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!

Scissors Block

So much to share from this month's meeting that I am posting twice.   This post is dedicated to our most recent challenge.    This past fall members were challenged to create a scissors block finish.   Participation was purely voluntary.   Debbie S.'s husband made a ba-zillion (or so I am sure it seemed to him) wooden blocks for any one who wanted to participate.   We were given several months to let our creativity flow and produce a finished project.

The variety of finishes were as different and as varied as our multi-talented stitchers.  Enjoy the creativity of our members!  My photos don't do these beauties justice.  Still honing my photography skills.   All photos are click-able to show enlarged.

Lace 'n Fineness - Francine's piece.  Just a adorable as she is!  And what 

an over achiever.   Not just a scissor's block but smalls to accompany it.

Variety abounds.  BJ's on the left; Stacy S. in the center; Marnie B. on the right

Beading extraordinaire!  Just a simple task for the talents of Deb S.

Dainty and band-like sampler stitching from Marnie B.

Fabulous padded finish from Jean T. with Deb S./back left; 

Jean M. center back; and Nancy R./right

Tribute to Kathy R.'s fav holiday

Carolyn N.'s seasons and Pat L.'s beading

BJ. S.'s Ellen Chester motifs with ultra suede top. With Pat L./back left, Deb S. immediately behind and Jean T./back right

Patrick did two - both all beading! and he is NEW to beading!

Pat Y. was clever and had additional holes drilled for 'park' a variety of needleworking tools.

And then there Caryl C.  who showed the love of her Alma Mater.

Karen K. used themes from a sampler she completed last year.

This blogger's completed block.

A BIG thank you to our Program Committee for continuing to bring great projects and classes to our guild each month.

We voted on favorites and prizes were awarded.   Congratulations to the winners and to all who finished their block.

(Please let me know if I identified anyone's work incorrectly.)

October Meeting

Sew sew much to report.   This was a jam-packed meeting.

Rehoboth Beach Historical Society Needlework Display
This exhibition is scheduled for April and May of 2014.   Stitcher's who wish to display items at this needlework event need to keep in mind the dates may conflict with Woodlawn.   The Rehoboth Historic Society requests that no pieces previously entered/displayed at this event be re-entered.  Hopefully we will gather pieces and coordinate with a member to drop them off for everyone.

Delaware Needlework Symposium
The site is  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. 

Workshops are being scheduled for Friday, March 21st - Fees may apply
Speakers scheduled for Saturday, March 22nd - Free
Workshops are being scheduled for Sunday, March 23rd - Fees may apply

For more information please see their website.

Penn Dry Goods Days
This annual event is held at the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center 105 Seminary Street Pennsburg, PA 18073 and is scheduled for May 15th, 16th and 17th.  215–679–3103

For more information  contact them at info@schwenkfelder.com or see their website.

Morven Museum Identification Day
The Morven Museum in Princeton NJ will be hosting an identification day on October 19th.   They are seeking to document and catalog samplers and silk embroidery stitched in New Jersey or stitched by New Jersey girls before 1860   A catalog and display will be completed in 2014.  For more information see their website.

Stitch-a-long
Caryl C. had her sampler available.   She has completed the piece up to the speciality stitches where the initial should be.   We all liked that she used colors other than the suggested colors and sent many of us home wanting to frog our pieces and incorporate some color variety.

This month's assignment is Rows 16-17-18.   

Row 16 - features Queen stitched flowers.  The diagrams in the instructions are good.  Just remember to be consistent with the order of stitches within your Queen stitches.

Row 17 - the Fern stitch

Row 18 - Knit stitch

Orna Willis

On September 30th, members recently attended a class at the Brandywine Chapter of EGA.  Check out the post on Orna Willis' blog.  Orna does canvas work, and in addition to a blog, has a website, makes jewelry, has an Etsy shop and somehow finds time to teach as well.   Members chatted and were in agreement we should have Orna Willis conduct a class with us.  It will be a great introduction to canvas work that many of us may not have ventured into (yet!).  This is the piece one member brought to our meeting from the Orna Willis class attended.  

