Celebrating Serena

 One of our own, Serena, has been a member of the Embroiderer's guild for 50 years and to celebrate she set us some challenges. We had to do some recycling. Serena has a habit of collecting calico bags from various car boot sales and recycling stores (usually from gin festivals!) so the challenge was to decorate one; she also brought some fabric from sample books and this was to be used however we wanted. Today was judging. We all voted for our favourites in the two categories and then Serena picked her favourite. Our prize... Spinning Jenny vouchers (a shop for stitchers in Grassington).

Here are the three winners.

And the other entries.

December Meeting

We had great fun today with our wool balls! Sue kindly led a workshop on kamal kadai, a traditional Indian form of embroidery often seen on saris and featuring floral patterns. To be festive we made poinsettia flowers on half a tumble dryer wool ball. 

We didn't quite finish in the meeting but the centres are embellished with yellow beads or french knots and then leaves added in the same needle weaving technique. Finished ones below!

We also launched Serena's competition; she has been a member of the Embroiderer's' Guild for 50 years and set us a couple of challenges to be judged in April. More on that at a later date.

We also introduced Travelling Pages - an idea pinched from Scunthorpe seaside stitchers, similar to travelling books. We are linking our pages to 'There is no Planet B' - the postponed exhibition. I'll say no more about that until nearer the time!