President’s Message

In last month’s message I tried to tease you all about the exciting plans and opportunities we have coming up this year, and we now have confirmation of one of those opportunities. Gary Clarke, a stitching designer and teacher from Tasmania, Australia, will be teaching at EGA’s national seminar in Louisville in October. The December 2012 issue of Needle Arts featured his interesting embroidery designs in their cover story.

Before he heads home, he’ll be working his way across the country, teaching in various venues arranged under the auspices of the EGA. And our chapter has been scheduled for three days of his classes, Friday through Sunday, November 8 through 10, 2013. The planned projects are his Tulle and Organza Fantail, a two-day class, and his Black Cockatoo, a one-day class.

Of course, a lot of work needs to be accomplished before that weekend. So I’m putting out a request for volunteers to help with the planning and arrangements. You can call me or e mail me at president@muchasmanos.org.

In more recent chapter news, Heather got a good start on teaching the Schwalm project in January. Although that project sort of intimidates me, I’m really going to enjoy watching everybody else’s progress.

Karen will again very kindly open her home for our February chapter meeting, February 18. We’ll have open stitching and a potluck lunch, starting around 1:00. Let’s all hope for clear skies and no rain, so we can sit outside and stitch poolside! Actually, it’s rained so much here in these first few days of February, we can hold off on more rain until after the 18th, don’t you agree?

Happy Stitching!

Gini

Upcoming Meetings

• February 18:  This meeting is going to be fun as we all share our “First or Worst” projects in embroidery.  Come and bring a project to share with friends that was your first embroidery project or one that, once started just never came together, AKA your worst embroidery project.
• March 18: Liesel-Schwalm course with Heather.
• April 15: Hardanger Emery Cushion.
• May 20: Second lesson in Liesel-Schwalm course.
• June 17: Open stitching!

President’s Message

Ladies, I am really excited to embark on this New Year as president of the Muchas Manos de San Diego chapter! And the rest of the board is also rarin’ to go.

This year and month marks the ten year anniversary of my first visit to open stitching into the former Community Room in the Clairemont Square Shopping Center. I became a member of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America at the next regular meeting. I’ve had so much fun and learned so much that it doesn’t seem that long ago.

Becoming an avid Hardanger stitcher has been the biggest change for me as a stitcher since joining the guild. At last year’s San Diego County Fair my entries swept the Hardanger category – OK, my two bell pulls were the only two entries in that category. (To paraphrase another president, “We’re going to have to fix that.”) I’m actually planning to teach a small Hardanger project this year. Watch the newsletter for more information.

This past Christmas my mom and I visited a family friend who is of Norwegian descent. One of her friends is native Norwegian, who came to the U.S. in her late teens. I was able to speak with that friend and asked her if she’s ever done hardanger embroidery. She told me she had never tried it, because she didn’t like the idea of cutting her fabric. Sounds like what I used to say!

I actually finished Nordic Needle’s 2012 Hardanger Club project on Christmas morning. And then I realized I was drinking my coffee from a mug that said Uff Da, the Norwegian rough equivalent of “Oy vey.” (Or as I also sometimes say, “Ding-dangety!”) I’d done enough reverse stitching on that Hardanger project to make Uff Da an appropriate comment! We all had a lot of giggles about that. Here’s a picture of the Uff Da mug with a portion of the completed project.

We have a lot of exciting plans and opportunities coming up in 2013, and I’d love to have all of you involved and having a lot of fun. Happy Stitching!

Gini

Upcoming Meetings

• February 18:  This meeting is going to be fun as we all share our “First or Worst” projects in embroidery.  Come and bring a project to share with friends that was your first embroidery project or one that, once started just never came together, AKA your worst embroidery project.
• March 18: Liesel-Schwalm course with Heather.
• April 15: Hardanger Emery Cushion.

President’s Message

This year has flown by, with this being our last newsletter of the year. At the November meeting we will have the election for the new officers that will guide our chapter through 2013. It’s also time to get in all your UFO’s. Remember, each piece earns you a ticket in the drawings that will be held at the Holiday Party.

