Last May, at the conclusion of the 2008 Bookmark Challenge, Lynn Ducharme from Indiana created her own personal year-long Bookmark Challenge. She challenged herself to stitch one bookmark a month for the Stitching for Literacy program. What a goal!

Here she is with some of her creations. There are others. She met her goal. Woot, Lynn!

Lynn is donating her bookmarks to Fancy Works in Bloomington, IN. Naturally, I wanted to know more about her, and Lynn was kind enough to answer some questions.

What made you want to stitch a bookmark every month?

Since I always have a project to work on, I wanted to feel like I was actually getting something done. The bookmarks are easy to do, and don’t take all that long. The fact that I can make something that someone else can use and enjoy is a factor, and making a bookmark a month gives me a goal to achieve.

I like to read. A bookmark is always something a reader can use–one can never have too many.

What kind of books do you like to read?

I like to read romance, westerns, mystery, horror. My favorite authors are: Janet Dailey, Mary Higgins Clark, Stephen King, Larry McMurtry, just to name a few. I’m also a big fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder, have been since I read the Little House Books back in 3rd/4th grade.

I usually have a book in my purse or car so that I can read when I get a chance. I was in bumper to bumper traffic one day
due to an accident so I was reading while I was waiting to move. I was glad I had a book with me that day!
When my kids where active in band and choir I would have a book to read while I was waiting to pick them up.

If someone were to write your biography what would the title be?

All I ever wanted to be was a Mom.

I’m not sure Lynn meant this to be the title of her biography, but I gotta say, I like it! So I’m making that her title.

All I Ever Wanted To Be Was A Mom

Okay…now I’m imagining a story to go with that title…

Where is the strangest place you’ve stitched?

I’m not sure if it’s a strange place but, when my car was in the shop and I had to wait for my husband to pick me up from work, I work at McDonald’s, I would sit in the lobby and stitch while I waited for him to arrive. I also had a book with me, if I didn’t feel like stitching I would read.

I know a stitching group in St. Charles, MO, that meets and stitches at McDonald’s! I’m all for stitching in public, and you don’t get more public than McD’s.

What is your favorite thing to stitch?

Besides bookmarks?

Well, yeah.

I like to stitch whatever catches my eye or something that I think someone else may like. I’ve stitched a Christmas
stocking for my daughter, a Gnome picture for my husband. I like animals. I’ve stitched an Orca and a Humpback whale with a calf.

Do you have a favorite bookmark?

No, I just use whatever I’ve picked up. The library used to have bookmarks out for people to take, I have a few of those.

Crack me up! Lynn just stitched a dozen bookmarks to give away, but she doesn’t have one for herself. Does that sound familiar to anyone else? Guess what. I don’t have one, either!

That does it. When the 2009 Bookmark Challenge is over, we’re all going to stitch bookmarks for ourselves. Or each other, if you can’t stitch for yourself. Part of encouraging others to read and to appreciate embroidery is to model the behavior ourselves. We should all have embroidered bookmarks to use and enjoy.

Thanks, Lynn, and congratulations on meeting a lofty and generous goal!