Cross-Stitcher Creates Christmas Stocking For White House Display

Hung throughout most of her Ponderosa home are Gini Wilburn’s stitched creations. There are samplers, ribbon embroideries, needlepoint pillows in a rainbow of colors and from different times in her life.

There’s the framed nativity scene she created in 1989 that her husband, Bill, said was too good to display only at Christmas. In her hallway is a frame filled with stitched flowers that she made “the week ‘Roots’ was on TV.” Some orange and yellow pillows cozy up her velour couch even though she sewed them together “way back when.”

But one piece of artwork is missing.

It can be found at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Wilburn was one of 150 Americans chosen to create a Christmas stocking for the Blue Room’s tree. The Embroiderers’ Guild of America selected Wilburn, who’s been a guild member for three years, to represent Spokane with a stitched stocking.

All the pieces are designed with The Nutcracker as a theme. Wilburn thought the dreamy, swirly effect of Clara dancing in the story would make a beautiful stocking. It took her four weeks to complete the task - scheduled around a couple of vacations and the guild’s annual conference.

“My husband said I couldn’t work on it while we were on vacation,” she said. “So I had to finish it before September 20.”

Quite early considering it was due at the White House by Oct. 31. Not surprising for a woman who’s been stitching since she was a little girl.

Being asked to create something for the president might make anyone anxious. But Wilburn handled the honor with grace and even learned something amid the hubbub of getting the job done.

“We’re a nation where everyone is different but each one has something to contribute,” she said. “Everybody is just as important because we can learn from each other.”

Now that she’s done with her latest assignment, Wilburn has her eyes set on tons of other tasks. She’s busy trimming her house for the holidays. She’s baking and, of course, doing more stitching - but never past midnight.

“That’s about as late as my eyes can take,” she said. After that, she starts making too many mistakes and ends up having to restitch most of the piece. But, she doesn’t consider herself a perfectionist.

“If it’s within my realm to fix it, I do,” she said. “But otherwise, I think I’d drive myself nuts and it wouldn’t be fun anymore.”

There are even some boo-boos in the presidential stocking. But no one except Wilburn would notice. She covered most of the goofs with what stitchers call “compensation.” On the stocking, the detailed pine-needles mask the mistakes.

But make no mistake about this: Wilburn is serious about stitching. She’s looking to start a Spokane chapter of the guild for the 20 or so needle artists in the area. The group meets once a month at the Shriners Hospital auditorium.

“Doing cross stitch is like this blank page and stuff starts to appear on it,” said Wilburn, with a childlike glow in her eye. “It’s so exciting.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: Saturday’s People is a regular Valley Voice feature profiling remarkable individuals in the Valley. If you know someone who would be a good profile subject, please call editor Mike Schmeltzer at 927-2170.