ON THE COVER
Learning new ways to create needlework
When Jackie Stevens was a young military wife living in Guam , she created a crib mobile stitched with nursery rhymes and circular illustrations for her sister ’ s first child . And while Stevens enjoyed the experience – as well as other sewing projects she did at the time – she soon stopped doing embroidering and related needlework , putting it aside for about 25 years , while she worked as a fifth-grade science teacher at Northeast Middle School in Lauderdale County .
“ Education was so time consuming ,” she said . “ And I was busy with other things , including being a mother . I just lost interest and didn ’ t truly want to do it – but I also didn ’ t have the time .”
But her interest in needlework came back full force about ten years ago , when she retired from teaching and was looking for a hobby to fill her time . Now , Stevens spends hours each week sewing , as well as learning about sewing . Her work is intricate and creative . “ I am always pushing myself to learn new stitches and to see how I can do things differently – how I can improve .”
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