All Stitched Up: Erica Wilson Designs — Thörn Alexander Style

Ever since I was small, I have loved going to the beach. The way the sand swirled under my feet as the tide came in, the smell of the sea after months away, the way the ocean water stung my mosquito bites from a week canoeing and camping in the Adirondacks. How my vast imagination always extended well beyond the horizon line and gave me a chill up my spine, like I could sense that a selkie or mermaid was near by.

It was a home away from home, an enigma.

Although our home moved quite a lot as a child and they style in which we lived, one thing remained consistent- annual trips to the islands.

No matter how long the drive, there were several occasions by which we would stay with our relatives in Old Lyme and the excitement of the upcoming trip would keep us up all night. Perhaps a blessing for our family members when we would sleepily roll into the Suburban in the wee hours of the morning in order to catch the earliest ferry. A big sigh of relief would echo throughout the cars as we lined up in our assigned row and put them in park.

Regardless of whether our roots were planted in Bedford, New Canaan, Houston or Dorset, both of my parents’ families loved going beyond The Cape each summer. Some summers, once my parents divorced, we were lucky to have such generous relatives that would bring us to both- a week on each. Reciprocity certainly does lovingly happen, however, my mother’s family has loved Edgartown and Chappy on Martha’s Vineyard since my grandfather was a child while my father’s preferred Miacomet and Ladies on Nantucket.

Enjoying a morning cuppa and a few stitches on a friend’s back porch overlooking the water

It would require a great length of time to share everything that I love about each island, but in short, I was able to reflect fondly on many happy memories through the stitching of the two ornaments below. If you read my previous post of Nantucket, you may remember that I had sourced these two ornaments from Erica Wilson.

Erica was not only a champion for needlepoint and a true wizard of craft, she was also a friend’s grandmother and it felt extra special to pick these out during a Stitch n’ Bitch she hosted for our dear friend Katy’s bachelorette.

It’s funny how much things can change as we grow older. As a kid, I was most excited to go to the whaling museum, Indian Summer, The Sunken Ship. As a teenager, it was sandwiches at Something Natural, fake IDs at Cisco, bonfires at Nobadeer and house parties in Siasconset. Now, I just love slowing it down, taking it in, learning about ocean life from my in-house expert, visiting Bartlett’s farm and the bookshop for some island-themed finds, laugh over cocktails and tapas with girlfriends or go on a relaxing date night with my ocean loving guy.

Our Aww Shucks Oyster being stitched by @piperf , a childhood friend and daughter of Pip & Roo’s Tarra on a weekend away on Nantucket

The same goes for Erica Wilson. For years, it was one of the best places to find a party dress or bangles for a phase in college. It was where my friend Margaret used to work during her summers on the island. It was where I would spend a chunk of my babysitting money on treasures I had to have.

Spotted: Pip & Roo canvases on the walls of Erica Wilson’s shop!

Back then, it never occurred to me to look at the needlepoint display, or even needlepoint in the first place. Now, it is a wonderful Mecca when I return to the island. To admire my friends’ needlepoint design work that is displayed on the walls, to pick up some threads I had fallen short of, to catch up with an old friend from high school who can be found as stylish as always, helping customers in the shop. To lust over Heidi’s gorgeous jewels.

Naturally, I had to have a couple of Erica’s original designs to add to my collection- so I picked up these two ornaments as lighthouses have always been my favorite monikers of far away places. I hope to someday have them finished as ornaments and even have designs in the works of some of the lighthouses on Martha’s Vineyard as well as all over New England.

While reading The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland this past weekend, I was enchanted by Alice’s childhood perspective of the magic that the ocean possesses and the creativity that comes with it. So, despite the chilly air of the November breeze, I decided to dig out all of my beach themed projects and decided to finish these two, once and for all.

Lighthouses always show you the way home. Home to the beaches that heal our souls from the oceans that heal our wounds. I may now live on a different island now, here on the West Coast with my Mr. Oceans, but my heart will always be back in New England and these canvases represent a piece of just that.

Brant Point Lighthouse on Nantucket Island

FT14 Gold for the lights

White 502 by Silk & Ivory’s Stardust for a lightly glittered lighthouse

Classic Navy 10 by Silk & Ivory for border

Midnight 31 by Silk & Ivory For black detailing

Moonlight Bay 129 by Silk & Ivory for detailing

Zucchini 09 by Silk & Ivory for the field

Mustard 41 by Silk & Ivory for the field

Sauna PE-021 by Planet Earth for the roof detailing

Lake 072 by Planet Earth for the sky

Calipso 159 by Planet Earth for the ocean and inside border

Stitched in basketweave, diagonal mosaic and a bit of doubled up stitching for the ocean

Will be finished as an ornament!

FT14 Gold for the lights

Bordeaux 43 by Silk & Ivory and Claret 132 by Silk & Ivory for the rest stripe

White 02 by Silk & Ivory for lighthouse

Classic Navy 10 by Silk & Ivory for border

Periwinkle 140 by Silk & Ivory for background

Midnight 31 by Silk & Ivory For black detailing

Moon River 127 by Silk & Ivory for detailing and internal border

Moonlight Bay 129 by Silk & Ivory for detailing on door

All stitched in basketweave

Will be finished as an ornament!