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CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY CHAPTER
NEWS
September
2025
WEBSITE ADDRESS:
www.crvc-ega.org |
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Here is our autumn and early winter agenda -- Mark these dates on your calendar
Saturday & Sunday, October 4 & 5, 2025 -- CRVC Meeting & Workshop
"Blue Hills" workshop with Dawn Donnelly
Saturday, November 1, 2025 -- NER Region Day 2025
Doubletree by Hilton, Nashua, NH
November 1-30, 2025 -- CRVC Display at Granby Public Library
Theme for 2025 is "Favorite Techniques"
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 -- CRVC Board Meeting at 10 am
on Zoom -- contact
Judie for Zoom link
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 -- Stitch-In at the Granby (CT) Public Library
10:30am - 12:30pm
Saturday, November 15, 2025 -- Stitch-In at the Granby (CT) Public Library
10:30am - 12:30pm
Monday, November 24, 2025 -- Deadline for registration for CRVC "Zelda the Zebra" workshop
Saturday, December 6, 2025 -- CRVC Meeting & Workshop
"Exploring a Variety of Forms of Blackwork"
-- on fabric and/or canvas
Saturday, January 31 & March 7, 2026 -- CRVC Meeting & Workshop
"Zelda the Zebra" with Toni Gerdes
All members are welcome to attend CRVC Board meetings.
These meetings are held via Zoom.
Contact Judie at least 24 hours in advance at
JudieStichr@aol.com
for the links to these Zoom meetings and other CRVC Zoom meetings.
All members are welcome to attend the Pequot Colony Stitchers meetings.
These meetings are held irregularly via Zoom at 10am on the third
Wednesday of each month. Contact Stephanie at least 3 days in advance
at StephThorp@sbcglobal.net
for links to these Zoom meetings.
Members -- send
pictures of your
finished pieces
to Judie to be
included in the
next newsletter
CRVC Meetings and Stitch-Ins --
CRVC Meeting
Saturday, December 6th, 2025 Exploring a Variety of Forms of Blackwork
Each member will be given a copy of Not
Exactly Blackwork by Susan Jones of Finger Step Designs.
In the morning, we will review the contents of the 33-page chartpack, and perhaps discuss the origins of
Blackwork and then its place in today’s needlework. Each participant can use this booklet to choose a
personal design -- perhaps one in the booklet or create one of her own. After lunch (bring your own or
join us around the table for take-out), we will provide some pieces of fabric and canvas as well as threads
to inspire you to proceed with your chosen project.
The workshop will take place from 10am to 4pm at Thistle Needleworks in Wethersfield, CT.
There is no fee for this meeting/workshop, but registration is required so we will know how many copies of the
chartpack will be needed. You may do so by using the coupon at the end of this newsletter or by sending
an email to CRVCEGA@aol.com on or before December first.
CRVC Meeting
Saturday, January 31st & March 7th, 2026
"Zelda the Zebra" with Toni Gerdes
 Zelda is an exuberant Patchwork Zebra with her stripes of many
colors. The jewel tone color palette makes Zelda exquisite. Zelda's "false" eyelashes will
have her flirting with you. Several Rainbow Gallery metallics, Caron threads, Straw Silk, and Planet
Earth Threads, along with beautiful beads, will be used to create her captivating design. The stitches
will include old favorites, as well as a few surprises. The background will be a white-on-white diagonal
pattern that emphasizes the design and enhances Zelda's whimsical personality.
Technique: Canvas Embroidery on 18ct. White Mono canvas
Level of Proficiency: Intermediate
Design Area: 11" x 9"
Kit Cost/Contents: $175; line drawn canvas, instructions, threads, and embellishment
This workshop will be in person at Thistle Needleworks and on Zoom.
See the coupon at the end of this newsletter. The deadline for registration is November 24, 2025.
Early CRVC History
Back in the early days, CRVC was led by an executive board that consisted of the president, vice
president, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, treasurer, and 4-6 directors.
The “worker-bees”, if I may call them that, were the program chair, newsletter editor, hospitality
chair, and others whom I cannot remember (sorry). These members attended board meetings
but did not participate except to give a report of their activities.
