You and I – we might be fanatical about hand embroidery, but we’re not so fanatical about it that we actually eat, drink, and sleep “embroidery.”

Weelllllll…. ok. We can sleep under embroidered sheets in embroidered PJs, with heads resting on embroidered pillow cases.

But it’s not as if we can eat and drink embroidery.

Or…..can we?

Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered that you actually can find embroidery at the grocery store!

It’s true! And not just any embroidery, but goldwork embroidery! The Queen of Embroidery Techniques, the most costly, the most regal embroidery…at the grocery store.

Now, don’t get me wrong. You’re not going to find yourself in the produce section, stuffing beets into silk bags encrusted with goldwork.

But if you happen to be in a Trader Joe’s, which is a small specialty grocery chain here in the US, and if you happen to wander into the wine section, you can find some beautiful goldwork.

Albero is a Spanish wine made with organically grown grapes. From the Spanish red Monastrell and Tempranillo, to the rose, the sparkling white, and the Brut, each type of wine sports a fantastic label featuring Spanish goldwork.

Now, why am I telling you this?

Am I planning on stocking my studio full of the stuff, just because there’s goldwork on the label?

Ummmmmmmm….no.

But I have friends and family who enjoy wine, and I think this stuff makes the perfect gift wine from me to them.

It beautifully reinforces the fact that I’m fanatical about the art of embroidery – so fanatical that I seek out wine labels featuring needlework. (Don’t you?)

And for those embroidery groups out there who get together now and then for a “Stitch and Sip” – an embroidery and wine gathering – I thought you might want to know there’s a wine available the fits the theme. Why not? It might also make a great addition to raffle baskets and the like at guild events.

Now, don’t worry. I won’t be taste-testing today between stitches. I have a very specific stitching goal for the day, and I plan to meet it before the sun goes down. I’ll tell you about it down the road and show you the results.

Coming up: Blackwork, Redwork, Crewel, and a tute!

I think we cover a little bit of everything this week.

Hope your week is off to a terrific start!