It's a Small World...

I continue to stitch on the Hillside Samplings sampler that I've been working on; haven't made too much progress since my last post.  Maybe this weekend I will have an update for you.  I wanted to share a story with you though.

Back on my September 5 post I shared with you the article on Hövej Embroidery that I wrote for Ellen Chester's newsletter. When I was researching this article I came across a website that I had not found before.  The website is about a woman named Mrs. István Szigethy.  Mrs. Szigethy is 85 years old and lives in Hungary.  She was born in Hövej.  Her father died when she was very young and before she even reached the age of 10 she learned to do the beautiful white on white Hövej Embroidery.  She would stitch all day long and sometimes at night producing beautiful needlework that could be sold so that she could help support her family.

Please, if you have time, visit her website.  It's written in English and it includes beautiful pictures of this special embroidery.  You can read the rest of her story and see this beautiful embroidery!

Website of Mrs. István Szigethy.

You might wonder why I am so enamored with this embroidery.  It's kind of special to me because my great grandfather was born in the tiny village of Hövej.

When I found this website a few months ago, I clicked on the "contact" link and sent an email asking for more information and explained my connection to Hövej.  I received a reply from Mrs. Szigethy's daughter.  We have been writing back and forth for a few months now.  Mrs. Szigethy and her daughter gifted me with a book on Hövej Embroidery as well as some pictures from their exhibit and a calendar from the village.

I had indicated an interest in learning how to do this special embroidery and they sent me a doily on a frame that was worked in stages so that I could see how to start and work toward the finish.

I was so touched by their kindness; to show my appreciation I sent a box with some tatting from my mother and some hardanger pieces that I had stitched as well as a few Minnesota goodies.  This week I received an email telling me that my box had arrived and many of the items that I sent are now on display in the exhibit in Hövej!

Do you recognize my blog pictured in this display?

Look at the beautiful curtains covering the window!

Another view of the exhibit:

The contacts that I have made and the friendships I have formed as a result of a common interest in fine needlework - it just amazes me.  It really is a small world, isn't it?