CRVC Display
An email call for pieces for the November display in Granby, CT, went out on September 9. It included
what we're looking for this time around, and how to get the pieces to Kathryn Lord in a timely fashion.
The theme is Favorite Techniques, and you can contribute 3-4 small to medium works, along with
Title-Designer-Stitcher-Technique info. They will be shown in a secure display area at the Granby
Public Library, 15 North Granby Road, Granby, CT. Kathryn needs the pieces by Wednesday October 22
in order to work up a layout. They will be returned after December 1.
If you didn't get the email, or it got buried, let Kathryn know and she'll resend to you!
Any questions or to arrange pick-up, email Kathryn at hglord@cox.net
or call 860-653-0301 (it's a landline - do not text).
In conjunction with our November display at the Granby Public Library, 15 North Granby Road, Granby, CT, CRVC
will host two come-one come-all stitch-ins there. They will be from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM on Wednesday,
November 5 and Saturday, November 15. If you can make it to one or both, bring along whatever you're
working on for a couple of relaxing hours of stitching and chatting with library patrons. Wear a name
tag, please!
CRVC Pre-Internet
If you have, or remember once owning, a CRVC 3-ring binder like this one
then you will remember when it held a copy of the CRVC By-laws as well as the membership list.
And............... you might have kept your copies of the newsletter in it, since it was published in
5.5" x 8.5" form, hole-punched, and mailed to every member. The newsletters had cover art and
“spacers” between the paragraphs of news that were drawings from member Lynn Payette.
America's Tapestry
The stitching area of the Connecticut Panel of America's Tapestry is approximately 36" x 48".
Click here to see
addition information about the Connecticut Panel.
Our members are welcome and, indeed, urged to add their talents to this piece. Contact Laura Kasowitz at
Hartford Stitch ( laura@hartfordstitch.com or 860-785-3093)
for more information.
CRVC Website
In the spring of 2003, when she was CRVC president, Julia Harvey approached a member’s husband whom
she knew had created a website for that member’s business, asking if he would create and maintain a
website for the chapter. He agreed and, to this day, is the webmaster for the chapter. As an adjunct
to that job, he also sends out each newsletter and adds it to the website.
~!~ HELP WANTED ~!~
Have you ever wanted to give being a newsletter editor a try? Now’s your perfect opportunity.
CRVC is in need of an editor for its newsletter. Duties include attending board meetings
approximately 5-6 times a year to gather data, then putting all that information into newsletter
form. Be as creative as you like. It is then distributed to our membership through the webmaster
and posted on the CRVC web site.
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CRVC Program Registration Form
"Exploring a Variety of Forms of Blackwork -- December 8th, 2026
In person at Thistle Needleworks
Mail the completed form to:
Linda Berry, 343 Seabury Drive, Bloomfield, CT 06002
lindaberry343@gmail.com
Deadline: December 1st, 2025
"Exploring a Variety of Forms of Blackwork"
____ I will attend -- hold a copy of Not Exactly Blackwork for me
Name:
__________________________________________________________________
Address:
__________________________________________________________________
Email:
__________________________________________________________________
Phone#:
________________________________________ |
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CRVC Program Registration Form
"Zelda the Zebra" with Toni Gerdes -- January 31st and March 7th, 2026
In person at Thistle Needleworks and on Zoom
Mail the completed form and check payable to CRVC-EGA to:
Linda Berry, 343 Seabury Drive, Bloomfield, CT 06002
lindaberry343@gmail.com
Deadline: November 24th, 2025
"Zelda the Zebra" with Toni Gerdes
____ Kit fee: $175
Name:
__________________________________________________________________
Address:
__________________________________________________________________
Email:
__________________________________________________________________
Phone#:
________________________________________ |
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 "CRVC 3-Ring Binder -- click for an enlarged view")
 "'Swirling Rainbow' stitched by Lisa Green -- click for an enlarged view")
 "'Fox and Vines' stitched by Michelle Remenik -- click for an enlarged view")
 "'Christmas Tree' stitched by Bonnie Zink -- click for an enlarged view")
 "'Elephant' stitched by Judie Solomon -- click for an enlarged view")