Thursday, December 31, 2020

December 2020 Zoom Meeting

We closed out 2020 in not the same way we have closed out year's in the past.  Good thing we all know how to 'compensate' our stitching and we are able to 'compensate' for our meetings.

First off, a continued BIG THANK to the ladies (and gentleman) who organize, coordinate and make our Zoom Meeting possible.  

Please, please, please.....if you are participating in our Zoom Meeting and you are NOT the speaking or making a comment, please put your device on mute.   Many of us watch the meeting using the "speaker"view" instead of "gallery view".  Speaker view allows the active speaker to be the only person you see on your screen.   When members do not mute their device, every sneeze, rustle, every noise in their background, etc., activates them as the speaker.    Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.


President Linda D. welcomed everyone.   The Treasurer's Report was reviewed and  discussion on current and pending bills was had.

Linda welcomed new members who then introduced themselves.  We had new members from New York Delaware and Pennsylvania, not to mention existing members from Tennessee, Luxembourg, Florida and all over participating in the meeting.   I think there were 44 in attendance.

Membership - Sign up now!   We already had 50 renewals received by the December meeting.  Dues for 2021 is due by the end of January.   Complete and mail this MEMBERSHIP FORM


Upcoming -
January Meeting
  • For our January 2021 Meeting will we will reviewing all Blackbird Design pieces STITCHED in 2020.   Send any pictures to Linda D. no later than January 6th.   
  • Members will also share any stitching related gifts they received over the holidays. - No pictures need to be send of your gift items; individuals will be able to hold up and share during the Zoom meeting. 
  • And last but not least, we will be electing which designer we wish to showcase during 2021.

Designer Showcase for 2020 - Blackbird Designs

Designers on the list for the 2021 Designer Showcase 


February Meeting - Zoom Class with Linda of Erica Michaels Designs.  Deadline for sign-up was December 15th.   Your kits will be mailed to you directly from Linda.

March Meeting - Cindy Steinhoff will hold a discussion via Zoom on two Delaware Samplers and one Maryland sampler.

April Meeting - TBD

Spring Retreat - There has been no decision on a spring retreat in OCMD.

May Meeting - Sheryl DeYoung of the Smithsonian will lead a discussion on samplers.

June - The annual NASHVILLE MARKET has been re-scheduled for sometime in June 2021

A great thank you also to our Program Coordinator!  Is is not easy to come up with virtual meeting ideas.   If you have a suggestion, please let Stacy S. know.

December 2020 Program

Barbara Hutson of Queenstown Samplers joined our meeting via Zoom.  Barbara gave us an overview of her history.  She shared her knowledge of what different sampler motifs indicate and also what origin the motifs are indicative of.   Before purchasing any sampler, she researches the girl who stitched the sampler.   Her process for creating a reproduction is first to research, then to stitch and to chart. When charting from an original sampler, she selects the colors she will use based on the color of the floss on the back of the original sampler.  Members had sent photos to Barbara prior to the meeting and she discussed the individual samplers and share what her knowledge about each.  

She also shared with us many of her own samplers and gave tidbits of information on each.  She discussed her process for charting a sampler.  Although she usually is stitching on only one sampler at a time, she often has three or more in various stages of being reproduced.  Some may in the charting phase or being stitched by model stitchers.    For her samplers, she has them stored as "Charted" or "Uncharted".   Each type is stored in archival/air tight boxes.   They are store together, unless a particular sampler is fragile.  It is then stored separately.  

Barbara gave some tips on buying a sampler -
  • When buying on line, make sure to read the description thoroughly; verify what is being sold is NOT a poster;
  • In person buys are best; 
  • Make sure you have name and phone number of seller;
  • Check out Amy Finkels website and review her tab on Fraud/Finding an Antique sampler;
  • Fraud has been found by sellers adding or removing stitches; 
  • Rely on an Auction House or sell that monitors eBay.
Barbara has several new releases and several she is working on.  As with all her charts, Barbara includes the history of the stitcher and any other information of interest she uncovered while doing her research.   Any Queenstown Sampler chart ordered from Salty Yarns in December will receive a 15% discount - Let Salty Yarns know you are a DVHSG member when ordering.   Barbara took information on a couple of member's samplers and will be getting back to them with more detail on each.  

