A few weeks ago, a guy came into Sifu and asked if anyone knew how to do crewel embroidery. He had a crewel kit that he found on ebay, and he wanted to commission someone to sew it for him. I agreed - obviously - and he told me the story that goes along with it.
Apparently Nixon had the same seal, done in crewel, hanging in his office! His daughter made it for him when he was elected president. I did a bit of research and found this paragraph from The Making of the President 1968, by Theodore H. White:
"By the time Nixon woke, at about nine o'clock, the election had jelled on television for the nation, as for political operators. Haldeman found Nixon, about nine, already awake, sleepy-eyed and in pajamas; now, for the first time, Nixon turned on the TV sets and watched the reports. ABC had already conceded him the election; as Haldeman and Nixon watched the screens, NBC also conceded; and Nixon, still in pajamas and bathrobe, walked down the hall to his daughters' bedroom to tell them, too. But they had already heard the news and Julie was ready to present to him the gift she had been secretly sewing for him for several weeks - the Presidential seal, done in crewel."
Pretty great story - no matter what your thoughts are on Nixon. I'll post updated pictures when I'm done!