President’s Message • Volunteer Service Hours • Election Results • UFO Updates • Other News

President’s Message

I’d like to start the New Year with a heartfelt thank you to each of our members for all that you have done in the past couple of years to help our group grow and become more warm and friendly. A special thanks to those on the new 2004 Board for volunteering their time and energy. I appreciate your commitment to Muchas Manos. The open stitch held January 19 allowed us to welcome Michelle, Karen’s 20-day-old daughter, and Betty and Betsy. Betty is visiting from Montana – with a look at our chapter as a possible transfer from her chapter in Great Falls, Montana. Betsy, her daughter, has lived in San Diego for 6 years. We look forward to having both of you join us again – and again. Michelle seemed to enjoy moving from one person to the next – and slept through most of our attention. Karen, she is so sweet. Thank you for sharing your daughter.

I think we have an exciting year ahead of us. The UFO program will take a new twist for 2004. We’re hoping that a little light-hearted competition will get everyone involved. Just sign up and then stitch! Remember, too, that we need about 90 more bookmarks before May 24th. All will count in the 2004 UFO program, too. Karen, Tamara, and Shelley have some great programs planned for us in the coming year. (I’ve seen the project for February and I think you will enjoy it. Thanks, Shelley)

I am in Missouri visiting my Mother. I will be thinking about you Monday evening. I look forward to open stitch February 2nd.

Keep stitching, Ruth

Volunteer Service Hours

Be sure to turn in your volunteer service hours to Ina Gibson, our Regional Representative. Our chapter has logged over 3300 hours to EGA Headquarters. These hours are vital in helping EGA maintain its non-profit status. The time you spend this month stitching bookmarks counts, as well as any other community service hours.

Election Results

The following members have been elected to serve on the Muchas Manos Board for 2004:

President – Ruth Wallis
Vice President/Programs – Karen Krampe
Vice President/Membership – Heather Cowan
Secretary – Gini Moore
Treasurer – Laura Wick

Congratulations to our new Board Members!
Special thanks to our new program committee members Shelly Pope and Tamara Willis for volunteering to serve.

The position of Hospitality Chairperson is still vacant for 2004.  Please talk to Ruth Wallis if you are interested in serving in this capacity.

UFO Updates

The UFO Program is designed to encourage members to finish projects (‘cause we don’t need any encouragement to START projects!) and to share our accomplishments with fellow stitchers. This year, we will be using a point system to encourage a little friendly competition. The Program Committee will be giving us all the details.

Other News

• In February, we will be working on a Heart-shaped Altoids Tin Topper designed by our own Shelly Pope.  For more info, check out our programs page.
• Don’t forget to support the businesses that advertise in our chapter newsletter!  Let them know you are a member of Muchas Manos and appreciate their support.  In this month’s newsletter, our advertisers were:  Craft Cottage, Fabrication, Framesmith, Needle Nook of La Jolla, Needlecraft Cottage, Needlepoint of La Jolla, Sandy’s Finishing Touches, Stitcher’s Treasures, and The Black Sheep.

President’s Message • Volunteer Service Hours • Upcoming Elections • UFO Updates • Other News

President’s Message

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! What a great time of year this is. I have many things to be thankful for: my family…friends…having enough to eat…having a home that I enjoy coming home to each night…my stitching…and all of you. I am very thankful for all the wonderful friends I have made in this guild. I am also thankful for the many hours of service our board and committee members have given to Muchas Manos. We have had a terrific board this year and I feel blessed to have had the privilege of working with them.

I am also thankful for the great job the nominating committee did and that there is a strong board to take over in the coming year.

Don’t forget that our Holiday Party is December 8 at Ruth’s House. It is a bring-your-favorite-dish potluck. Please include a list of ingredients with your contribution – or better yet, share copies of your recipe with us. We will have our usual gift exchange as well as our annual “awards”. I hope you all have brought in your UFO’s (November is the last meeting) because you will like the surprises the board has for participants (thank you, Barbara for the painting and gluing) I would hate to see anyone miss out on the fun!

Keep your bookmarks coming! Our goal is 150 by our April 2004 meeting.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday filled with food, family, fun…and lots of stitching!