What a wealth of knowledge Barbara is and how lovely of her to share it with us.   Thank you Barbara!

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

November 2020 Zoom Meeting

First of all, we would like to reach out with a BIG thank you to all the techie people that are setting up and running our Zoom Meetings.   Caryl, Linda, Evalyn and Jon we can't thank you enough.  It is so nice to 'see' everyone and to hear about their new projects and just share the fellowship.   Just like missing an in-person meeting, we have all grown to hate to miss a  Zoom Meeting.     Not only are our monthly meetings done via Zoom, a monthly stitch-in via Zoom continues.  The Stitch-in is the fourth Saturday of each month from 10 am to 12-noon.  Future scheduled dates are 12/26, 1/23/21 and 2/27/21.   


Business Meeting 

  • For each meeting, we ask members to continue to submit photos of any finishes to Linda D.  Photos need to be submitted to Linda no later than the Tuesday prior the second Saturday of the month.  (Reminds me of the school problem - If a train left Chicago at 10 pm traveling at 65 mpg when.......) This will allow Linda and Caryl the time to work their magic to incorporate your photos into the slide show that will be shared at the meeting.  Please remember to include your name and the designer name in your email.  Following the meetings, the slide shows will be uploaded to the Facebook page.
  • Treasury Report was read.
  • Those darned germs!
    The current updated membership roster was shared by Caryl C. 
  • The Annual Holiday Exchange will be rescheduled once we can again meet in person.
  • The Anniversary Event is still in the wings.  It is too special to be done virtually!  This event will also be rescheduled once we can again meet in person.
  • Membership renewals are due January 1st for the 2021 year.  Please print, complete and submit your membership form found at this link.  


Programming

December Meeting - Barbara Hutson, Queenstown Samplers, will be joining our Zoom Meeting.   She will show and discuss some of her designs.  If you have an antique sampler, she is willing to provide you will any information she can on the piece.   Send a photo of your sampler to Linda D. and she will make sure Barbara gets the photo to research prior to the meeting.   Photos can be sent between now and December 9th.   During the meeting Barbara will provide any information she can about your sampler.

As a special treat, Salty Yarns will be offering a 15% discount on any of Barbara's designs in December.   

January Meeting - January will be the end of our 2020 Designer Showcase.   For 2020 Blackbird Designs was the designer chosen.   Please send photos of any pieces your stitched in 2020.  Send your Blackbird photos to Linda anytime between now and January 6th and let her know they are for the January Blackbird Showcase.  

Also at the January Meeting we will be sharing any stitchy gifts received over the holidays.  There is no need to send photos of any gifts to Linda.   We will have a Show 'n Tell of all the goodies with each member holding up their gift(s) in turn.

FOR 2021 will are going to continue to Showcase a Designer.   The choices for 2021 and links to their sites are:

Start checking our their charts and thinking about what designer you would like to see showcased in 2021.


February Meeting - We will be having a virtual class with Linda Stolz of Erica Michaels Needleart Designs.  She has designed a strawberry especially for our guild.   The cost of the kit is $30.   Please print and complete and return the registration form.

And as a special treat, Salty Yarns will be offering a 15% discount on any Erica Michaels Needlearts Designs charts in February.









The November program was a discussion of your go-to tools and accessories for stitching.    We all have our 'favorites' that we can't stitch without.  


Here are some of the things some stitchers don't like to do without -

  • Fiber Finder/DoLolly (available from Salty Yarns or Grip It Plus on Amazon)
  • Ginger Tweezers
  • Marian Needles
  • "Frogger" from Sweet N Round/Word Art by Art (Arthur Miller at milleraba@comcast.net or search Facebook for "SweetNRound"
  • Wonder Clips (Joann's, Amazon, Salty Yarns)

Next meeting - 10 a.m., December 12, 2020.