A Poppy of Remembrance

The Twelve Months of Ornaments, created by our own PieceWork team members, is our way of saying thank you to our All Access subscribers for being such valued members of our community. Each monthly seasonal ornament pattern will let you enjoy needle-crafting with us all year. Relax, try a new craft, or savor a familiar craft in quick-to-accomplish projects that are a pleasure to make. It has been so much fun for us at Long Thread Media to work together on these ornaments, and we hope you’ll share your finished pieces using #pieceworkmagazine. We can’t wait to see them!

Armistice Day commemorates the end of fighting in the First World War, which ceased at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. During the Second World War, the day became known in many countries as Remembrance Day, a time to remember those lost in the line of duty. In 1954, the United States changed the observance to Veteran’s Day to recognize those who served in the military, like my dad. (In the United States, Memorial Day honors service members who have died.) However, in my family, November 11 was mainly Mom’s Birthday. The corn poppy, Papaver rhoeas, also known as the field poppy or Flanders poppy, grew in abundance in the disturbed ground around battlefields and graves after the war. Its scarlet petals came to symbolize the fallen and the beauty of life amidst the devastation of war.

A red poppy and local pollinators on the campus of Olds College, Olds, Alberta, Canada

When contemplating an ornament for this Piecework series, I remembered photos I took of vibrant red poppies on the campus of Olds College when I was there in 2010 for the Master Spinner program. I chose to create the November ornament, inspired by my mom’s birthday and the association of the poppy with November 11, plus she loved red. For many years, needlepoint was her craft of choice, so I designed my ornament in needlepoint as an homage to her handwork.

I present to you a needlepoint poppy of remembrance, for Mom. Love ya, Mom!

Angela’s work in progress