June and July 2024

For June, our meeting was called by President Eve C.   She welcomed all new members.    Committee Reports were provided.   

Our program for the month was presented by member, Evalyn G.   Evalyn discussed silkworms and silk production.    It was informative as well as a fascinating discussion on the how silk was produced from the earliest times in America.    Evalyn suggested “American Silk - 1830 - 1930:  Entrepreneurs and Artifacts” as a great reference book, available (of course) from Amazon.  

For our July Meeting, President Eve C. welcomed all present today on Zoom. We had approximately 75 participants.  Committee Reports were provided.

 

For the July program, Beth Seal from Summer House Stitch Workes gave a presentation on Susquehanna Valley Samplers. What a wonderful discussion filled with a ton of information about the stitchers and the many schools (15) of the region where young girls learned their needlework.  Beth’s  sampler and her Fragments in Time pillows relate to the Susquehanna Valley area samplers.    The patterns were made available at a discounted rate through July from Salty Yarns.  Beth also shared “Harriet’s Valentine” pillow.

Photos taken from Beth’s slide show.  

Sophia Shindel, 1824

Notice the similarities of the baskets.   Points to possibly the same teacher/school

Elizabeth Sansinich, 1803

Close up of Mary Ann Stauffer

Beth discussed marking samplers and the importance for the young girls to learn to do markings for linens.

Another great presentation by Beth and arranged by our Program Director, Stacy S.

General News

·       Don’t forget to wear your name-tag at in-person meetings.    If you forget, you owe $1 to the conservation fund.

·       2024 SAL—For July,  members should be working on the July assignment (Band 6 with the Running stitch and Double Cross (or Smyrna Cross) and remaining border areas.)  If you have any questions, reach out to Linda D.

·        Secret Stitcher—If you wish to participate in the next Secret Stitcher Exchange, please sign up by the end of July.  There are  17 participants so far. Below is the link for the google form survey (if you wish to sign up for the next round).:  https://forms.gle/bpuqZAt3qFQdUEBK8

· The Green Book - Patrick maintains the “book of projects”for the Guild.   Member’s pages are filed alphabetically.   Members list their completed projects for the calendar year.  You can send them any time but definitely by December 30th. Patrick tallies the statistics and shares our statistics with the Guild in January.  Anyone who submits a list will get a prize.

·       Rehoboth Beach Historical Society and Museum 2024 Needlework Exhibition—Submission dates for this year are August 26th through September 4th. If you are interested in entering, please send an email to collections@rbmuseum.org and they will send you an application. Be sure to put “Add me to the needlework mailing list” in the subject line. The exhibition runs from September 14th through November 10th.

·       Continued thanks to Stacy S. for all her hard work in scheduling our programs!! We are planning to have zoom only for approximately 6 meetings and in-person (hybrid) for approximately 6 meetings. Watch your email for specifics as more activities are scheduled.  If you have ideas for future programs, please reach out to Stacy (stacystin@gmail.com)

Upcoming Meetings

August—(Zoom) Finishing Pin Drums - Member Caryl C. will lead a tutorial on how to finish drums. She will provide PDF Instructions prior to the meeting in case you want to take notes.   The meeting will be recorded.

September—(Hybrid) We will host Teresa’s Primitive Treasures. Teresa Miller will demonstrate how to paint and fully finish a fall themed tray.   The meeting time will be extended to 3 p.m. to allow enough time.  Away stitchers can participate.   Pre-stitching will be shipped from Teresa in early August.  In-person participants will have paint available, but away stitchers will not have that included in the kit. The instructions will include what you need to have available.  There are no plans to provide lunch so you will need to bring lunch or a snack.

October—(Hybrid) Garage sale. Bring your patterns including any you have decided that, although you like them, you have made the honest assessment that you will never get to them…..bring fabric, supplies, and any stash you wish to get rid of.  The Guild would like a nominal donation to the guild’s Conservation Fund from the proceeds of your sales.    You have the option to leave any items that are not sold to be taken to Fireside Stitchery for sale on eBay.    Any profit from eBay sales will also go to the Conservation Fund.

November (2024)—(Hybrid) Kim from Sassy Jack’s will join us to teach us the Mabel Tukes sampler. The membership voted during a spring meeting, to have the November Meeting coincide with out semi-annual retreat at Salty Yarns, in Berlin, Maryland (as we did last year). People not attending the retreat will be able to participate in the meeting and presentation by Zoom.

Both the flyer for the Mabel Tukes Sampler and for the Retreat at Salty Yarns will be with the August Newsletter.   The Retreat cost has increased this year to $75.00.

December (2024)—We will have our annual smalls exchange. The small should be sampler-related, but not holiday themed. It should also include your initials and the year.

On the drawing board and coming to DVHSG in 2025 are programs from -  Jackie DuPlessis, Catherine Theron, Dawn Ronningen

Continued thanks to Stacy Stinson for all her hard work in scheduling our programs!! We are planning to have zoom only for approximately 6 meetings and in-person (hybrid) for approximately 6 meetings. Watch your email for specifics as more activities are scheduled. 

Following in-person meetings, members are welcome to gather after the meeting for lunch  at The Well (6949 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, DE).

 We currently have 219 members that have joined or renewed for 2024.

Next Meeting - Zoom - August 10, 10 a.m.

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.

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!