The
Thistle
with
Carole
Lake
CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY
CHAPTER
NEWS
November
2007
WEBSITE ADDRESS: WWW.CRVC-EGA.ORG
December Meeting: 10:30 on Saturday, December 1st
This meeting will take place at the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford. The information below gives a more detailed description of the morning program.
Connecticut Needlework, 1740-1840: Masterworks and New Discoveries from the
Connecticut Historical Society Museum CollectionsCHS Director of Museum Collections, Dr. Susan P. Schoelwer, will survey the
rich artistic and decorative legacy of needlework produced in Connecticut
prior to 1840. During a period when paintings and prints were few and far
between, a variety of needlework genres provided Connecticut households with
color and artistry -- canvaswork (needlepoint), crewel embroidered bed
hangings, silk embroidered pictures, samplers, memorial pictures, and whole
cloth quilting. Several genres appear to be distinctively Connecticut
creations, including "mermaid" petticoats, bed rugs, crewel embroidered
garments, and a unique series of religious and allegorical scenes worked
during the American Revolution by Prudence Punderson of Preston. The CHS
Museum's unparalleled collection of nearly 300 examples is the starting
point for a major study of regional needlework, funded by the Coby
Foundation, Inc., and the National Endowment for the Arts, to be presented
in a forthcoming book and exhibition. Program participants will get a
"sneak preview" of this exciting project, with a slide presentation followed
by a "behind-the-scenes" tour to see collection highlights first hand.
Directions to the Connecticut Historical Society
One Elizabeth Street at Asylum Avenue
Hartford, CT 06105
Tel: (860)
236-5621
When the morning program is completed around noon, we will drive over for a holiday luncheon at the Pond House in Elizabeth Park.
Schedule for the
day: 10:30 am to 2 pm
10:30 AM to 12:00 noon
Morning program
12:30 PM to 2 PM
Lunch, show and tell, and announcements
See the registration coupon for this meeting.
The deadline for signing up is November 27th.
February Meeting:
Saturday, February
2nd
(Snow date -- Feb. 9th)
Karen Duggan will teach us an "Or Nue" name tag...it is gold and has a flower and your name...one day, one stitch, one thread. The following is some information on this embroidery technique.
"Or Nue" (or shaded gold) is a form of goldwork embroidery using couching where different colored silk threads are stitched over the metallic base of gold threads to form patterns or designs, often figures or narrative scenes. The finished product is a definite pattern, deliberately stitched so that the metal shows through. The density and placement of the silk over stitching makes the design. The entire design, background and foreground, is stitched, using small upright stitches.
The technique was worked particularly in Belgium, France and the Netherlands in the Middle Ages. Embroiderers in Italy and Flanders developed this technique to an impressive level of sophistication.
Stitches and Techniques
A basic couching stitch was used. Shading was achieved by the spacing of the silk couching thread over the base of gold thread. The closer together the threads are, the denser or stronger the color. Spacing the threads further apart gives a softer color. It also allows more of the base gold thread to show through.
Design
This style of embroidery was particularly popular for depicting narrative or figural scenes. Some of the greatest examples of this style involve figures, often taken from religious settings.
The kit is $40. It includes the canvas, the #7 Japan gold, the silk couching
thread, the DMC couching thread, the chart, the colored picture, the directions
and the needles (also the pin and the backing material to make it into a
nametag). See the registration coupon for this meeting --
deadline is January 19th.
April Meeting: Saturday, April 5th
How
to Write a Stitch Guide
with
Carole
Lake
Have you ever bought The Most Gorgeous Painted Canvas Ever -- and then not had the foggiest idea what to do with it? Is it so pretty you don't know where to start? Are you desperately afraid it will only look good in basketweave? Well, this is your class. Carole will teach you how to write a stitch guide for your canvas, step by step, stitch by stitch. By the end of this non-stitching class, we will have discussed stitch possibilities for dozens of canvases, and you will be ready to confidently write your own stitch guide for future purchases, thread selection to stitch selection.
| Sunday,
April 6th
The
Thistle |
|
This little ornament brings Scotland to mind! Worked on 18-count Victorian green canvas in luxurious silks, metallics and overdyed linen, you'll work several stitches including double cross, Velvet stitch, leave stitch, stem stitch and a border that hides a secret cipher of Mary Queen of Scots. During the class, while students are stitching, Carole will talk a little bit about Mary Queen of Scots, her life, her symbols, and her tragic end.
