April Meeting

APRIL  MEETING
Delaware Valley Historic Sampler Guild is now on Facebook.   I don't have all the details but if you are on FB, search it out and ask to join the page!

Also on Facebook is "Stitcher's Escape" page.   This is a listing of all retreats, classes and needlework events.   So if you are itching to go somewhere, check out their page and find out if there is anything in your area.

Last but not least, on FB is "Cross Stitch Road Trip".   This is for the merry wanderers of the group who are off and traveling about and just may want to know if there is a store nearby that deserves a side trip!

I am not 100% sure I have the names exactly right but I am sure you can noodle around FB and find them.   I will update/correct any names, etc., if you leave a comment here.

On to the rest of our meeting......we had a visitor, Lucille C., from the Dover area.   Welcome! Lucille.   We hope you become a regular attendee.

President Susan D. let everyone know the New Members Packets are now distributed electronically.  If you are a new member who joined in the last year or two and did NOT get your member packet, let Susan know and one will be emailed to you.    The membership kit contains our by-laws, the pattern to our logo, etc.

Stitch-A-Long
Several of those participating in the stitch-a-long project brought their piece to show their progress.  It was fun to see the different colors and the different personalizing everyone had done.  Stacy S. has spoken with the sampler designer, Sharon Verbos of The Purple Thread, and invited her to our 'scheduled' completion month, January 2015.   This month we are to work on and complete row five.   This is the row with the motif on either side and the four lines of alphabet in the center.  Some stitchers took those two motifs and rotated them 180 degrees to stitch upside of how they are charted.

Upcoming Events
Today is the deadline to sign up for Salty Yarns Retreat at the end of the month.   Better contact Stacy S. right away if you wish to attend.

Penn Dry Goods Day in Pennsburg PA at the Schwenkfelder Museum.   There are classes, exhibits, lectures and vendors.   The event is the weekend of May 15th-16th-17th.

Cumberland County Historical Society will be sponsoring an exhibit called "The Threads that Bind Us".  The co-curators of the Morven Museum will speak.  (More info and maybe a link will be posted at a later date.)

Gloucester County Historical Society will be hosting  Gloucester Abbey: Downtown Abbey Style clothing.  The exhibit runs until January 6, 2016.  www.rootsweb.com/~njgchs 

Salty Yarns has several classes on their calendar -

• Next weekend (and probably no space available) is Sherrie Jones of Patrick's Woods
• June - Betsy Morgan
• September - Jackie DuPlessis
• September - Jackie DuPlessis - The Gift
• October - Stitcher's Jamboree - Three projects.  Just Another Button Company, 

Rehoboth Needlework Show
Several members were lucky recipients of ribbons at this annual needlework show.   Congratulations to Jean T. for winning Best of Show!   Other ribbon winners were:   Patrick, Stacy S., Caryl C., Karen K., Anne S.,  Susan D.  and Robin T.  Yeah for our guild and congrats to the stitchers!

Upcoming Meetings
Stacy is looking into having a needlework judge attend a meeting.  The judge would share with us criteria for what makes one piece a winner over another.   Hopefully a judge sharing what they look for in a needlework piece will help make us all better stitchers.

Next month's meeting will be a short business meeting then the strawberry class followed by the afternoon needle book class with Kim Nugent.

And now for the work of our hands.

These lovelies were made by Stacy S.

Just Nan, stitched and finished by Stacy S.

Hare Pins, from Sherrie Jones, stitched and finished by Stacy S.

Tray stitched by Francine C.

"Music Among the Trees", Kim Nugent, stitched by Jane G.

Cherished Stitches Pin Pillow stitched by Francine C.

Pin Cushion by Francine C.

Cheesie & Me, The Unfinished Sampler from the class with Chessie & Me stitched by Jean T.

Lizzie Kate's Halloween Mystery Sampler, by Pat L.

Several smalls stitches by Jean T.  (sorry they are up-ended!  There is no easy way - at least that I know of, to correct this using an Apple - sometimes I really miss my PC!)

Two hearts and St. Patrick's Flip-It chart by Caryl C.    The hearts are older Gay Ann Rogers designs.   We all identified with having patterns for every and finally pulling them out to do!

Now look at these!   Patrick made these laying tools using porcupine quills!  Each is unique as well as stunning AND a functional addition to your needlework tools.

Patrick completed the top of the stool with his son's college coat of arms.

This is a tool caddy made by me (Robin T.)    It is not 100% complete yet but you know how is when you just have to share and you want to start to use your creation.   It is about the size of an iPad and holds all my necessary tools for stitching.  I am working on something better to insert in the lining to make it firm and may even insert a Loran project board and carry magnets in one of the pockets so I can secure my pattern while stitching on the opposite side.   The polar fleece rolls to become your pin cushion or leave it unrolled when you are working with beads.  This a downloadable PDF pattern that can be found at PatternPile.com/Sewing-Patterns  It was fun to make using fabric in my stash and super EZ-PZ.

And then there was our meeting presentation.
Katie F. shared with us her knowledge of Assisi Embroidery.   In Assisi, the pattern is the void and the background is the stitched areas.

This type of stitching started in the 13th century where is was stitched on church linens.  The original work was mostly stitched in red but some older pieces in blues and greens can be found.    In the late 19th century, stitching of animals and stitching on more domestic linens became fashionable.

Katie shared the above examples.   Many she has found at antique and consignment stores and often at low prices since the store keepers have no idea how valuable WE find these things.

Katie likes to outline the area using one thread first and then do the stitching.   Stitches are cross stitch, long arm cross, italian cross and the four-sided stitch.   Once the background is completed, Katie than again stitches the outline.   This gives a more crisp finish.   Thank you Katie for sharing your knowledge and teaching us all something new!

Again, we are such a diverse and prolific group!  Each of our meetings is filled with knowledge, sharing and genuine admiration of fellow stitchers!