Oh, it’s dessert fest for our Holiday Party on December 9th at the Scripps Ranch Community Center. Bring a dessert to share and a container for leftovers. We’ll have coffee, tea, and cider.

We promise lots of fun and surprises. There will be our fun gift exchange for those that would like to participate. The gift must be stitching related with a limit of $20, or a hand-stitched ornament. Remember, the more creative the wrapping the more fun we have “stealing”.

The paperwork has been submitted for the EGA Group Correspondence Course, Liesel-Schwalm. We’ll start the project at the January 2013 chapter meeting, but more specific information will be sent out to the ten members participating. Karen K. is welcoming the chapter to her home for both the January and February meetings.

I’d like to express my sincere thanks to the special people that I have worked with in this last year of my tenure as president of this chapter: Jean L., Angelina H., and Gini M. have kept the board running smoothly. Laura B., Jean, Gini, and Susan S. answered the call to teach programs. Margi T. sent us cards and took care of the calendars for the San Diego Fair and May craft show, and put up and took down booths for both events. Angelina expanded our presence in the cyber world and kept us connected. A huge thank you to Shelly P., who each month puts together this newsletter that keeps everyone informed. A chapter is only as good as the people who volunteer their time and energy, and I have found this to be a very giving group of stitchers, and for that, I am truly grateful.

As I start thinking about the New Year, there are so many wonderful stitching opportunities. I’ll be trying to stay ahead of everyone on the Schwalm course. There will be more Soldier Kissing Pillows to do and bookmarks to stitch. Before you know it, it will be Fair time again, plus there will be wonderful chapter projects that will call to me. I know it is possible for all of us to have time for our stitching passion, and that is what I wish for each and every member of our chapter in the New Year. Thank you all for a great couple of years!

Heather

Upcoming Meetings

• Sunday, December 9, from 1pm to 5pm:  Holiday Party, at the Scripps Ranch Community Center, 11885 Cypress Canyon Road, San Diego, CA.
• Monday, January 21, 2013:  Chapter Meeting at Karen K.’s home.  We will begin the Group Correspondence Course.
• Monday, February 18, 2013:  Chapter Meeting at Karen K.’s home. Program will be “First or Worst”, with potluck.

Chapter members–click
here to access the full newsletter.  You will be directed to our
private Yahoo group and you will need to sign in. 

President’s Message
• Nominations for 2013 Officers
• Other News

President’s Message

Carolyn Standing Webb’s lecture with slides and hands-on pieces was
fantastic at last month’s meeting. What a great teacher who was more than
willing to share her knowledge of White Work with our chapter members. The
people that attended the Diamond Pomegranate workshop got lots of stitching
pointers. Those of us who stitched with her on Sunday at open stitching
enjoyed seeing pictures of just a few of the many beautiful pieces she has
personally stitched. I would definitely vote to have her teach another
workshop in the future. She is well versed in many techniques and a joy to
work with.

Final sign-ups for the EGA Group Correspondence Course, Liesel-Schwalm,
will be at the October chapter meeting with the $50 instruction fee due at
the meeting. We are planning on starting the project at the January 2013
chapter meeting. The teaching fee will be funded from the Shirley Fetterolf
Legacy. Once we get the instructions, we will look into making a group
purchase of materials for those that are interested. We plan to stitch the
piece over 6-8 months, before sending it in for teacher evaluation.

We received an acknowledgement letter from EGA for the contribution made
in memory of Shirley Fetterolf.

Special thank you to the three members of the nominating committee; Gini,
Susan F., and Ina for their hard work in putting together a slate of
officers for 2013. Elections will be at the November meeting with the new
officers installed at the Holiday Party.

This is your last chance to purchase an Opportunity Ticket for a framed
print of Jan Jellins’ “Golden Retriever”. Tickets sell for $5.00 each or 5
for $20.00. Drawing will be held at the PSR Fall Region Meeting in November.
Proceeds will go to the preservation and exhibitions of the incredible
collection of stitch paintings by Jan Jellins that are now owned by PSR.
Tickets are available at the meeting.

The Evergreen Chapter had enough Soldier Kissing Pillows for this
deployment by the time ours were collected and boxed. We currently have 46
and will continue accumulating for the moment. There is another deployment
scheduled for Spring 2013, and Evergreen is requesting help gathering
another 3000 pillows, so don’t stop stitching.

