CRVC Newsletter -- January 2008

CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY CHAPTER
NEWS
January 2008

February Meeting: Saturday, February 2^nd
(Snow date -- February 9^th)

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. This meeting will be in the Duncaster conference room. On the registration coupon, please check if you wish to order a lunch ($12). This will be a generous half-sandwich, fruit, chips, a cookie and a drink from Indigo Kitchen in Avon (homemade bread, high quality meats, etc.). You are welcome to bring your own lunch if you prefer. As always, you are very welcome to attend if you only wish to join us and stitch on your own project.

The kit is $40. It includes the canvas, the #7 Jap 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 26^th.

Schedule for the day:
     10:00 AM to 12:00 noon      Morning class
     Noon to 12:30 PM                Lunch, show and tell, and announcements
     12:30 to 2-ish                         Continuation of class

Here are directions to Duncaster: (Official address is 40 Loeffler Rd, Bloomfield, CT, but we would like you to enter the building on the Mountain Avenue side)

84 Westbound from Manchester
Take Rt. 291, exit 61. Follow Rt. 291 to Rt. 218 exit. Take left onto Rt. 218. Follow for about 3 miles. Take right onto Rt. 189 and follow to the center of Bloomfield. Take a left on Rt. 178. Continue straight on Rt. 178 for 1.4 miles. To use the new front entrance, turn right onto Mountain Avenue and continue approx. ½ mile to entrance on the left into Duncaster. From the Loeffler Road entrance or the Mountain Avenue entrance, once on the campus, visitors should follow the signs to the Aquatics & Fitness Center Entrance.

84 Eastbound from Farmington
Take exit 41. Go left on South Main St. [which becomes North Main St. at West Hartford Center] for 4.6 miles to Rt. 185. Turn left on Rt. 185 for 1.8 miles. Turn right on Rt. 178. To use the new front entrance, after about ½ mile turn left onto Mountain Avenue and continue approx. ½ mile to entrance on the left into Duncaster. From the Loeffler Road entrance or the Mountain Avenue entrance, once on the campus, visitors should follow the signs to the Aquatics & Fitness Center Entrance.

91 [North or South]
Take exit 36. Go west on Rt. 178 for 4.5 miles to the center of Bloomfield. At the traffic light continue straight on Rt. 178 for 1.4 miles. To use new front entrance, turn right onto Mountain Avenue and continue approx. ½ mile to entrance on the left into Duncaster. From the Loeffler Road entrance or the Mountain Avenue entrance, once on the campus, visitors should follow the signs to the Aquatics & Fitness Center Entrance.

April Meeting: Saturday, April 5^th

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 6^th
The Thistle
with
Carole Lake
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 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 5^th.

NEWS from National EGA

The Username and Password required to access the members only page on the National website is now available to CRVC members. Contact the webmaster at CRVCEGA@aol.com if you desire this information.

June Meeting: Saturday, June 7^th

Stitching Inside the Box
with
Susan Jones

Being creative is scary to many people, maybe because there are so many choices. Sometimes it is easier to be creative by setting limits. For this class our limits are a 12 thread by 12 thread diamond shape.

First, we will be stitching a band sampler in which each motif fits into a diamond shaped grid. Motifs are repeated three across (with two in alternating rows) to form band patterns. There are eight different bands using nine different stitches. Your sampler will be stitched using one off-white color (there will be several to choose from) of Caron Collection Wildflowers on a piece of 2 1/2 inch wide white 28 count linen banding. This project can be finished as a small hanging or as a special bookmark.

As students become comfortable with the process, they will be encouraged to try some of their own motifs by re-combining stitches used in the sampler and by trying stitches of their own. Specially designed graph paper will be provided to sketch out ideas. Doodle cloth will also be used to try out combinations.

Examples of different motifs used in several different projects will be available for viewing.

Use of one or more of these diamond motifs on any stitched project might be a good challenge for the next year.

Provided: 16" piece of white 28 count linen banding
                  1 skein of Caron Collection Wildflowers in a choice of light, off-white colors
                   Instructions
                   Diamond grid graph paper

Bring: needle (24 tapestry)
           small embroidery hoop
           doodle cloth
          lengths of floss in 2 or 3 colors

Stitching Inside The Box

See the registration coupon for this class -- deadline is May 30^th.

NER Region Day - Saturday, October 4, 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 3^rd and Sunday, October 5^th. The information below describes the classes to be taught here in CT:

Friday and Sunday, October 3^rd & 5^th

Needle Painting Class with Tanya Berlin
2 day workshop -- beginner to advanced embroiderers

Choice of two designs; wild rose or burrowing owl

Burrowing Owl

Wild Rose

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.

See the registration coupon for this class -- deadline is September 1^st.

Saturday and Sunday, December 6^th and 7^th

"Winter Whites" with Sandy Rodgers
2 day workshop -- shading on canvas

On Saturday and Sunday, Sandy will be teaching a wonderful new design titled "Winter Whites. When the model for this class was displayed at the 2007 ANG Seminar, it created a major sensation.

Mere photographs cannot begin to capture the visual impact of this spectacular composition. Two white poinsettias are placed against soft blue Congress cloth, their petals graduating from the crisp sparkle of a winter morning to the pale, satiny saturation of spring growth yet to come. Enhancing the silken petals are holly leaves outlined in silver bullion and painted in class with metallic paint marker. Backing the flowers are two bands of shadow stitching done with a darker value of the ground color.

