“We worked out solutions together,” she said. “I never just handed them a drawing and asked them to do it.”
Steeves’ obsession with needlepointing ended about 30 years ago. Over time she packed her bags, all in perfect condition, away in a closet and forgot about them. Her passion became flowers and landscape plants. She taught horticulture at Pulaski County High School and nurtured a garden that eventually spread across two lots in northeast Blacksburg. A regular on the New River Valley Garden Tour circuit, Steeves has had her gardens featured in Southern Living and Horticulture magazines.
“Gardening satisfies my need for color, texture, and pattern,” she said.
One day Steeves mentioned her earlier infatuation with needlepointing to her good friend, Joann Sutphin. Eventually Sutphin persuaded Steeves to pull the bags out of the closet.
“Joann thought I should exhibit them. I didn’t think anyone would be interested, but she was persistent,” Steeves said.
Sutphin showed the bags to Rhonda Morgan, director of the Blacksburg Museum & Cultural Foundation, who set up the Black House exhibit. Sutphin also shared the bags with Montgomery Museum in Christiansburg, where they will be displayed in 2024.
“I was so impressed when I saw Elissa’s needlepoint bags,” said Sutphin. “I knew others would enjoy seeing them too. The large number of bags, the workmanship, design, colors, and of course the entertaining stories only Elissa can tell make for a wonderful exhibit.”
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