If you are looking for something new to stitch, you might consider
something for the San Diego County Fair 2013. The theme has been selected
and is “Game On!” There are Home and Hobby ribbons to be won for your
entries.

Keep those needles flying and you’ll have lots of UFO’s completed in no
time, and that is our meeting focus this month. Hope to see you there.

Heather

Nominations
for 2013 Officers

The nominating committee is pleased to present the following slate of
officers for election: 

• President — Gini
• VP/Membership — Angelina
• VP/Education — Laura B.
• Treasurer — Jean
• Secretary — Tru

Other News

• Upcoming meetings (held at the Live Well Center, 4425 Bannock Ave., San
  Diego, CA):
  • October 15, 2012:  Finish those UFOs!  Bring those projects
    you are trying to push over the finish line by the end of the year. 
  • November 19, 2012:  Stitching on paper – holiday ornament led by
    Jean.  Plus election night! 
• Holiday Party — Save the date now — Sunday, December 9, 2012

Chapter members–click
here to access the full newsletter.  You will be directed to our
private Yahoo group and you will need to sign in. 

President’s Message
• Other News

President’s Message

I am so excited to say that I actually finished the Temari ball that
Laura B. taught last month. It was a great project and may be something that
I revisit again, maybe as Christmas ornaments. I hope we have lots of them
to share at the meeting. Now back to the smocking from the July meeting.
 
Next weekend we are co-hosting Carolyn Standing Webb who will be teaching
the Diamond Pomegranate workshop. This is what we hope will be the start of
many workshops shared with San Diego ANG chapter. There is open stitching on
Sunday, September 16, at the Scripps Ranch Community Center from 1:00 to
5:00. Please plan on joining us in this comfortable well lit location.
Carolyn will be presenting a lecture on White Work for our September meeting
and requests that members bring any of their white work pieces to that
meeting.
 
We need volunteers for the nominating committee. Three people who can be
persuasive about all the advantages of serving on the board of our dynamic
stitching group as it charts the course of where our imagination will take
us next. (OK, so we have a lot of fun at board meetings and we want to have
some new ideas.) This is a great way to volunteer some time, because it is
only until the slate of officers is presented at the October meeting for
voting at the November meeting.

Please consider purchasing an Opportunity Ticket for a framed print of
Jan Jellins’ “Golden Retriever”. Tickets sell for $5.00 each or 5 for
$20.00. Drawing will be held at the PSR Fall Region Meeting in November.
Proceeds will go to the preservation and exhibitions of the incredible
collection of stitch paintings by Jan Jellins that are now owned by PSR.

Drum roll please…the Group Correspondence Course with the most votes is
Liesel-Schwalm.  We are planning on starting in January 2013. We’ll be
collecting the money and sending in the paperwork in October so that we will
have all the supplies ready for our January meeting. The kit cost per person
is $50, and we are still discussing how the teaching fee will be funded. The
plan is that the project will be stitched over 6-8 months, before being sent
in for evaluation from the instructor.

Also, you can still own magnets or charms of our “Legends of Needlework”.
This PSR fundraiser is providing funds for the 2014 EGA National Seminar. We
have the sign-up form at the meetings. Each magnet or charm is $8, or you
can purchase a set with commemorative tin for $48; plus tax.

Soldier Kissing Pillows will be on their way to Washington State before
the meeting. Bookmarks are in Ina’s custody for the readers at PQ library.
 
Keep those needles flying and you’ll have lots of UFO’s completed in no
time.

Heather

Other News

• Upcoming meetings (held at the Live Well Center, 4425 Bannock Ave., San
  Diego, CA):
  • September 17, 2012:  Whitework lecture by Carolyn Standing Webb. 
  • October 15, 2012:  Finish those UFOs!  Bring those projects
    you are trying to push over the finish line by the end of the year.   
• Save the Date: September 15, 2012!  Diamond Pomegranate taught by
  Carolyn Standing-Webb–the kit includes gold-washed congress cloth, silk
  threads, Accentuate, gold purl, metallic threads, and beads. The stitches
  include satin stitch, couching, fly stitch, and Algerian eyelet. 