Both of these classes will take place at Thistle Needleworks, and kit costs are $15 for "How to Write a Stitch Guide" and $25 for "The Thistle".
SAVE THESE DATES for a wonderful weekend with an excellent,
nationally known teacher. We've had to schedule her two years ahead of time,
so join us while she is in this area. We are making all of
our classes available to EGA members in other chapters, so it is important to
register early if you want to make sure you have a place in the class.
See the registration coupon for these classes --
deadline is March 5th.
June Meeting: Saturday, June 2nd
Susan Jones will present our program for this meeting. It is entitled "Stitching Inside the Box". Susan has developed a sampler of canvas motifs and has lots of ideas for their use in future needlework. Look for more news and a registration form in future issues.
NER Region Day - Saturday, October 4th, 2008
Plans are in the works for a wonderful Region Day next fall in the Framingham area. The exciting news is that Tanya Berlin will present the program for the day. This should be a fabulous chance to take a class with her, and to add to your pleasure, CRVC will offer classes with her on Friday, October 3rd and Sunday, October 5th. The information below describes the class to be taught here in CT:
Friday and Sunday, October 3rd & 5th
Needle
Painting Class with Tanya Berlin
2
day workshop -- beginner to advanced embroiderers
Choice of two designs; wild rose or burrowing owl
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In this class, the student will work the needle painting design using a single strand of DMC embroidery floss in the needle at one time, in the method of long and short stitch. This is an intriguing technique, using the threads as your paints on a closely woven fabric to create a realistic picture. Several professional stitching techniques will be covered when we work the design, i.e. starting and finishing thread, the use of a split stitch line and working the design as a 3-dimensional piece. Different embroidery stitches will be used, i.e. split stitch, stem stitch, satin stitch, and long and short. Most importantly, the technique of blending long and short stitches so that they shade beautifully and how to position the stitches so that they lay smooth will be covered in the class. The student goes home with the knowledge of how to design a piece, transfer the design onto the fabric and all the information required to complete the embroidery.
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FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS (All members are welcome) |
Stitching Getaways:
The West Side Day group will be meeting on November 13th at Suzanne Newton's house in West Simsbury. Bring along your lunch and a project you are working on and/or any project you would like to share. Please email or phone Suzanne at sfnjsn@sbcglobal.net or 860-658-2037 if you plan to attend.
Pequot Colony - Anyone who is interested can call
Doris Boas at: (860) 572-8441 or
Stephanie Thorpe at: (860) 536-0912.
NER Seminar 2009
The site for this seminar has been decided! It will be at the Crowne Plaza Hotel
in Pittsfield, Mass. on April 17th,
18th and 19th, 2009. A double room rate
will be $109 plus taxes, and the registration fee will be $225, the same as
Seminar 2007. Teachers and classes will be chosen in February, so stay
tuned for further news. Please put these dates on your calendar and enjoy
a wonderful weekend in the Berkshires.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
The nominating committee is beginning
to plan for the election of officers at the Annual Meeting in April. If you wish
to help out and/or have certain areas of interest or expertise, please let us
know. You may email our president at
juliaappell@comcast.net to
volunteer or ask any further questions about the positions to be filled.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION: An announcement by the Region Director indicates that National EGA will increase individual members' dues by $3 next year. Get your dues in by December 31st!
|
CRVC-EGA Membership $47. Primary
Membership For a membership card, please enclose a SASE. Amt. Pd. ____________ Check # ____________ Date Pd. ____________ |
CRVC-EGA Membership and Address Change Form Mail your completed form to: Suzanne Newton, CRVC-EGA Membership,
14 Madison Lane, West Simsbury, CT 06092. __ Address Change Name:
____________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________ City, ST,ZIP ____________________________________________________ Phone: _______________________ Email:________________________ Primary Chapter: ________________________________________________ Membership No. _______________________ Total Enclosed $___________ |