Ina

Volunteer Service Hours

Be sure to turn in your volunteer service hours to Ruth Wallis, our Regional Representative. These hours are turned in to EGA Headquarters and are vital in helping EGA maintain its non-profit status. The time you spend this month stitching bookmarks counts, so be sure to keep track!

Upcoming Elections

The following slate of officers has been presented by the Nominating Committee.

• President – Ruth Wallis
• Vice President/Programs – Karen Krampe
  • Program Committee – Shelly Pope, Tamara Willis (Volunteer positions, FYI only)
• Vice President/Membership – Heather Cowan
• Secretary – Gini Moore Treasurer – Laura Wick

We will be voting at the November Meeting. If you cannot attend, please contact Ina for voting instructions..

UFO Updates

Twenty members are participating in our UFO program.  They have pledged to complete the following:

94	Category I	Complete the stitching on projects begun BEFORE 01 January 2003
139	Category II	Complete the stitching on projects begun AFTER 01 January 2003
133	Category III	Complete the finishing (framed, made into a pillow, etc.) on a project stitched at any time

So far, participants have shared the following projects with us:

48	Category I	Complete the stitching on projects begun BEFORE 01 January 2003
119	Category II	Complete the stitching on projects begun AFTER 01 January 2003
127	Category III	Complete the finishing (framed, made into a pillow, etc.) on a project stitched at any time

Other News

• In January, we will be working on a petite project entitled Spring Landscape.  For more info, check out our programs page.
• Don’t forget to support the businesses that advertise in our chapter newsletter!  Let them know you are a member of Muchas Manos and appreciate their support.  In this month’s newsletter, our advertisers were:  Craft Cottage, Fabrication, Framesmith, Needle Nook of La Jolla, Needlecraft Cottage, Needlepoint of La Jolla, Sandy’s Finishing Touches, Stitcher’s Treasures, and The Black Sheep.

President’s Message • Volunteer Service Hours • Upcoming Elections • UFO Updates • Other News

President’s Message

“Having a great time…wish you were here!” This may be a cliché, but in this case it really is true. I am writing this from the EGA National Seminar in Rye, New York where there is a chill in the air and the trees are beginning to display the most beautiful colors! I have made new friends, taken a wonderful 4 day class, shopped till I dropped and spent a day in Manhattan where we saw “The Lion King” on Broadway. It has been a thoroughly enjoyable week and I hope that each and every one of you are able to attend a Seminar someday.

For those of you that like to plan ahead, the dates and locations of the next two annual seminars are available. In 2004, the Heartland Region will host Heartland Harvest: A Season to Stitch in Minneapolis. It will be held on October 23-29. In 2005, The Tennessee Valley Region will host Stitching Southern Style in Atlanta from September 4-9.

Closer to home…thank you Gloria for teaching the wonderful Birthday plaid, and to all of the cupcake decorators! Thank you also to Ruth and the nominating committee for working hard to make sure we have another strong board to continue working for the chapter next year. This chapter is filled with dedicated, generous people and I feel so fortunate to be a member here.

Don’t forget to get those UFO’s finished. Our November meeting will be your last chance to bring in those projects and hit your target.

Keep those needles moving,

Ina

Volunteer Service Hours

Be sure to turn in your volunteer service hours to Ruth Wallis, our Regional Representative. These hours are turned in to EGA Headquarters and are vital in helping EGA maintain its non-profit status. The time you spend this month stitching bookmarks counts, so be sure to keep track!

Upcoming Elections

The following slate of officers has been presented by the Nominating Committee.

• President – Ruth Wallis
• Vice President/Programs – Karen Krampe
  • Program Committee – Shelly Pope, Tamara Willis (Volunteer positions, FYI only)
• Vice President/Membership – Heather Cowan
• Secretary – Gini Moore Treasurer – Laura Wick

We will be voting at the November Meeting. If you cannot attend, please contact Ina for voting instructions..

UFO Updates

Twenty members are participating in our UFO program.  They have pledged to complete the following:

94	Category I	Complete the stitching on projects begun BEFORE 01 January 2003
139	Category II	Complete the stitching on projects begun AFTER 01 January 2003
133	Category III	Complete the finishing (framed, made into a pillow, etc.) on a project stitched at any time

So far, participants have shared the following projects with us:

40	Category I	Complete the stitching on projects begun BEFORE 01 January 2003
88	Category II	Complete the stitching on projects begun AFTER 01 January 2003
86	Category III	Complete the finishing (framed, made into a pillow, etc.) on a project stitched at any time

The numbers are climbing.  Just 1 more month to stitch!