Chapter members–click
here to access the full newsletter.  You will be directed to our
private Yahoo group and you will need to sign in. 

President’s Message
• Other News

President’s Message

Well done and keep up the great work everyone! We surpassed our goal of
50 bookmarks for the Stitching for Literacy bookmark project with 53 at the
last meeting. Bookmarks and Soldier Kissing Pillows are great little
projects that you can always have with you when you suddenly have unplanned
time on your hands. They are our continuing Outreach undertakings for our
chapter.

A big thank you to Susan S. for her presentation of smocking at our July
meeting. It was so fun to see the selection of garments that she has made
over the years. They were truly inspirational and you can see how her work
has improved over the years. She has agreed to continue helping those of us
that are still working on the little butterfly piece that she taught, so
there is hope that many of the pieces will end up finished into adorable
needle cases by our November meeting.

Laura B. will be teaching what she assures us will be an easy Temari ball
pattern at the August meeting. She will be providing the balls for those
that have signed up to participate.

We have ten people signed up for the Diamond Pomegranate workshop that
will be held on September 15, 2012, and taught by Carolyn Standing Webb. We
are hosting open stitching on Sunday, September 16, at the Scripps Ranch
Community Center from 1:00 to 5:00. Please plan on joining us in this
comfortable well-lit location. Carolyn will be doing a lecture on White Work
for our September meeting and requests that members bring any of their white
work pieces to that meeting.

This is your final chance for selecting a Group Correspondence Course
that we are planning on starting in January 2013. From your feedback at the
last meeting, Jean has narrowed down the possibilities to four. We will have
the sign-up sheets at the next meeting and ask that all interested members
choose their first and second choice. Whatever the final choice, I will be
the coordinator for this GCC. We’ll be collecting the money and sending in
the paperwork in October so that we will have all the supplies ready for our
January meeting. The plan is that the project will be stitched over 6-8
months, before being sent in for evaluation from the instructor.

Please consider purchasing an Opportunity Ticket for a framed print of
Jan Jellins’ “Golden Retriever”. Tickets sell for $5.00 each or 5 for
$20.00. Drawing will be held at the PSR Fall Region Meeting. Proceeds will
go to the preservation and exhibitions of the incredible collection of
stitch paintings by Jan Jellins that are now owned by PSR.

Also, you can still own magnets or charms of our “Legends of Needlework”.
This PSR fundraiser is providing funds for the 2014 EGA National Seminar. We
have the sign-up form at the meetings. Each magnet or charm is $8, or you
can purchase a set with commemorative tin for $48; plus tax.

Hope you have a very tall, cold drink of your choice and a nice cool spot
to stitch so that you can keep those needles flying.

Heather

Other News

• Upcoming meetings (held at the Live Well Center, 4425 Bannock Ave., San
  Diego, CA):
  • August 20, 2012:  Temari–too hot to stitch?  Try wrapping
    instead.  Laura B. will show us how. 
  • September 17, 2012:  Whitework lecture by Carolyn Standing Webb. 
• Save the Date: September 15, 2012!  Diamond Pomegranate taught by
  Carolyn Standing-Webb–the kit includes gold-washed congress cloth, silk
  threads, Accentuate, gold purl, metallic threads, and beads. The stitches
  include satin stitch, couching, fly stitch, and Algerian eyelet.

Chapter members–click here to access the full newsletter.  You will be directed to our private Yahoo group and you will need to sign in.

President’s Message • Other News

President’s Message

We’d like to congratulate all the winners from the just concluded San Diego County Fair. Margi supplied pictures of the winning entries, which are on the following pages. She also did an incredible job on the shared booth, showing off all the varied stitching that was done by our members. Gini attended the Fair’s awards reception, representing our chapter, and met our ribbon winner, Robyn. We hope that Robyn will attend our meeting and bring her masterpiece for all our members to see.

Our chapter got a very nice thank you note from the president of the Evergreen chapter in Washington State for our contribution of 44 Kissing Pillows. Now their chapter has sent out a plea to EGA members far and wide to send them Soldier Kissing Pillows for the next major deployment by military members of Ft. Lewis/McCord. Their request is for 4200 pillows by October. Please continue to stitch these little pillows that mean so much to our military families, and we will send whatever we can finish by the end of September.