Next Month - November Meeting
We will have a short business meeting which will be followed by a tour at the Delaware Historical Society in Wilmington.   The tours will be run at 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm.   Each tour will be able to take ten members through the museum.   There is on street parking at no cost as well as a parking garage at 6th and Shipley with no cost on weekends.  Admission to the museum is $12 per person.   On entering the museum, go to the gift shop to pay and receive further directions.  It is suggested members stop for lunch somewhere en route to Wilmington.  Look for more information in Lynn's newsletter.

Scissors Block
We are all being challenged with this one.  The programming committee had this idea and Deb S. approached her husband about making these for our project.   57 blocks later.......we will be sending Ray a Thank You.

Natalie spoke of the concept and the use of the scissors block.  Natalie shared ideas:

• put a self-stick magnet on one side - she suggested using E6000 glue (available at A. C. Moore or Michael's) to ensure the magnet doesn't curl over time.
• Copy all four sides of the block and the top of the block as a base for your pattern
• bead seams
• paint, decoupage or stain your block
• stitch a sample of stitches as reference
• use a variety of threads
• cover it with bargello
• use tassels and trims
• let your imagination run wild
• Natalie suggested that you put your name and phone number somewhere on your completed block.   You wouldn't want to loose by leaving it somewhere after all that work!

Completed scissors blocks will be brought to the February meeting for display and vote.   It will be a popular choice vote with a 1st, 2nd, 3rd place winner.  

December Holiday Exchange
Our annual holiday small exchange will be held at the December meeting.   Remember your small should feature a sampler theme.   All are welcomed to participate.   Anyone who brings a completed, wrapped item will be able to participate in the exchange.   We will also enjoy a covered dish luncheon.   Stay tuned for details and sign up sheets our next meeting.

January
January Meeting will be a stitch-in.   Always a good idea for January when we don't know what the weather will be.   Please bring any needlework related holiday present you may have received to share with others.

March Regular Meeting
Catherine Jordan will speak on needlework map samplers at the meeting.  The regular meeting will be followed by a class with Catherine Jordan.

March - Catherine Jordan class in the Spring of 2014.   The project will be a friendship book cover called "Believe" and will focus on painting the fabric before we stitch it.    The class will cost $65 and will include lunch.   The half-day class has been scheduled for the afternoon of March 8th  following our regularly scheduled monthly meeting.   Registration is due by February meeting.   Please see our "CLASSES" tab above for more info ad registration form.

Show and Tell

 a mon ami Pierre design stitched by Francine

 The Ann Grant Sampler by Shakespeare's Peddler stitched by Jean T.

 Detail of Jean's stitching

 Ursula Michael's Quilts stitched and framed by Rita S.

 Stitched by Rita S. (Rita will forward the name)

My, my, we are a busy group!

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.

May Meeting

Patti H. and husband Nick gave an interesting talk about the Gloucester County Historical Society ("GCHS") and how some of the collection’s pieces came to the collection.  Our regular Saturday morning meeting was followed by a road trip to the Gloucester County Historical Society to see the sampler and quilt collection they currently have on display.  Patti has charted a number of the GCHS samplers and the sale of the charts benefits the preservation and conservation of the samplers.

If you are ever in South Jersey, it is worth a stop.

Other Updates from the May Meeting --

Stitch-along   This month complete the next 3 rows.  Sali will be covering rows 7, 8 & 9 in June and Michelle will be covering rows 10, 11 & 12 in July.  Several people have changed their thread or fabric color.

October Scissor Block   At the October, 2013 meeting we will be getting ideas for decorating a scissor block, led by Natalie B.  Blank scissor holders will be distributed at the meeting. The blocks are being made by Debi S. husband.  At a meeting 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 you may reserve more than one.  You don’t have to be present at the October meeting to participate.  Final orders for the holders will be taken at the September guild meeting.  You may also send your money to the DVHGS mailbox address,  P.O. Box 1292, Hockessin, DE 19707-5292

Hunterdon County New Jersey Sampler Book   The Society hosted a book signing on June 1 at the Deats Memorial Library, 114 Main Street in Flemington, NJ. The book is $25 per copy, with all proceeds to benefit the Society.  A small exhibition of Hunterdon samplers pictured in the book was on display that day.    You can order the book online $32 including postage.  http://hunterdonhistory.org/hunterdon-needlework-book-update  or call 908.782.1091 with any questions.

Delaware Valley Historic Sampler Guild has no affiliation with the Hunterdon County New Jersey Sampler Book and provides the above as informational.