Wednesday, February 12, 2014

February 2014 Meeting

Another info filled meeting:

Exhibits and other info
  • Pilgrim Hall, Massachusetts 
  • Deerborn Hall, Massachusetts 
  • Finkels - Open House, March 23rd
    • (Sorry - I don't have complete details on all of these but I am sure an internet search can provide more info if you are interested.)
  • Downtown Abbey, Costume Exhibit, March 2014 through mid-January 2015, Winterthur Museum, Delaware
  • Morven Museum, New Jersey, fall 2014
  • Delaware Symposium, March 2014, Dover DE  (See our January Meeting post for more details.)
  • Rehoboth Beach needlework show,  spring 2014, Rehoboth, DE.  Stacy S. will deliver any items you wish to enter.   Please contact her before the end of February to make arrangements.
  • Swan Sampler Guild - Lauren Sauer is holding a sampler stitching project through the Swam Sampler Guild.   The deadline to sign up is March 1st.   Absentee stitchers are OK.
  • Woodlawn - 51st Annual Needlework Exhibit at Woodlawn, Mt. Vernon, Virginia will run the month of March.   DVHSG sent 24 pieces for display!  Thank you to Pat L. and Pat Y. for delivering our treasures.   Pat Y. told the representatives at Woodlawn about our Scissors Block challenge and they were interested in our displaying all our finishes as a group.   Something to keep in mind.  (See our January Meeting post for more info.)
  • Catherine Theron Needle Roll Kit - TODAY's (2/8/14) meeting was the last day to sign up.  
Contribution Committee

Members are the Contributions Committee will meet before our next regular meeting.   They are reviewing suggestions and investigating worthy recipients for our annual donation for sampler preservation.  

Programming
  • March - Catherine Jordan will be make a presentation on sampler maps during our regular monthly meeting.   After the regular meeting, there will be a members only class with Catherine.   (Sign-ups are closed for this class.)
  • April - Carrie D. will lead a panel discussion on WIP's, BAP's and UFO's.   We can all identify with this topic!   Carrie gave us a brief overview of the discussion:   What draws up to stitch a piece; What are our abandonment issues; Why do we loose interest in a particular piece; How to re-kindle the interest in a piece; Sharing what stitching tools or tricks used to make stitching easier.   Hopefully we will be some good tips and motivation.
  • Year - Long UFO Challenge - bring in your 2014 finishes to receive a point for each completion of a UFO.   Three $25 gift certificates will be awarded at the end of the challenge.
  • May - Patty Yergey of Samplers Revisited will discuss antique samplers and how she got started in charted these treasures from the past.
  • June - White Work Band Sampler - Katie will teach the final step (the initial) in the white work sampler stitch along.   Even if you didn't join in the stitch along, you will be able to learn the technique.   More info on supplies needed for the June meeting will follow.
  • Summer - one summer month will be a Stitch-in and the other will be the Annual Stash Exchange.
  • November - GUILD MEMBERS ONLY - Chessie & Me is designing a guild exclusive piece and will teach on a Saturday and a Sunday class.    More details will be provided in the next couple of months.  There will be pre-stitching.  Ghost stitchers will be allowed but there will be an additional fee.
Now for some photos.  

Show 'n Tell

Rita S. shared her Christmas afghan she stitched.  Each block was a different fabulously stitched tree.  Tons of embellishments.









 Ann S. stitched a tribute in Rosewood Manor's Trees by changing the verse to wording special to her son.   *Sorry Ann - I intended to get a much better pix before we left for the day.  :-(

Our own Theresa Baird gave us a sneak peak of the sampler she is designing for a Georgia Sampler Guild.  She always chooses the prettiest of colors.  Her motifs will include the state flower, dogwood, azaleas, the magnolia and a special verse.  We are so pleased she is one of us and so please for her success!  See Theresa's blog.  Theresa is also designing a sampler for the San Francisco Bay area guild and a sampler for the Swam Sampler Guild in 2015.  In the future, she will be leading an internet forum as a stitch along for some of her designs.   Follow her blog for details.


Members enjoyed the creativity of the Scissors Block challenge.   Please *Click Here*  to see a post dedicated to this challenge.

From Pat L. - Autumn Splendor, and EGA project (from her other guild)


Until next month, keep your stitches plentiful, your tension even and your frogging limited!

Scissors Block

So much to share from this month's meeting that I am posting twice.   This post is dedicated to our most recent challenge.    This past fall members were challenged to create a scissors block finish.   Participation was purely voluntary.   Debbie S.'s husband made a ba-zillion (or so I am sure it seemed to him) wooden blocks for any one who wanted to participate.   We were given several months to let our creativity flow and produce a finished project.

The variety of finishes were as different and as varied as our multi-talented stitchers.  Enjoy the creativity of our members!  My photos don't do these beauties justice.  Still honing my photography skills.   All photos are click-able to show enlarged.

Lace 'n Fineness - Francine's piece.  Just a adorable as she is!  And what 
an over achiever.   Not just a scissor's block but smalls to accompany it.

Variety abounds.  BJ's on the left; Stacy S. in the center; Marnie B. on the right

Beading extraordinaire!  Just a simple task for the talents of Deb S.

Dainty and band-like sampler stitching from Marnie B.

Fabulous padded finish from Jean T. with Deb S./back left; 
Jean M. center back; and Nancy R./right

Tribute to Kathy R.'s fav holiday

Carolyn N.'s seasons and Pat L.'s beading

BJ. S.'s Ellen Chester motifs with ultra suede top. With Pat L./back left, Deb S. immediately behind and Jean T./back right

Patrick did two - both all beading! and he is NEW to beading!

Pat Y. was clever and had additional holes drilled for 'park' a variety of needleworking tools.

And then there Caryl C.  who showed the love of her Alma Mater.

Karen K. used themes from a sampler she completed last year.

This blogger's completed block.

A BIG thank you to our Program Committee for continuing to bring great projects and classes to our guild each month.

We voted on favorites and prizes were awarded.   Congratulations to the winners and to all who finished their block.

(Please let me know if I identified anyone's work incorrectly.)