We are well on our way to our goal of 50 bookmarks for the Stitching for Literacy bookmark project. As of the last meeting we have gathered 38, and I know that there are quite a few being worked on for the next meeting. There are kids that have heard that there will be bookmarks and they can’t wait to be able to get one. This is such a great outreach program that we may just keep going with it as long as the ribband holds out. Each bookmark is bagged and a sticker is on the bag saying that the bookmark was “handmade made by a member of the Muchas Manos chapter” and EGA’s and our website are listed on the label so that recipients or their family members can look for us on line.

Susan S. will be teaching smocking at our July meeting. I can’t believe that it has taken me so long to have the opportunity to try this, especially after seeing all the beautiful pieces of clothing Susan has shown us over the last couple of years.

At July’s meeting we will have the final sign-up sheet for ordering a thread wrapped ball to be used in the August meeting. Laura B. will be teaching an easy Temari ball pattern at that meeting, but participation requires having the ball so that you are ready for stitching instructions.

Remember that registration for the Diamond Pomegranate workshop closes July 15, 2012. The cost is $110 which includes the kit and teaching fee, and she is allowing ghosts for this piece. Even if you are not attending, mark your calendar for open stitching on Sunday, September 16, and plan to attend the meeting on September 17 with Carolyn doing a lecture on White Work.

Please take a moment to look over the Group Correspondence Courses that are available from EGA. Jean has narrowed down the possibilities to six. We will have sign-up sheets at the next meeting and will ask members to choose their first and second choice. We’d like to make the final decision at our July meeting, and we are planning on starting it at our January 2013 meeting and it will probably be stitched over 6-8 months depending on the chosen project.

Hope you have a nice cool spot to stitch so that you can keep those needles flying.

Heather

Other News

• Upcoming meetings (held at the Live Well Center, 4425 Bannock Ave., San Diego, CA):
  • July 16, 2012:  Smocking!  Come see learn the basics of the beautiful work that Susan S. does.
  • August 20, 2012:  Temari–too hot to stitch?  Try wrapping instead.  Laura B. will show us how.
• Save the Date: September 15, 2012!  Diamond Pomegranate taught by Carolyn Standing-Webb–the kit includes gold-washed congress cloth, silk threads, Accentuate, gold purl, metallic threads, and beads. The stitches include satin stitch, couching, fly stitch, and Algerian eyelet.

Chapter members–click here to access the full newsletter.  You will be directed to our private Yahoo group and you will need to sign in.

President’s Message • Other News

President’s Message

Our chapter’s outreach programs are well underway. Today was mailing day for the 44 Soldier Kissing Pillows our members have contributed for the last 7 months. They were each packed in an individual plastic bag with the Muchas Manos “thank you” enclosed, and sent off to Washington State to be used in the next Ft. Lewis/McCord AFB deployment. Please continue to stitch these little pillows that mean so much to our military families.

I’m so pleased at the response to our Stitching for Literacy bookmark project. We hope to have a bunch turned in at the June meeting. I think that we are well on our way to having over 50 bookmarks by the end of June. We will continue to have patterns and ribband available at the meetings, since the bookmarks will not be awarded until the end of the summer reading program, there’s still time. Our chosen library is the Rancho Penasquitos branch where Ina is the new youth librarian.

We are still looking for a dog-free home where Carolyn Standing-Webb can stay when she is teaching in September, otherwise the chapter will be paying for a hotel room for her comfort. Registration is progressing for the Diamond Pomegranate workshop that she will be teaching. Cost is $110 which includes the kit and teaching fee. The cut-off for signing up is July 15, 2012, so Carolyn will have enough time to make up the kits for this beautiful project. Even if you are not attending, mark your calendar for open stitching on September 16, and plan to attend the meeting on September 17 with Carolyn doing a lecture on White Work.