Other News

• In November, we will be working on the second part of Pulled Thread Triangles.  For more info, check out our programs page.
• Don’t forget to support the businesses that advertise in our chapter newsletter!  Let them know you are a member of Muchas Manos and appreciate their support.  In this month’s newsletter, our advertisers were:  Craft Cottage, Fabrication, Framesmith, Needle Nook of La Jolla, Needlecraft Cottage, Needlepoint of La Jolla, Sandy’s Finishing Touches, Stitcher’s Treasures, and The Black Sheep.

President’s Message • Volunteer Service Hours • Upcoming Elections • UFO Updates • Other News

President’s Message

Thank you, Heather, for doing such a nice job filling this space for me last month, while I was off backpacking in the wilderness. Heather, along with the rest of this year’s board, has done a wonderful job keeping the chapter running. Thank you, ladies for always doing your job (and sometimes mine as well!)…for always being on top of things…for sharing your great ideas…for always striving to make the chapter better and friendlier. This has been a great board – thank you ladies, for all of your hard work!

Although the board still has another few months to serve, our nominating committee has been formed and will be presenting a slate of officers for our elections at the November meeting. Please consider serving in a board position if (when) asked. If you can’t serve on the board, please consider volunteering in another capacity. There is plenty of work to go around…but when it is distributed among many hands, each person’s load is light. Serving on the board is rewarding and is a great opportunity to get to know fellow members better. You can help the chapter and have fun, at the same time.

Speaking of helping, thanks to all members who have completed bookmarks for our community outreach. They are all so beautiful, and so very different!

Don’t forget: only two more meetings to turn in projects for our UFO program this year. So far as a chapter we have completed 36% of old projects, 47% of projects started this year and 50% of our finishing. Keep those needles moving so you won’t miss out on the fun at this year’s holiday party, which will be at Ruth’s on December 8.

Happy Stitching,
Ina

Volunteer Service Hours

Be sure to turn in your volunteer service hours to Ruth Wallis, our Regional Representative. These hours are turned in to EGA Headquarters and are vital in helping EGA maintain its non-profit status. The time you spend this month stitching bookmarks counts, so be sure to keep track!

Upcoming Elections

The October meeting will find us considering a new slate of officers. The Nominating Committee is currently working on choosing from the numerous volunteers for the positions of President, Vice President – Membership, Vice President – Programs and Secretary. All joking aside, please consider volunteering for one of these positions. Voting will take place at the November Meeting.

UFO Updates

The final counts are in!  Twenty members are participating in our UFO program.  They have pledged to complete the following:

94	Category I	Complete the stitching on projects begun BEFORE 01 January 2003
139	Category II	Complete the stitching on projects begun AFTER 01 January 2003
133	Category III	Complete the finishing (framed, made into a pillow, etc.) on a project stitched at any time

So far, participants have shared the following projects with us:

34	Category I	Complete the stitching on projects begun BEFORE 01 January 2003
65	Category II	Complete the stitching on projects begun AFTER 01 January 2003
66	Category III	Complete the finishing (framed, made into a pillow, etc.) on a project stitched at any time

The numbers are climbing.  Just 2 more months to stitch.

Other News

• In October, Barbara Lawson will guide us through Fandango, an Anthony Minieri design.  For more info, check out our programs page.
• Don’t forget to support the businesses that advertise in our chapter newsletter!  Let them know you are a member of Muchas Manos and appreciate their support.  In this month’s newsletter, our advertisers were:  Craft Cottage, Fabrication, Framesmith, Needle Nook of La Jolla, Needlecraft Cottage, Needlepoint of La Jolla, Sandy’s Finishing Touches, Stitcher’s Treasures, and The Black Sheep.

Vice President’s Message • Volunteer Service Hours • UFO Updates • Other News

Vice President’s Message

It’s the middle of summer and our President is deeply involved in all of the various activities that Boy Scouts, three boys and a husband can toss at her. I’m pretty sure that September and the start up of school is looking really good to her about now as she is sleeping on the ground somewhere in wilderness.

