August 2021 Meeting

 President Linda welcomed everyone and conducted a brief business meeting.

• Our Fall guild retreat is scheduled for October 15-17. The registration form was due by July 1.  This is a MEMBERS ONLY retreat.   
• Our "21 in 21" challenge continues. Keep updating your list of your finishes.
• La-D-Da is our showcase designer for 2021. There are some really nice new designs out that were part of the springtime Needlework Expo and perhaps more new designs in the August Needlework Expo.  You can check her website for ideas---www.la-d-da.net.  
• Some of our conservation funds were given to the New Castle Historical Society and they are currently cleaning and treating a mid-18^th century Dutch sampler with those funds.
•  See the link for some updates from the Sampler Consortium (The Sampler Consortium).
• One note, regarding returning to meeting at Cokesbury. We are hitting a stumbling block with Cokesbury. We no longer have a sponsor so we will have to pay for the space for each meeting.   The rate is in the $300 range per session. Also, we will probably face further restrictions for in-person gatherings, use of kitchen, bringing in food. If you have suggestions for a meeting space we could use once we can gather together safely, please let one of the board members know your idea(s).  We will continue with these Zoom style meeting for the foreseeable future.  A reminder is posted on Facebook each month. If you would like to share Show and Tell, forward your photos to Linda D. the weekend before the scheduled meeting.  
• The Rehoboth Beach Museum will be holding their 2021 Needlework exhibition September 18 through November 7. Entries will be accepted between August 27 and September 11. The entry form and rules are attached. (Rehoboth Beach Museum)
• We are continuing to have a Zoom stitch-in on the fourth Saturday of the month (10:00 am-12:00). Our next is set for August 28, 2021. The link is the same as last month’s stitch-in, but we will be sending you the link again prior to the event.

Upcoming Meetings: 

September—Vickie from Needlework Press will be with us virtually to do presentation on perforated paper. She has also created a kit for us and members had the opportunity to order it in advance.  It is not  a class, so you do not have to get the kit to participate.  Note: You can still participate in the meeting and hear her presentation even if you chose not to purchase the kit.  Also, Salty Yarns will be giving a 15% discount on Needlework Press patterns during the month of September.

October—Note that the dates for the guild meeting and the stitch-in are switching in October because of Jamboree at Salty Yarns. A number of our members are participating in this event. (Stitch-in on October 10 and Guild meeting on October 24.) Program TBD.

November—Claudia Dutcher Kistler will join us for a presentation on Bristol orphanage samplers. 

Program 

This month, Francine Craven gave a presentation on her fabulous collection of vintage and antique needlework tools. (Thank you to Linda, Shannon, Evalyn and Jon for helping with the presentation!) We saw a wonderful collection of spool caddies, pin cushions, thimbles, needlebooks, bobbin boxes, pyramid pins, and Mauchline Ware. (see this post for more on Mauchline Ware). Thank you Francine for sharing this presentation with us!!! If you have questions for Francine on collecting, you can email her.

Francine also shared some resources for collecting:

• Antique American Needlework Tools by Dawn Cook Ronningen (If you order this book from Dawn through her Facebook page or blog, she will autograph the book for you.)
• Dawn’s Facebook page (Antique and Vintage Needlework Tools) and blog (collectorwithaneedle.blogspot.com)

Again a very special thanks to everyone who makes these meetings possible. From those who coordinate the "broadcasting", to our officers, to the great ideas for programming that we have each month, to the reminders and follow up from our secretary.   Who would have thought when the pandemic started that we would still be able to share the joy of needlework together.  If you cannot join the Zoom Meeting live, Jon and Evalyn and Caryl do a FANTASTIC job of recording and uploading the meeting.   This month I wasn't available at meeting time so I watched the video.   It was just like I was at the Zoom Meeting and found myself smiling and agreeing with some of the comments as if it were a "live" meeting.   We are so fortunate to have this option!   Thank you all that make it possible.