At the San Diego County Fair, our chapter ribbon, with the one year free membership to EGA and our chapter, has been awarded to a beautiful cross stitch sampler stitched by Robyn. We hope that Robyn will attend our meeting and bring her masterpiece after the fair closes. If you haven’t signed up for demonstrating at the Fair, Margi has the calendar for working the Fair and there are still spots available for demonstrating. There are new displays this year and there should be good traffic in the Home and Hobby area. It’s fun to get the word out about all the guilds when you talk to people. Next month we will have more information on who won what with their Fair entries.

Please take a moment to look over the Group Correspondence Courses that are available from EGA. We’d like to decide on one by our July meeting, and we are planning on starting it at our January 2013 meeting and it will probably be stitched over 6-8 months depending on the chosen project. We’ll discuss the possibilities at the meeting.

Lastly, please take a look at the information for San Diego ANG’s workshop, Kay Stanis’ Initial Illumination. It has just the right amount of goldwork and blackwork, with Kay supplying lots of tips for turning out your own masterpiece.

Keep those needles flying.

Heather

Other News

• Upcoming meetings (held at the Live Well Center, 4425 Bannock Ave., San Diego, CA):
  • June 18, 2012:  Work will continue on the PSR Corrugated Metal Bracelet.
  • July 16, 2012:  Smocking–Susan S. will be sharing the basics of all the beautiful work that she does.
• Save the Date: September 15, 2012!  Diamond Pomegranate taught by Carolyn Standing-Webb–the kit includes gold-washed congress cloth, silk threads, Accentuate, gold purl, metallic threads, and beads. The stitches include satin stitch, couching, fly stitch, and Algerian eyelet.
• The San Diego County Fair is also underway.  It opens on Friday, June 8, and closes on Wednesday, July 4. This year’s theme is Out of This World. Our local chapters of EGA and ANG share an exhibit table in the racetrack’s grandstand corridors, where the Home and Hobby contest entries are displayed. At the fair, we also share our space with our friends in the Creative Sewing Guild.

Chapter members–click here to access the full newsletter.  You will be directed to our private Yahoo group and you will need to sign in.

President’s Message • Other News

President’s Message

As we are stitching our way through the year, everyone should have received their renewal notice for the year. Membership is due by the May meeting and Angelina will be at the meeting to collect your check if you have not already sent it in.

Registration for our joint workshop—Diamond Pomegranate, taught by Carolyn Standing-Webb, is now underway, and closes July 1, 2012. Cost is $110 which includes the kit and teaching fee. Carolyn is graciously allowing ghosts at this workshop, as long as they have contact with a stitcher attending the workshop to answer any questions that may come up. Lunch is on your own to help defray costs. We are still looking for a host home for Carolyn’s stay. Her request is for a dog free home.

Please bring in any finished Soldier Kissing Pillows that you have to the May meeting. It’s OK to just have the stitching finished. I promised to send whatever we have done to the Evergreen chapter right after our meeting as they are preparing for another deployment.

Our own Stitching for Literacy bookmark project is well underway. My personal plan is to stitch like crazy in June, so I can have at least three done by the June meeting. We are hoping to have at least 50 bookmarks by the end of June. We will continue to have patterns and ribband available at the meetings. Ina will be entrusted to pass our works of art to program participants.

I’m looking forward to the San Diego County Fair this year. This was the first year that the Fair entries were totally done on-line, with our county finally joining the rest of the state. Margi has the calendar for working the Fair and there are still spots available for demonstrating. It’s fun to meet with all the people looking over the Home and Hobby area and tell them about all the guilds that they could join.

Next month we will have information on the winner of our chapter’s ribbon.

Thanks to Gini M. for the great job she did teaching the April program. Chicken scratch turned out to be something I really enjoyed and I will actually have a finished project for the May meeting. Jean will be teaching the PSR bracelet for those who purchased the kits at the next two meetings. She is taking care of putting a sealant on the galvanized beads before you get the kits so that we will be ready to bead immediately.

Hope everyone is looking at the Group Correspondence Courses that are available from EGA. We’d like to decide on one by our July meeting, and we are planning on starting it at our January 2013 meeting. We’ll discuss the possibilities at the meeting.

Keep those needles flying.

