As part of the celebration of Homecoming ’86, members of UT Agricultural Extension Homemaker Clubs throughout the state created a 5-foot by 12-foot needlepoint map of Tennessee, which required more than ten thousand hours of stitching. Clubs in each of the 95 counties selected three possibilities for stitching that would symbolize their county. One symbol was chosen by a central committee and arranged on a scaled drawing of the county. The clubs then asked the best needlepointer in the county to complete the needlework, using the continental and basket weave stitches.
The finished pieces were joined with brown tapestry yarn and long cross-stitches. Twenty-five pounds of Persian and tapestry wool yarn and 12 yards of mesh canvas were required for the project. The finished map was presented to Dr. Lloyd Downen, dean of agricultural extension, at the Extension Homemakers Convention in November. The map was displayed across the state and was then framed and hung in Morgan Hall.