On the stitching front, Star of Hearts has arrived and Ruth is making sure that all those who signed up are getting their copy. An additional $5.00 is due. With only a brief glance, this looks like an exciting project. There are possibilities of using the pattern to make some individual heart projects that could be used for little Valentine’s Day gifts, Christmas gift tags, or even small ornaments.

Has the mystery revealed itself to all that are working on it? There may be some who haven’t opened Part 3 yet, so they are still wondering. Hope you all had fun with it, because I sure learned a lot and have a new respect for all of the designers out there that supply us with such wonderful projects. They are worth their weight in gold.

Several members attended the Stitching Festival in Riverside from August 14-16. They will have lots to share at the September meeting. Also, this month, we will try to increase our stash of bookmarks. Ina will be teaching darning patterns that will work very well on bookmarks. We are gathering them to present to the library to use as incentives for their summer reading program, and any that you make are appreciated, with your time counting toward our chapter’s volunteer service hours.

Now is a good time to start planning for all those finishes that we’ll all get done before the November meeting. That’s your last chance to “be on target” with your UFO’s.

Keep those needles flying… Heather

Volunteer Service Hours

Be sure to turn in your volunteer service hours to Ruth Wallis, our Regional Representative. These hours are turned in to EGA Headquarters and are vital in helping EGA maintain its non-profit status. All volunteer hours count whether it’s for Meals on Wheels, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, museum docent or hospital pink lady!

UFO Updates

The final counts are in!  Twenty members are participating in our UFO program.  They have pledged to complete the following:

94	Category I	Complete the stitching on projects begun BEFORE 01 January 2003
137	Category II	Complete the stitching on projects begun AFTER 01 January 2003
136	Category III	Complete the finishing (framed, made into a pillow, etc.) on a project stitched at any time

So far, participants have shared the following projects with us:

31	Category I	Complete the stitching on projects begun BEFORE 01 January 2003
51	Category II	Complete the stitching on projects begun AFTER 01 January 2003
52	Category III	Complete the finishing (framed, made into a pillow, etc.) on a project stitched at any time

The numbers are climbing.  Just 3 more months to stitch.

Other News

• In September, Gloria will be teaching a birthday plaid.  It is a neat way to translate numbers into a great-looking stitched piece.  For more info, check out our programs page.
• Don’t forget to support the businesses that advertise in our chapter newsletter!  Let them know you are a member of Muchas Manos and appreciate their support.  In this month’s newsletter, our advertisers were:  Craft Cottage, Fabrication, Framesmith, Needle Nook of La Jolla, Needlecraft Cottage, Needlepoint of La Jolla, Sandy’s Finishing Touches, Stitcher’s Treasures, and The Black Sheep.

President’s Message • Volunteer Service Hours • UFO Updates • Other News

President’s Message

Well, I had the mixed joy of spending a week at one of our local beach campgrounds with my family. It was wonderful to fall asleep to the sound of the waves…but five days in a small space can lead to other noises which are much less pleasant! I did take a very old UFO with me and made great progress—what about you? With less than half the year to go, are you going to be “on target”?

Thank you to Heather for her second installment of her mystery project. Thank you’s also to Ruth, Karen and Angelina for representing us so well at the recent PSR region meeting. Our chapter is very fortunate to have so many wonderful, warm, generous people always willing to help and share in the work of running a successful chapter.

The encouragement we give each other is a wonderful thing, too. The UFO I was working on at the beach was my first attempt at hardanger, which I started five or six years ago. At a summer sit and stitch, a Muchas Manos member looked at it and said, “Oh, this would look wonderful as a sampler of filling stitches”, at the time she could have been speaking Greek to me, I thought I was just barely going to be able to follow the pattern. You know what? The hardanger piece has many different filling stitches, and it has been so much more fun to stitch. Thank you, Mary Jane!

Happy Stitching, Ina

Volunteer Service Hours

Be sure to turn in your volunteer service hours to Ruth Wallis, our Regional Representative. These hours are turned in to EGA Headquarters and are vital in helping EGA maintain its non-profit status. All volunteer hours count whether it’s for Meals on Wheels, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, museum docent or hospital pink lady!

