October 2019 Meeting

We had only a brief informal meeting this month.  

We did draw a new number for our stitching challenge.   That number is 2!

For those who were present, Linda did give a brief overview of the Curious Needlebook project.    Members who are participating  should be able to get started.   Linda recommended stitching the inside motifs would be better than stitching the border first.   She feels it would be easier to 'fit' the motifs in the area without be distracted by the border placement.    This project can be found in the September 2018 and December 2018 NeedleArts magazine.

Congratulations to Stacy S.    Stacy received Best of Show honors for her Jeannette Douglas - The Common Thread needlework submission to the Rehoboth Needlework Exhibit!   Great job and well deserved Stacy.



























Linda reviewed the names of those who signed up for the Candy Cane Class in November.   The class teacher, Sue,  will bring a trunk show of her wool designs to the meeting.   At Christmas in July this past summer there was a wool mittens project and now some know how to work with wool,  you may want to bring your wallets!  Sue is sure to have some kits of interest!

Karolin R. shared a piece she is working one.  This is one of those 'typography' pieces with words fitting into a house.   It has words of welcome and encouragement.    The piece is stitched all in DMC.  This project is being sponsored by a FB group, Cross Stitch Club Org.  for the Ronald McDonald House.  Participants are assigned a Ronald McDonald house in their area for who they stitch the piece for.   They are asked to make a presentation of the finished, framed needlework to the Ronald McDonald House when done.   Total design size is 8 by 10 and fits nicely in an 11 by 14 frame.


Great outreach Karolin! Thank you for sharing.

Show 'n Tell

Members who brought their finishes along shared them with us.

 Above is a Pam Darney Sampler, stitched and personalized by Caryl C.

 This beautiful piece, based on a a Frank Lloyd Wright design, was stitched by Linda W.

Joan did not disappoint either with this beautiful piece of canvas work.   Linda said she may stitch this next using different colors.  

 Next meeting, November 14.   Twelve have signed up for the wool candy cane project.

September 2019 Meeting

We held the first meeting of the season and boy oh boy were we busy stitchers over the summer.   

But first some business......

Programs - 

There are many projects and programs planned for our members for the coming year.  

September - Queen Stitch demo

October - Curious Needlebook from the September and December 2018 NeedleArts will be taught by BJ

November - Wool Candy Canes class.   $10 to participate, due at the October meeting.

December - Holiday Exchange with light refreshments.

April - April Meeting will be moved to April 16th.   This will be our covered dish anniversary dinner.  

There are some idea projects and ideas in the works.   A folded fabric pine cone, a Queen Stitch Pin Cushion and a Chicken Scratch Project are possible meeting projects.  More details will follow.

Membership - 

We have 22 active members for the start of our 2019-2020 year.   A list was circulated for corrections and will be emailed to members by Caryl C. 

Meetings - 

We will be changing from the double room setting to a single room with six tables.   The smaller room will allow us to continue to meet with no increase to our monthly rent.

Outreach -

KarenAnne discussed our annual display at the Woodstown Library.  

Robin will follow up with The Country Stitchers on Flosstube.   They showcase EGA guilds during their broadcast.    Robin will get the questionnaire and complete it, passing it to the Board for review before submitting to be shared on Flosstube.    The Country Stitchers have reported that guilds who they have shared information are reporting an increase in interest in their local guilds.  

Robin will also continue to place information on the Community Events Calendar in the South Jersey Times announcing our meetings.   Robin will also follow up with adding a notice to the Franklinville Cable Channel using the information provided by KarenAnne M.

Regional -

In January 2020, Camp WannaStitch is open to all Mid-Atlantic Regional's EGA members.   This year the event will again be at the Clarion Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland on January 17 - 20, 2020.     Registration is $20.   Room rate at the Clarion for the event if $82 per night.   See page 17 of the Summer Issue of the MAR newsletter for more information and the payment coupon.

Also, in March 2020, the Regional Seminar will be in Gettysburg, PA.   Sign-ups for Get Stitching Gettysburg 2020 opened September 1st.  There are three days of classes available to sign up for.   Check out the Seminar 2020 website - http://marega.org/seminar2020/   The dates are April 30, May 1, 2 & 3, 2020.    There will be coupons available for the Opportunity Baskets.   A basket from Lamplighters called "Time for Apple Pie" was assembled by Robin T.    The basket was assembled to make you feel nostalgic and bring back memories of time spent in the kitchen with your grandmother.  

It contains:  vintage pyrex mixing bowl; pyrex pie plate; apron pattern with fabric, thread, buttons and floss; vintage jelly jar with buttons, coordinating dish towels and hand knit clothes; measuring spoons and spatulas; pin cushion in vintage jello mold; cross stitch 42 by 42 inch tablecloth and more.  We hope the winner has as much fun opening it as it was collecting items and putting it together.

eBay Sales -  Another box of patterns and stitching supplies has been sent to Fireside Stitchery for eBay Sales.   Sales to date have helped increase our treasury.
Challenge -  We decided to continue our Project Challenge in 2019-2020.   The project number for the coming month is 2.  Get stitching ladies!

Look at the beautiful job from stitchers Pat L. and Joan T. using the new EGA logo and EGA approved color scheme.   This will be great to use when we have a Stitch-in-Public Day or when we have a display at a local library or business.    Nice job ladies!

Several ladies had the canvas project from last spring completed.  It was fun to see the different adaptations each stitcher did.

Stitchers shared their completed Christmas in July pieces.

Stacy S. shared the box top she stitched and covered.   The design is from the Prim Stitchers Retreat in Memphis last May.

