May 2021 Meeting

President Linda D. welcomed everyone.   Treasurer's Report was provided.   

Due to a conflict with several members attending a function on the second Saturday of October, we have moved the monthly meeting for the 4th Saturday of October and the Stitch-in to the second Saturday of October.   There were no objections to the change of the meeting.

Linda has spoken to Cokesbury and they are still not allowing outsider meetings.  When we can meet there again, there will be a 63 person maximum and members may be required to show proof of vaccination.   Cokesbury has yet to finalized their requirements but all will be shared once permission have been given to return for meetings.  

Marnie shared information on a framer.   Finley's Art Shoppe, Old Ogletown Road,  Newark DE.

There was no Show and Tell at the meeting due to having a guest speaker.  

Programs

• June - Susan Greening-Davis, Discussion on needles, types, what one to use on what project, etc.
• July - Catherine Jordan Zoom Presentation/Slide Show
• August - Francine sharing her collections
• September - Vicki of Needlework Press will be doing a perforated paper presentation and project.  More information will follow.
• Fall Retreat - Tentatively on the calendar for the first weekend of October provided pandemic restrictions permit

Today's Program

We had one guest attend the meeting.   His name was John Scott and he was invited by our guest speaker Sheryl DeJong.   John is working on the Antique Kentucky Sampler website where Kentucky Samplers are catalogued, photographed and organized for all to view and read about.   Sheryl DeJong, today's speaker invited John to watch her presentation.

Discussion and slide show of The Samplers in the index of American Design

The Index of American Design consists of approximately 18,000 watercolor renderings of American decorative art objects. 

The WPA, Work Progress Administration, created by Franklin D. Roosevelt, became the Work Projects Administration in 1939 as part of the New Deal of President Roosevelt.  "During the Depression that followed the stock market crash in 1929, thousands of businesses and banks failed and a quarter of the American workforce was unemployed. An unintended benevolent consequence of the economic hardships of the times was that attendance at many American museums reached an all-time high. Having little money for anything else, the appeal of free museum admissions attracted many Americans who, for the first time, were exposed to and appreciated works of art. Through New Deal initiatives under President Franklin D. Roosevelt beginning in 1933, there was a confluence between the heightened awareness of public art, the employment relief needs of artists, and the creation of artwork for newly constructed federal buildings that resulted in three public arts programs that were administered out of the Treasury Department." (Excerpt from the US Treasury Department website

The work of the WPA had artist capture works of glass, ceramics, crewel, needlework, samplers and more in paintings.  Artifacts were captured, identified, catalogued, and preserved via paintings.  Sheryl shared many examples of the paintings next to photos of the actual samplers.   The artists even captured the wrinkles in the linen in their paintings.   One artist actually painted in the lines of the linen thread on the canvas before adding the crosses for the sampler.  

Sheryl has worked with John to help John launch his program.  John, having no needlework knowledge has taken on cataloging antique Kentucky Samplers.   You can visit their website here.  Another site is the Tennessee Sampler Survey 

Definitely an interesting project and a national treasure to have such a collection.