UFO Updates

The final counts are in!  Twenty members are participating in our UFO program.  They have pledged to complete the following:

94	Category I	Complete the stitching on projects begun BEFORE 01 January 2003
137	Category II	Complete the stitching on projects begun AFTER 01 January 2003
136	Category III	Complete the finishing (framed, made into a pillow, etc.) on a project stitched at any time

So far, participants have shared the following projects with us:

27	Category I	Complete the stitching on projects begun BEFORE 01 January 2003
41	Category II	Complete the stitching on projects begun AFTER 01 January 2003
40	Category III	Complete the finishing (framed, made into a pillow, etc.) on a project stitched at any time

The numbers are climbing.  Just 4 more months to stitch.

Other News

• In August, Ina will be teaching a darning bookmark.  She promises it will be quick and easy–and a great way to contribute to our library outreach program.  For more info, check out our programs page.
• Don’t forget to support the businesses that advertise in our chapter newsletter!  Let them know you are a member of Muchas Manos and appreciate their support.  In this month’s newsletter, our advertisers were:  Craft Cottage, Fabrication, Framesmith, Needle Nook of La Jolla, Needlecraft Cottage, Needlepoint of La Jolla, Sandy’s Finishing Touches, Stitcher’s Treasures, and The Black Sheep.

President’s Message • Volunteer Service Hours • Congratulations! • UFO Updates • Other News

President’s Message

Although our weather seems more like January than June, the calendar does say that summer is here. School has ended for my boys and the Del Mar Fair is in full swing, so I guess the calendar must be correct. Thank you, Margie for setting up a lovely Needlework Guilds demonstration booth, and getting all those volunteers lined up. Congratulations to all those members who entered pieces in the Fair this year — I know there were several ribbons won by members… (you’ll just have to go to the fair, or come to a meeting to find out who our winners are.)

Half a dozen of us went to Arizona for the PSR Regional Seminar, “Stitches in Copper and Silver”. Thank you Margaret Stevenson and Heather Cowan for displaying pieces in the Education Exhibit. It was wonderful to see our chapter represented there. Thanks to Susan and Karen for helping to set up the exhibit. . .Karen, our volunteer extraordinaire, also kept an eye on the exhibit and answered questions for much of seminar! In spite of the heat of Arizona and the work we all did, we all enjoyed our classes very much and had a wonderful time. We received a special treat — we were able to see “Gracie” up close and personal — she is beautiful! (“she” is the GCC we plan to begin in April).

Stay “on target” with your UFO’s. . . and join us for the meeting as the mystery project, part two unfolds for us…

Happy Stitching, Ina

Volunteer Service Hours

Be sure to turn in your volunteer service hours to Ruth Wallis, our Regional Representative. These hours are turned in to EGA Headquarters and are vital in helping EGA maintain its non-profit status. All volunteer hours count whether it’s for Meals on Wheels, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, museum docent or hospital pink lady!

Congratulations!

Several of our members have won prizes at the Del Mar Fair. Vicky DeAngelis was awarded a 2nd place. Gloria Fedor won two 1st places and an Honorable Mention. Ina Gibson won a 1st place. Gini Moore won a 3rd place and Barbara Myrick won a 1st place and two 3rd places. It’s great to win a prize for something we love doing so much!

UFO Updates

The final counts are in!  Twenty members are participating in our UFO program.  They have pledged to complete the following:

94	Category I	Complete the stitching on projects begun BEFORE 01 January 2003
137	Category II	Complete the stitching on projects begun AFTER 01 January 2003
136	Category III	Complete the finishing (framed, made into a pillow, etc.) on a project stitched at any time

So far, participants have shared the following projects with us:

23	Category I	Complete the stitching on projects begun BEFORE 01 January 2003
33	Category II	Complete the stitching on projects begun AFTER 01 January 2003
37	Category III	Complete the finishing (framed, made into a pillow, etc.) on a project stitched at any time

The numbers are climbing.  Just 5 more months to stitch.

Other News

• In July, Margie will be teaching a Lacy Beaded Bracelet.  For more info, check out our programs page.
• Haven’t visited the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar yet?  Click here to learn more.