Heather

Other News

• Upcoming meetings (held at the Live Well Center, 4425 Bannock Ave., San Diego, CA):
  • May 21, 2012:  We will be starting on the PSR Corrugated Metal Bracelet.
  • June 18, 2012:  Work will continue on the PSR Corrugated Metal Bracelet.
• Save the Date: September 15, 2012!  Diamond Pomegranate taught by Carolyn Standing-Webb–the kit includes gold-washed congress cloth, silk threads, Accentuate, gold purl, metallic threads, and beads. The stitches include satin stitch, couching, fly stitch, and Algerian eyelet.
• The San Diego County Fair is also approaching.  It opens on Friday, June 8, and closes on Wednesday, July 4. This year’s theme is Out of This World. Our local chapters of EGA and ANG share an exhibit table in the racetrack’s grandstand corridors, where the Home and Hobby contest entries are displayed. At the fair, we also share our space with our friends in the Creative Sewing Guild.

Chapter members–click here to access the full newsletter.  You will be directed to our private Yahoo group and you will need to sign in.

President’s Message • Other News

President’s Message

At our April meeting we will be receiving any final personal donation checks that our members would like to add to our chapter contribution to the EGA Legacy Scholarship Fund in Shirley F.’s name. I trust that this is something that Shirley would have liked since it gives stitchers scholarships to further their stitching education.

If any member has crazy quilt pieces that we can display at the May Quilt, Craft, & Sewing Festival, please bring them to the April meeting. We are trying a new booth theme. It’s all about the hand embroidery that is part of some quilting to see if it will attract more people to our booth. Items will be returned at the May meeting.

Remember, the San Diego County fair entry deadline is May 2 and it is on-line entry only. Delivery of registered items is May 21 and May 22 from 12:00 to 8:00.

Already, people have turned in bookmarks in our own Stitching for Literacy bookmark project. We are hoping to have at least 50 bookmarks by the end of June. We will continue to have patterns and ribband available at the meetings. We are going to entrust our works of art to Ina. She will ensure that whichever library branch she is working with this summer will understand the value of our hard work, and that the bookmarks will find loving homes among the participants of the summer reading program. Please continue to look for patterns to share.

Gini M. is teaching April’s program. It’s chicken scratch, embroidery stitched on gingham fabric that ends up looking very lace-like. I seem to vaguely remember my mother dabbling with it when I was little, but I don’t remember any finished pillows or my clothes having been decorated.

Jean and I will be going to the spring Pacific Southwestern Region meeting on April 14. We’ll be picking up the bracelet fund-raiser kits that our members have signed up for. We are dedicating a meeting to actually working on this beautiful bracelet since quite a few people are participating.

Save-the-Dates: Our joint workshop, Diamond Pomegranate, taught by Carolyn Standing-Webb, will be on Saturday, September 15, at the Scripps Ranch Community Center. We are still working on final pricing and seeking a host home for Carolyn to stay (no dogs). We have added an open stitching date on Sunday, September 16, from 1 to 5 p.m. that is open to all members, at the Scripps Ranch Community Center.

We’d like to have a chapter Group Correspondence Course decided on by our July meeting. We are thinking that the actual stitching will not begin until the January 2013 meeting. We’ll discuss the possibilities at the meeting.

Keep those needles flying.

Heather

Other News

• Upcoming meetings (held at the Live Well Center, 4425 Bannock Ave., San Diego, CA):
  • April 16, 2012:  Join us in learning “chickenscratch” or embroidery on gingham.
  • May 21, 2012:  We will be starting on the PSR Corrugated Metal Bracelet.
• Save the Date: September 15, 2012!  Diamond Pomegranate taught by Carolyn Standing-Webb–the kit includes gold-washed congress cloth, silk threads, Accentuate, gold purl, metallic threads, and beads. The stitches include satin stitch, couching, fly stitch, and Algerian eyelet.
• The Del Mar Quilt, Craft, & Sewing Festival will be held Thursday May 17th, Friday. May 18th, and Saturday May 19th. Please contact Margi to sign up to volunteer or loan your pieces for the show. All items to be displayed in the booth are needed by the SDANG program meeting on May 8th.
• The San Diego County Fair is also approaching.  It opens on June 8th.