coming back to an Elizabeth Turner Purse pattern that looked very San Antonio/ Fiesta. Indeed, Elizabeth Turner agreed to paint it for me in 18 mesh and rush it at that! (Thank you to E. Turner & Co.) All progress on other projects ceased and ardent stitching on the Asa Ames Fiesta Cummerbund commenced! Obviously, the colors are bright and an homage to the culture which is celebrated during the annual historical Springtime festival in San Antonio. I added his initials on the "edge" of the design to make it his and his alone!  I am really regretting that I did not have the back embroidered with an inscription to Asa.  I am back to my other current projects, however I thoroughly enjoyed the soothing repetition of the basketweave stitch on the cummerbund and, even more, using the craft that I am so passionate about to make something for a boy that I adore!

P.S.  I also learned that the word is "cummerbund", not "cumberbund"....so needlepoint enriches in many ways!