Learn the easy way to create depth and dimension as you use your needle and silks to bring these flowers to life. Winter Whites is a study in realistic shading using both basic and enhancement techniques. Stitching time will be allotted in class for experimentation and to practice the methods with the help of the instructor.

In addition to realistic shading and how easy it is to do, we'll also cover how to use paint markers on canvas and contemporary couching of bullion. The instruction booklet contains 'work-in-progress' photos which make completing the project easy. Basic color theory and the placement of special techniques within a motif to enhance depth perception and shading will also be part of the class sessions.

Ground Fabric:
Congress cloth, Light Blue

Kit Contents:
Pearsall's Silk,2 colors/values; Silk Mori, 5 colors/values; Soie Perlée, Silver Pearl Purl Bullion #5, Japanese Metal #1, Blending Filament, Silver Metallic Paint Marker, 2 colors Delica Seed Beads, Light Blue Congress cloth with design drawn, Scrap canvas to practice marking, Needles, Stitching Instructions, Full size and detailed Color Photocopies, Work-in-progress photographs

Kit Price:
$76.00

Finished Size:
7" x 8" stitched area on 12" x 14" canvas

Student Provides:
Stretcher bar frame 12" x 14", usual supplies, laying tool, fine point water soluble pen, cover cloth

Winter Whites

See the registration coupon for this class -- deadline is November 15^th.

FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS (All members are welcome)
Tues., March 11^th Tues., May 13^th Tues., Sept. 16^th Tues., Nov. 11^th

Stitching Getaways:

The next meeting of the West Side Day group will be on March 11^th 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 -- February 21^st - At Doris Boas'. 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 is the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pittsfield, Mass. Put April 17^th, 18^th and 19^th, 2009 on your calendar, and look for the brochure with all of the scoop. It will be mailed to you in the fall, but more news will be leaking out before that time! 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. Plan to enjoy a wonderful weekend in the Berkshires.

Proposed Slate of Officers for 2006-2008

The proposed slate is:
       President/NER Rep:                   Julia Appell
       Vice President/Membership:    Suzanne Newton
       Program/Newsletter:                  Lisa Green
       Secretary:                                       Kathryn Lord
       Treasurer:                                      Linda Berry

Elections will take place at our Annual Meeting on April 5^th.

CRVC Program Registration Form -- February 2^nd Meeting with Karen Duggan
Mail completed form to: Linda Berry, 203 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT 06107-3201. Make check payable to CRVC-EGA. The deadline for signing up for this class is January 26^th.
______Members kit fee $40.
______I have enclosed $12 for lunch.
Name: ___________________________________________________

Phone: _______________________ Email:______________________

CRVC Program Registration Form -- April 5^th and/or 6^th with Carole Lake
Mail completed form to: Linda Berry, 203 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT 06107-3201. Make check payable to CRVC-EGA. The deadline for signing up for these classes is March 5^th.
______"How to Write a Stitch Guide" - April 5^th -- Members kit fee $15; Non-members kit fee $25.
______"The Thistle" - April 6^th -- Members kit fee $25; Non-members kit fee $35.
______I have enclosed $12 (for Sat.) and/or $12 (for Sun.) for lunch.
Name: ___________________________________________________

Phone: _______________________ Email:______________________

CRVC Program Registration Form -- June 7^th Meeting
Mail completed form to: Linda Berry, 203 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT 06107-3201. Make check payable to CRVC-EGA. The deadline for signing up for this class is May 30^th.
"Stitching Inside the Box" with Susan Jones
______Members kit fee $10; Non-members kit fee $20.
______I have enclosed $12 for lunch.
Name: ___________________________________________________

Phone: _______________________ Email:______________________

CRVC Program Registration Form -- October 3^rd and 5^th Meeting
Mail completed form to: Linda Berry, 203 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT 06107-3201. Make check payable to CRVC-EGA. The deadline for signing up for this class is September 1^st.
"Needle Painting" with Tanya Berlin
______Members kit fee $45; Non-members kit fee $55.
My choice: ________________Burrowing Owl ___________________Wild Rose
______I have enclosed $12 (for Fri.) and/or $12 (for Sun.) for lunch.
Name: ___________________________________________________

Phone: _______________________ Email:______________________

CRVC Program Registration Form -- December 6^th and 7^th Meeting
Mail completed form to: Linda Berry, 203 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT 06107-3201. Make check payable to CRVC-EGA. The deadline for signing up for this class is November 15^th.
"Winter Whites" with Sandy Rogers
______Members kit fee $76; Non-members kit fee $86.
______I have enclosed $12 (for Fri.) and/or $12 (for Sun.) for lunch.
Name: ___________________________________________________

Phone: _______________________ Email:______________________

CRVC-EGA Membership
$50. Primary Membership
$15. Plural Membership (NER)
$18. Plural Membership (not NER)
For a membership card, please enclose a SASE.
Amt. Pd. ____________
Check # ____________
Date Pd. ____________
(keep as your receipt)

CRVC-EGA Membership and Address Change Form
Mail your completed form to: Suzanne Newton, CRVC-EGA Membership, 14 Madison Lane, West Simsbury, CT 06092.
Make check payable to CRVC-EGA. Enclose SASE for membership card.
__ Address Change
__ CRVC Primary Membership ($50)
__ Plural Membership, Primary Chapter in New England Region ($15)
__ Plural Membership, Primary Chapter not in New England Region ($18)
Name: ____________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________
City, ST,ZIP ____________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________ Email:________________________
Primary Chapter: ________________________________________________
Membership No. _______________________ Total Enclosed $___________