May 2017 Meeting

We opened with a quick business meeting before Show & Tell.

Please check out both our sidebar of Calendar of Events and our "Classes" tab above for more info on the Lauren Sauer Classes in September 2017.  And be sure to see Salty Yarns website for upcoming classes.

New members, please see Caryl C.  for a membership card.

Rehoboth Beach Museum will host Delores Andrew entitled "Capturing the scene in embroidery" needlepoint. The lecture is FREE but you will need to pre-register.

Volunteers are being coordinated for work to transfer data from Chester County to the sampler archive project.   Please contact Marnie B.   The training day is Sunday, May 21st.

Show & Tell from our members

Lynn D. stitched AND finished the Betsy Morgan class piece

Caryl C. stitched and finished these three ornaments from 2014 Just Cross Stitch ornament edition.

This tea cup is form Jean T.   The stitched pin cushion is taken from the design which actually is shown on a graph-like background of the design on the cup.

Jean was also busy with the Hands On Design pin cushions.  

Ann S. stitched this beautiful stitchers roll.

Kathy R. stitched her SAL etui and had it finished.   It is a beauty.  Kathy said Evelyn Gant of Vermont did the finishing.   Let me look around and add Mrs. Gant's contact information.   I know several stitchers who have used her and been more than pleased with her finishing.

Deborah S. stitched this Merry Cox class piece.  So pretty!

Patrick B. never disappoints with his finishes.    Here is his finch.

A turtle also by Patrick.  Below, left a nativity scene that is stitches on all four sides. And right, a singer sewing box that Patrick outfitted as a stitcher's etui.

And if that is not enough, Patrick stitched this dragon frame weight.

Amy G. just back from a visit to the Royal school of Needlework shared with us from her experiences.  She also shared this Mill Hill old world gentleman.

BJ S. just back from Florida shared these pieces.
The palm tree is a piece by Gail Serna and below, the Iris is by Joan Thomason 

Barbara G. shared two finishes.    First the pansies.   (she has since backstitched around the white which makes it show more.)  Below the pansies, Winter, from Butternut Road.   Barbara substituted DMC and Silks for the called for wool.  (sorry for the glare in the lower right....it is sometimes hard to get a good photo without it.)

Barbara G. and Carol W. also each finished Uncle Sam.   He is from an Alma Lynn Pattern for duplicate stitch on a sweater from 1992!    They plan to finish him as a stand up and will be attaching a flag to him.   We look forward to seeing the finish (and hopefully mine will be finished right next to theirs!)

Deb S. never one to disappoint shared these pieces.   I believe they are Sherry Jones of Patrick's Wood.

Program

We were treated to have Susan G. of Ewe and Us do our program.  (her name may be changing to "Sheepshead Designs".....check out Esty for her)  Sue - who claimed to be nervous about speaking in front of people - was a great speaker to our group.   We were quick to realize like that she was so knowledgeable about working with wool and she offered countless tips.

Sue works at the Little Country Shop, Quilt store on Route 896 in Middletown DE.   Her designs and so much more are available at the store.   She has always been creative working in drawings and painting first.   She has cross stitched and finds great enjoyment working with color and helping pick and match fabrics for quilts for herself and customers.   She also does and teaches punch needle.

For now, she is working mostly with wool but is drawing on her other crafting skills to help her in her designs.   She dyes the wool and explained the process and how difficult it is to achieve the same blue or green each and every time.  Wool work is a very forgiving art form.   Typically, wool does not have a right or wrong side.  And the best tip I learned.....if your wool frays and shreds while you work on it, you need to felt it.  This will save having to iron on interfacing to keep it intact.

When assembling a piece, Sue staples, yes staples, her pieces in place before she does her button hole stitch.   Talk about a forgiving art form.  Your buttonhole stitchings can be done in a color to match your fabric or stiched all in black depending on the look you want to achieve.  On the mice and cheese above, you can see she stitched with colors similar to the wool color.

"Bunny Bottoms" was a favorite of many at the meeting.

Sue also used floss and linen threads for highlights as seen below.   

Sue also shared a variety of finishing ideas.  She uses SF101 Pellon on the back of her pieces for stability.  This is the same interfacing quilters use on the back of t-shirts to provide stability when making a t-shirt quilt.  She buys blank prestretched artist canvas.  Sue pointed out to make sure you  purchase the kind of canvas that is stapled on the back and not the sides.   She then paints the canvas her desired color and attaches her finished wool piece used a Avery Micro Stitcher (available at A. C. Moore and similar stores) It attaches the wool to the canvas with little plastic ties that are similar to how a price tag is attached to a garment in the store.  Sue recommend using freezer paper for patterns and using Press 'n Seal clear wrap to lay across a finish piece to clean it.   Works much like a lint roller would work.

There is no way Sue should have been nervous.   It was obvious she knows what she is doing and her love of her chosen art form really shows.   She was so generous with all the tips and knowledge she shared.   She even offered to help you if you are struggling when a piece.....just stop into the quilt store and she will guide you on your way.  We all enjoyed the program and learned a lot.

Highlights of stitching in white on the sheets help show that movement of laundry on the line.

The "Parade Day" piece was finished with a quilt type backing and binding.

The cardinal and bunny below are an example of how she attached a wool piece to artist canvas.

And last but not least. Amy G. is supporting an upcoming event for the Delaware Beekeeper's Associations.   There is an festival July 30 to August 4th and she is seeking bee-like stitch items or bee anything to donate to the Silent Auction.   The Beekeepers Association is a 503c/non-profit and donations are tax deductible.   More information will follow.