The Alabama state capitol under its flag, framed in an oval against a sky full of clouds. On the right, live oaks let the Spanish moss fall in curtains; on the left, two enormous magnolias open up — the state flower — among their dark leaves. A paddle steamer with a red wheel comes down the river, and the water hands back its reflection in ribbons. Below, the ALABAMA sign in deep red with a gold edge, over a plinth of navy scrollwork, and at its centre the shield with the Saint Andrew's cross between two small magnolias. It is 200 x 200 stitches in 21 colours, 31,959 stitches in all — every one a whole cross, no halves, no backstitch — with 80 % of the square covered: here the fabric only shows outside the oval, so bring a hoop and some patience. And it can tell a story almost no pattern can: the raw import is still published in the gallery, with the 35 colours it started from. You can see where this came from → https://puntotek.com/galeria/110/ . On 14-count it comes out at about 36 x 36 cm; on 18-count, 28 x 28.