President’s Message • Education Fund • Other News

President’s Message

Time is flying…it must mean we are having fun, right? It is difficult to believe that my sons are almost out of school, and the long awaited PSR Seminar is right around the corner! Even if you are unable to attend the seminar, it is not too late to be a part of things – you can still enter a piece in the Education Exhibit. See me if you have questions or need the required entry forms. The Del Mar Fair is also upon us. Please sign up to demonstrate and don’t forget we will be collecting needlework to decorate the booth, please bring any pieces you have to open stitching on June 2.

We have eleven people signed up for our Group Correspondence Course: “Star of Hearts”. Tonight, May 26, is the last night to sign up. I’m sure this will be great fun for all.

Thank you, Heather, for all the hard work involved in the first installment of our chapter mystery project. We are all looking forward to part two!

I hope all of you are ready for our program this month: Pulled Thread Triangles (ordered from EGA National). This promises to be a great introduction to pulled thread…once all of the preparation work is done.

We are almost ready to teach our first class of youngsters, thanks to Laura, and we have a second bookmark designed by a member published in this issue.

What a great group of women you are!

Happy Stitching, Ina

Education Fund

We are continuing our research into teachers, speakers and workshops. We would like to hear from our members with ideas. Any board member would love to hear you suggestions!

Other News

• June’s program is the second half of the mystery project–designed by our own Heather Cowan.  For more info, check out our programs page.
• Want to learn more about the upcoming San Diego County Fair in Del Mar?  Click here.
• We are making headway on our Outreach programs.  To learn the latest, click here.

President’s Message • Pacific Southwestern Region Meeting Notes • Education Fund • Other News

President’s Message

Spring has sprung! I just love the spring–flowers are in bloom everywhere and the days are getting longer and warmer. I hope you all had a nice Easter or Passover. I had a very nice holiday–although I didn’t get in as much stitching time as I would have liked.

Last call for your UFO pledge. This is the last meeting to turn them in, and you don’t want to miss the fun at the holiday party, when we hand out prizes to participants.

Our next Group Correspondence Course will be “Star of Hearts”. We will be taking sign-ups starting next meeting. “M’Lady’s Tea Cloth will be next, and we plan to start “Gracie” next April. Thanks to the members who have agreed to lead these courses, and to the members who expressed their interest.

We have two programs coming up that will be multi-meeting programs: The mystery canvas project and Pulled Thread Triangles (ordered from EGA National). Check the newsletter, or our web site for more information. We invite all our members to participate in our program projects, but participation is not required. If you aren’t sure about completing a large project, such as the two coming up, why not bring a doodle cloth and some thread to try out some new technique being taught? It is still perfectly all right to join us for the meeting and stitch on something else entirely – we ask only that you don’t distract the teacher or students.

Please consider entering a piece (or more!) in the Education Exhibit at our regional seminar this June. The deadline for completing the necessary paperwork is May 1. See me if you have any questions or for the forms to enter.

Happy Stitching, Ina

Pacific Southwestern Region Meeting Notes

Meeting was hosted by Bishop’s Peak Chapter in San Luis Obispo. Bonnie Key, office manager at national EGA headquarters passed away on February 24, 2003 after a battle with cancer. Membership Retention Grants for 2003 are being continued. The PSR Seminar currently has 115 registered. Registration at Regional Seminar is open until May 10. Our own Ina Gibson is in charge of the Educational Exhibit. Past President’s pin available. “Time to Teach” $100 Grant now available. Form is in President’s Notebook. 3,339 copies of the Charmed Heart Booklet have sold as of 1/24/03. Southern California Chapter was presented with a certificate for winning first place in the newsletter contest. Our own Emily Christopher is the project coordinator for the Storrs miniature house project. Next Meeting – the annual meeting for PSR is July 20, hosted by El Segundo Blue.

Submitted, 3/31/2003 by Ruth Wallis, Regional Representative

Education Fund

We are continuing our research into teachers, speakers and workshops. We would like to hear from our members with ideas. Any board member would love to hear you suggestions!

Other News

• Check out May’s program on our programs page.
• Want to learn more about the upcoming San Diego County Fair in Del Mar?  Click here.
• The chapter will be offering new group correspondence courses.  Click here to find out more.
• We are making headway on our Outreach programs.  To learn the latest, click here.