Delaware Valley Historic Sampler Guild: October Meeting

Sew sew much to report. This was a jam-packed meeting.

Rehoboth Beach Historical Society Needlework Display
This exhibition is scheduled for April and May of 2014. Stitcher's who wish to display items at this needlework event need to keep in mind the dates may conflict with Woodlawn. The Rehoboth Historic Society requests that no pieces previously entered/displayed at this event be re-entered. Hopefully we will gather pieces and coordinate with a member to drop them off for everyone.

Delaware Needlework Symposium
The site is the Biggs Museum in Dover, DE. There will be lectures, field trips, classes and hopefully, a sampler exhibition and catalog. The focus of the exhibition and catalog will be to feature Family Records and other Delaware needlework that records family names and/or initials.

Workshops are being scheduled for Friday, March 21st - Fees may apply
Speakers scheduled for Saturday, March 22nd - Free
Workshops are being scheduled for Sunday, March 23rd - Fees may apply

For more information please see their website.

Penn Dry Goods Days
This annual event is held at the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center 105 Seminary Street Pennsburg, PA 18073 and is scheduled for May 15th, 16th and 17th. 215–679–3103

For more information contact them at info@schwenkfelder.com or see their website.

Morven Museum Identification Day
The Morven Museum in Princeton NJ will be hosting an identification day on October 19th. They are seeking to document and catalog samplers and silk embroidery stitched in New Jersey or stitched by New Jersey girls before 1860 A catalog and display will be completed in 2014. For more information see their website.

Stitch-a-long
Caryl C. had her sampler available. She has completed the piece up to the speciality stitches where the initial should be. We all liked that she used colors other than the suggested colors and sent many of us home wanting to frog our pieces and incorporate some color variety.

This month's assignment is Rows 16-17-18.

Row 16 - features Queen stitched flowers. The diagrams in the instructions are good. Just remember to be consistent with the order of stitches within your Queen stitches.

Row 17 - the Fern stitch

Row 18 - Knit stitch

Orna Willis

On September 30th, members recently attended a class at the Brandywine Chapter of EGA. Check out the post on Orna Willis' blog. Orna does canvas work, and in addition to a blog, has a website, makes jewelry, has an Etsy shop and somehow finds time to teach as well. Members chatted and were in agreement we should have Orna Willis conduct a class with us. It will be a great introduction to canvas work that many of us may not have ventured into (yet!). This is the piece one member brought to our meeting from the Orna Willis class attended.

Next Month - November Meeting
We will have a short business meeting which will be followed by a tour at the Delaware Historical Society in Wilmington. The tours will be run at 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm. Each tour will be able to take ten members through the museum. There is on street parking at no cost as well as a parking garage at 6th and Shipley with no cost on weekends. Admission to the museum is $12 per person. On entering the museum, go to the gift shop to pay and receive further directions. It is suggested members stop for lunch somewhere en route to Wilmington. Look for more information in Lynn's newsletter.

Scissors Block
We are all being challenged with this one. The programming committee had this idea and Deb S. approached her husband about making these for our project. 57 blocks later.......we will be sending Ray a Thank You.

Natalie spoke of the concept and the use of the scissors block. Natalie shared ideas:

put a self-stick magnet on one side - she suggested using E6000 glue (available at A. C. Moore or Michael's) to ensure the magnet doesn't curl over time.
Copy all four sides of the block and the top of the block as a base for your pattern
bead seams
paint, decoupage or stain your block
stitch a sample of stitches as reference
use a variety of threads
cover it with bargello
use tassels and trims
let your imagination run wild
Natalie suggested that you put your name and phone number somewhere on your completed block. You wouldn't want to loose by leaving it somewhere after all that work!

Completed scissors blocks will be brought to the February meeting for display and vote. It will be a popular choice vote with a 1st, 2nd, 3rd place winner.

December Holiday Exchange
Our annual holiday small exchange will be held at the December meeting. Remember your small should feature a sampler theme. All are welcomed to participate. Anyone who brings a completed, wrapped item will be able to participate in the exchange. We will also enjoy a covered dish luncheon. Stay tuned for details and sign up sheets our next meeting.

January
January Meeting will be a stitch-in. Always a good idea for January when we don't know what the weather will be. Please bring any needlework related holiday present you may have received to share with others.

March Regular Meeting
Catherine Jordan will speak on needlework map samplers at the meeting. The regular meeting will be followed by a class with Catherine Jordan.

March - Catherine Jordan class in the Spring of 2014. The project will be a friendship book cover called "Believe" and will focus on painting the fabric before we stitch it. The class will cost $65 and will include lunch. The half-day class has been scheduled for the afternoon of March 8th following our regularly scheduled monthly meeting. Registration is due by February meeting. Please see our "CLASSES" tab above for more info ad registration form.