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!

January Meeting

Happy 2014 one and all!  Boy do I have a lot to share with you.   We have a lot going on at DVHSG so let me get started with the sharing.

Let's take care of some business first -
First up, if anyone has photos or info to share from the Catherine Theron Class in November, please forward to Lynn D. or to me so I can do some updating.

Woodlawn
The 51st Annual Needlework Show at Woodlawn will open March 1st and continue through March 31st.  Woodlawn is operated by the National Trust and was part of George Washington's Mount Vernon in Alexandria, Virginia.  George Washington gave the site to his nephew Lawrence Lewis  and his bride, Nelly Custis, Martha's granddaughter, in hopes of keeping Nelly close to Martha and Mount Vernon.  The home was designed by William Thornton who was also the architect of the Capitol.  Annually it is the host of this needlework show.    Click HERE for a link to Woodlawn's Event Page.   There is a link to the paperwork if you wish to submit an item for display during the event.  Please navigate around the site to learn more about Woodlawn.

It is a wonderful day trip.  You will be inspired at each corner and every room you enter which will be overflowing with beautifully stitched pieces of every variety.   Samplers to framed pieces to smalls to Japanese embroidery and more.   It is a very inspirational afternoon as you oh and ah at all the beautiful pieces of needlework on display.   And if you enter a piece, you may even come home with a ribbon!

Catherine Theron
Catherine Theron is offering to DVHSG members only a needle roll kit.   The cost is $65 and is payable to "DVHSG".  Please let Deb S. know if you wish to participate.

Catherine Jordan
A class with Catherine Jordan is planned for our March Meeting.   Catherine Jordan will speak at our regular meeting on March 8th.  Catherine Jordan will be hold an afternoon class following that meeting.   Sign up is due TODAY!  Deadline for payment is February 1st.   Cost will be $65 and is payable to "DVHSG".

Penn Dry Goods Market
Sign ups are now available online for speakers and classes at the Penn Dry Good Market at the Schwenkfelder Museum in Pennsburg, PA.

Sampler Consortium
Sign up now for lectures and classes at the Sampler Consortium Event at the Biggs Museum, Dover DE, on the following dates:
Sampler Exhibition : March 7 – April 20, 2014
Sampler Symposium: March 21-23, 2014
Sampler Lectures (free): March 22, 2014 Exhibition Reception: March 22, 2014
Please follow this link to the Biggs Museum site for more information.

Semi Annual Retreat
Our annual spring retreat is tentatively set for the last weekend of April.   We will be going to Salty Yarns in Ocean City, Maryland for a guild favorite.  Stacy S. will confirm dates and more details will follow.

2014 Challenge
We are not having a SAL or new project this year.    We will all be challenged to complete our UFO's.   Rules - must have been started prior to January 1, 2014.  Must complete by December 31, 2014.    Pretty simple!  We all know finishing those stitched pieces can be the downfall of many of us.....so here's some incentive!  Let's get finishing.

Non-Guild Class Info
Salty Yarns has openings in some of their upcoming classes.   Please check out their events tab on their website for details.  Sherri Jones in April and Betsy Morgan in June.

Holiday Exchange
And now - the best part of our meeting.   Our Annual Exchange at our December Meeting was canceled due to weather.   We postponed the exchange to our meeting today.   This exchange is always a Guild favorite.    Each piece is more exquisite than the one before.  Beautiful stitching, beautiful finishing, beautiful fellowship among stitchers!

The photos don't do the beautiful craftsmanship justice.  Please click to see an enlarged view of each.  I only wish I had gotten many more photos to share but alas.....we needed to clear for our covered dish luncheon.

UPDATE to Delaware Consortium

This just in......

Lynne Anderson of the Sampler Consortium has re-scheduled the DELAWARE SYMPOSIUM from November 2013 to March 21, 22 and 23, 2014. The site will be the Biggs Museum in Dover, DE. There will be lectures, field trips, classes and hopefully, a sampler exhibition and catalog. The focus of the exhibition and catalog will be to feature Family Records and other Delaware needlework that records family names and/or initials. 

The following Guild members participated in the recent sampler identification days:

Katie F., Sali P., Michelle A., Nancy F, Evalyn G., Terri H., Kathy L., Marnie B., Ann S., and Sylvia D.

        The Sampler Consortium expressed their gratitude for Guild's efforts in this important project.  They sent a big ThankYou all who volunteered their  time to work on this important documentation.

July Meeting

July Program   Jean Milliken demonstrated how to make buttons decorated with needlework.  It was a great class!  We also welcomed two new members, Mary S. and Patrick B.  It’s great to have new members.   It is great to have others share our passion!

October Scissor Block   Don't forget to put in your order for a scissor block being made by Debi S.’s husband.  In 2014 we’ll bring our completed blocks in and vote for the Viewer’s Choice winner who will receive a pair of scissors that will fit in the block.   For those interested in participating, money is being collected for the scissor holders.  They are $5 each and final orders for the holders will be taken at the September guild meeting.  

Delaware Symposium   The dates for this have reportedly been changed to November 15 and 16.  Please check their website for details. 

Stitch a Long   Michelle A. went over rows 10, 11, and 12.  Sali will be going over Colonial knots at the August Stitch-in meeting.  Photos with an animated demonstration can be found on the Victoria Sampler site. You can view the animation itself at http://www.victoriasampler.com/StitchAnimations/Default.aspx.  

Just choose "Colonial knot" from the drop-down box.