Homecoming at Fairfield Church

Dimensions: 25" x 20"
Materials: #3-cut wool on linen
Designed and hooked by Sarah Lee Province, Silver Spring, Maryland, 2002.
Featured in: Celebration XIV

"I found photographs in my mother’s things of the church near Richmond, Virginia, where we grew up. My sister recalls that we walked down Mechanicsville Turnpike to church on Sundays since we didn’t have a car during the war. I can date this scene exactly since my youngest brother is in my father’s arms, and my twin brothers hadn’t been born yet. I am the blonde wearing the red jumper at my mother’s knee in the second row on the right.

It was a large group photograph of the folks gathered for Fairfield’s 50th year celebration, having been founded in 1889. My maternal grandparents were married there in 1899. In planning for my hooking, I reduced the number to about 75 folks. I’m guessing that it was in the springtime since many of the ladies had on their finery. I chose to include those with the most interesting costumes and dressed them in pretty colors like the paper dolls I used to make.

In 2008, I was invited to the Virginia Fiberfest as featured artist in Mechanicsville, near present-day Fairfield Church, so I attended services and showed my “Homecoming” hooking. It was such a fun experience… folks were identifying themselves from my hooking!"
- Sarah Lee Province, Celebration Hall of Fame 2018