Natalia at Scarlet Sails Miniatures recently stitched a gorgeous Navajo design on 40ct silk gauze.  I had been thinking of making a rug for the Heritage, but I wasn't sure of the direction until I saw her beautiful work.

I am one quarter Navajo, though I don't know much about the culture since I've not had much contact with that side of my family since I was very young.  I thought it was a perfect way to bring that part of me into the Heritage, especially since my childhood home is the inspiration for it, like gathering the pieces that make me who I am to include in my project.

I checked out numerous books from the library and found many designs I liked.  But, it wasn't until I did a google search that I found the perfect piece: a beautiful contemporary weaving presented by Steve Getzwiller.

the second weaving from the left

You can see more of this wonderful collection here.  So many intricate and beautiful designs to admire.  I love the corn stalk weaving on the far left, too.  True artisan work!

I was instantly drawn to the colors and shapes of that one particular design, so I set out to find a better photo.  This was the best I could do.  That is Steve Getzwiller.

I wrote to Natalia to see how she charts her patterns, and she offered to chart it for me.  I can't tell you how grateful I am to her.  She saved me so much time and headache since I had no idea where to begin.  She has captured the beauty of the rug in miniature scale, and I will soon begin to stitch.

Mine will be cross-stitched on 32ct fabric.  I like the coloration as it appears in the first photo considering the room I plan to put it in, so I'll use colors similar to those instead of the warmer earth tones of the second photo.  Wish me luck!  :D