Layers
of Stitch
We
began the new year with a very interesting session led by Brenda and Fran from
Project Linus, who are local organisers of this organisation providing quilts
and comforters for sick babies and vulnerable children. Thanks to Sue and her
group, they went away with 19 extra quilts (and they were lovely!) and the
promise of more to come.
Joy
Kitchen has kindly offered to be coordinator for any more quilts which may
appear at the next two meetings (February and March), and she will take them to
Project Linus in the Sleaford area for us. Sue also
has
a knitting pattern for a stillborn baby’s wrap with hood, if anyone is
interested in making these or knitting and donating premature and newborn size
hats, cardigans, mittens, bootees or blankets, which go via Sue to Peterborough
Maternity Unit.
Michele
and Ros went to a Christmas ‘bring and share’ lunch meeting in December at the
Lincolnshire branch in Bishop Grosseteste College, Lincoln, and came back with
information about how they will be organising the Embroiderers’ Guild stand in
the Flower Tent at the Lincolnshire Show in June. I still need to clarify a few
points with them, but we are hoping to do some stewarding during those
two days, with free or reduced entry for those who do.
The
backdrop to the stand will be garden trellis and in our committee, it was
decided that any members who would like to contribute a stitched piece (these
will not be for sale) on a Horticultural theme, these will be exhibited
in the round wooden frames they are stitched on, frames not larger than 6
inches in diameter. That way, we hope to have quite a number of pieces on
our piece of trellis. More details, if you need them, at the February meeting.
I
now have the exhibition ‘tree’, in pieces, from Grantham Museum, and I will
bring all the triangles to the February meeting in order to disperse them back
to their makers.
At
the next meeting, February 7th,we shall have mini-workshops,
beginning to make items to sell on the table of the Lincolnshire Show stand. (
Items priced up to £20 are the guidelines we have been given.)
Sue
has some small embroidered brooch ideas, and will bring the requisites, and I have
Tina’s permission to use her flower brooch pattern – Tina did this with us as a
workshop whilst we were still at Stitchcraft! and we have now been at the
Tennis Club for two years – so I will bring instructions, templates and some
fabrics. If you have leftover pretty bits of cotton of your own, please bring
to use.
The
basic flower is made from a 12cm
diameter circle of fabric x 5 – but these can be smaller or larger – this
should give you an idea of the size of fabric needed for one flower. You will
need toning thread, and we will supply felt for the backing, and brooch pins.
There will be some beads for embellishment.
We
shall also be making lavender bags; there are some heart-shaped pieces of
fabric already cut, ready for sewing, but again, you may have pieces you can
use, and they do not necessarily need to be hearts! And we shall need bits of
ribbon to hang them on. There will also be some lavender and filling available.
Other
ideas may be perhaps handmade notebooks, or small bags for a mobile phone, or
similar; some of these could be embroidered. You may also have other ideas of
your own.
If
you do not wish to do any of these, do bring your own stitching and be
sociable.
We
are looking for a logo, or even several logos, which can be used on our blog,
on flyers, and other publicity, which will immediately identify us by its
format, and can be used incorporating our rather long name – LAYERS OF STITCH,
EMBROIDERERS’ GUILD GRANTHAM.
It
can be any piece of embroidery, from which we might use a small detail, and can
be any shape, round, egg-shaped, rectangular, or whatever. This is to be your
challenge for the next few months, with entries to be in at the April meeting,
and judging will take place after Easter. There will be no prizes, just the
kudos of having your piece of stitch as a logo for the branch.
Happy
stitching!
I
look forward to another productive meeting, and to seeing you all on 7th
February.
Kate.
