New England Region - The Embroiderers' Guild of America, Inc.

Saturday, April 5 2008: How to Write a Stitch Guide
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 6 2008: 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.

The Merrimack Valley EGA Chapter's Seventh Biennial Seminar will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13, 2008 at the Raddisson Hotel in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. We would like to extend an invitation to stitchers in the area to join us for a fun-filled, educational weekend of stitching excitement. The Raddisson is conveniently located near the intersection of Routes I-495 and US-3. The seminar is open to all members of EGA. The registration deadline is February 28, 2008.

Two classes will be offered, "Peaceful Harbor" with Tony Minieri, and "Floral Glove Needlecase" with Tricia Wilson Nguyen. In addition to these structured classes, we are also offering Studio Time, a chance for you to stitch on the project of your choice while enjoying the fun and camaraderie of seminar.
Registration deadline is February 28, 2008

Peaceful Harbor byTony Minieri

Floral Glove Needlecase by Tricia Wilson Nguyen

Click Here for registration information

Classes in traditional Japanese Embroidery are hosted by the Merrimack Valley Chapter two or three times per year. Contact Sue Andrews, or contact Marilyn Shesko for more information.

The next class will be held May 14-18, 2008, at the home of Sue Andrews in Bedford MA. The class is open to students at all levels including complete beginners. No previous classes in traditional Japanese Embroidery are required. Class costs depend on the number of days attended, and materials cost is determined by the project selected. Contact Marilyn Shesko at 781-444-8404 or mmshesko@rcn.com for class info or to be added to the mailing list.

An exhibition of embroidered textiles from the Indus Valley region will be featured at the Worcester Art Museum from Sept. 14, 2007, until Feb. 4, 2008.

The peoples who live along the Indus River in Pakistan and its Northern Areas, and in neighboring Afghanistan and western India, enrich the world with an astounding variety of cultures, religions, languages and artistic expressions. Throughout this ethnographically complex region, domestic textiles are essential for both auspicious occasions and daily life. Ranging from tunics and shawls to bags and covers, textiles are created for festivals, important family events, such as weddings and births, to show suitability as a wife and for dowries.

There is no dominant, unifying stylistic expression among the numerous cultures of the Indus Valley, but they share a profound appreciation of colorful, intricately worked textiles. The embroideries exemplify inventive, distinctive uses of universal stitches and fascinating special techniques and styles, such as hurmitch, soof, kharek and phulkari.

The textiles were collected by Mr. Thomas W. Simons, Jr., and his wife Peggy, while Mr. Simons served as American Ambassador to Pakistan in the late 1990s. Along with a handful of pioneering scholars and collectors, the Simons are dedicated to honoring and preserving the stunning textile heritage of the Indus Valley—a tradition now rapidly vanishing due to urbanization, modernization and the preference for factory-made, machine-stitched garments and synthetic fabrics.

The Worcester Art Museum is located at 55 Salisbury Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. Directions, museum hours and photographs of some of the objects are available at www.worcesterart.org

Lisa Green of CRVC was officially appointed as Seminar 2009 Chair at the March 31 NER Board meeting.

The brochure will be completed by Southern Maine, and name tags by Central Massachusetts. Faculty will be arranged for by the NER Education committee, and the facility by CRVC.

Lisa will be reaching out to other chapters to solicit volunteers for other tasks.

The Board decided at its January meeting to make the 2009 Seminar a region-wide effort, instead of being hosted by a single chapter.