A BIG Thank You

 

This is a bit of a summary of the year - I know it's not the end of the year but it seems an appropriate time to say thank you as it's a year since the Instagram account started and it's had a lot of support.

Our stitch group has been on the go for a long time - originally as Skipton Branch of the Embroiderer's Guild and now as Skipton Stitchers - bit of a challenge sorting that one out during lockdown! Despite the last year and a bit being scuppered by Covid, in many ways it has been really heartening to see the way the stitch community has shared and supported each other. 

We've had Zoom meetings (involved some rolling eyes at uncooperative technology) and new WhatsApp chats which have kept people in touch. Online workshops have been a godsend and there have been outdoor get togethers when permitted. It's so nice to be back to 'normal' meetings, if not quite as normal as before! I seem to have spent an awful lot of time on my laptop and setting up our Instagram account has kept me particularly busy - gathering photos from members and keeping track of what I have and haven't done 😂.

We have a new Programme Secretary - thanks to Sue for volunteering for that one! We have an interesting year ahead of us with outside speakers and workshops; we decided to utilise members' skills more and increase the number of member led workshops - we're a talented bunch and want to celebrate that. 

We had a really successful Yarndale and Exhibition - thanks to all who set up, organised, contributed or visited; we're also preparing for another exhibition, hopefully October next year.

So, in celebration of the past year's successes, despite Covid, here's some fireworks! (tag 45 #52tagshannemade)

Programme!

Phew, is all I can say! We've been beavering away trying to get the programme up and running for the rest of this year and next year. I've even been optimistic and set up the 2023 document ready which is very forward thinking, but I'm on a roll! So, the programme was looking a bit sparse to say the least and we have been a bit hampered by the loss of our funds to EG HQ - we had plans for that money and the £250 start up fund we received back falls well short of what we had saved up. It's all a bit challenging to say the least. Anyway, ever onward...

It's a bit of a relief and we're just waiting on a couple of confirmations to fill the final spaces but I think we are pretty much done with the programme for the next 18 months or so. We have some fun workshops coming up - the months may jiggle around a bit depending on the speaker confirmations in the next few weeks, but overall we're very pleased. 

Those of you who are eagle eyed will have spotted that we are now having an August meeting; in our previous incarnation we had August off but decided to just go for it and have a meeting each month.

We have also switched up the raffle a bit, so for those of you who are/will be members, you might want to have a peek and see what's coming up.

We're looking forward to getting back to something like normal. If anyone reading would like to give us a talk/workshop we have room in 2023!! 😆 Please drop us an email and we'd love to sort something out.

So, check out the Programme tab! Hope to see you at Yarndale if not at the September meeting.