Also from Stacy S. is the victorian perforated paper pin keep.   This was from a class taught at DVHSG in July.

Caryl C. has been busy, above and below.    Above Kitty Kat Christmas stockings and below, homage to a favorite movie.

The Potting Shed from With Thy Needle and Thread, stitched by Carol W.

A Chester County historic sampler, stitched by Robin T.

A beauty stitched by Pat L.    This is Corsica River from Barbara Hutson of Queenstown Samplers.    Stunning

Linda and Joan each completed cross stitch afghans!

Again - sorry for the glare -   The flame stitcher sampler by The Scarlet Letter (I think) deserves two photos!

Mill Hill Christmas treat by Karolin R.

More from Karolin R.

Santa stand-ups by Linda W.

Pretty hat stitched by Linda W.

Ellen Chester box stitched by Linda W.

The following were stitched by Carol Cancelmo and found when sorting her things after she passed away.

After Show 'n Tell, Caryl C. provided a demonstration on an alternative way to do the Queen stitch.    Thank you Caryl for the hand-out and the EZ-PZ method of doing a Queen Stitch!

Next meeting - October 10th.

June 2019 Meeting

June Lamplighter's Meeting
Needlework in South Jersey at its finest!

President Joan T. started the meeting with a recap of our May Challenge.   Progress was shared and a new June Number was chosen.

To continue the challenge, numbers for July and August were also picked

For June, Challenge piece number

                            For July, Challenge piece number 

And for August, frustrating for some, we are back to Challenge piece number

Membership - Chair Robin gave a recount of the May Membership renewal.   21 of 24 members have renewed.   Of the three non-renewals, one is moving, one is recovering from illness and the third has promised to renew by mail.    So we are 100% accounted for.      Robin also discussed ideas for getting new members.

Lamplighter's name - Robin was curious as to where our name came from.   We currently meet at a church with an address of Lamplighter's Lane but we have not always met here.   Charter member Barbara K. was able to share that when the guild was formed the discussion was that this was a colonial area.   An area rich in early American history.   Their talk progressed through the local history and the times when "lamplighter's" brought illumination to the streets when lighting the gas lights.   One thing lead to another and "Lamplighter's EGA" become the name of stitchers wanting to shed light on needlework.     Pretty cool and glad I asked!

In other history, member Barbara K. told us she has spoken to one of our local Freeholders about the crewel work County Seal that Lamplighters stitched and was hung in the old court house.   Once the piece was finished the frame for the work was made from a fallen branch from the Salem Oak Tree.    When the new courthouse was built, the crewel was moved to storage and never rehung.   And now that this past month, this 600 year old oak where treaties between John Fenwick and the Lenni Lenape Indians were signed, fell down there is renewed energy to find the piece.

Regional Seminar -  Gettysburg, April 2020.   Robin has volunteered to assemble a basket.  We will pick a theme and members will be asked to donate items towards the theme and our basket will be created and send to the Regional Meeting to be part of the auction next April.

Christmas in July - We will meet the 3rd Saturday of July to create three Christmas themed projects.   Caryl C. will email all prior to the day with a list of tools and notions needed.   So far, we know we need sharp embroidery scissors, sharp paper scissors, pencil sharp needle.    Please bring your own lunch and drink.

EGA Logo -  Joan has the pattern and asked for a volunteer to stitch the logo.   National has strict rules on colors, etc. when duplicating the logo.

Rehoboth Needlework Exhibit - This judged needlework exhibit will be in September.   Member Stacy S. has offered to drop off any pieces a member wishes to enter.   If you have a piece you wish to enter, please get it to Robin, and Robin will get it to Stacy to be delivered to Rehoboth.   They will keep your piece until the end of the exhibit in October.

Lightning Rounds - Linda W. reminded everyone of the new lightning rounds in the NeedleArts Magazine.    This advantage of the lightning round is the price is lower and there is no teaching fee.   You need to provide your own supplies.

Upcoming Projects -
July - Challenge Piece No. 3
July - Christmas in July
August - Challenge Piece No. 4
September - We will have a lesson in Queen Stitch.   See you March NeedleArts for the project.
October - tentative date - BJ will teach the Curious Needlebook: canvas work project.  We won't be kitting this project but will be able to share info on purchasing canvas and may be able to provide (for a small fee) some of the needed materials.  Canvas sized needed is 18 count, 6 by 10.
November - We will host Susan Gonzales, former county native, for a felt Candy Cane Class.   Susan will also bring her trunk show to the guild.
December - Holiday Exchange - This year the exchange piece is an ornament.

Opportunity - Items were brought in to share.   Any donations from the table sales went to Caryl for our treasury.    Any items left will be taken to Fireside stitchery to auction.   We have been very fortunate to be able to supplement our treasury with the sales at Fireside over the last two years.

Show and Tell

 Two florals stitched by Barbara K.

 Last year's Lamplighter's SAL from the NeedleArts Magazine by BJ


 A Chatelaine set, won at an auction by BJ.   Great return on a $1 ticket.

 Butterfly stitched by BJ

 Above and below, The Edinburgh Etui by Betsy Morgan, stitched and finished by BJ

 Above, a beaded necklace created by BJ.  Below, the Lamplighter SAL, Hooray for the Red, White and Blue, stitched by BJ.

 Caryl C.'s finish of Heart's Ease Exemplar Workes Whitman Tin

 Needlebook from a Kreinik kit stitched and finished by Caryl C.

Above, June and below the entire 12 months of the Hands On Design Year of Celebration.   Stitched and finished by Caryl C.

 Caryl C's. finish of the Hooray for the Red, White and Blue SAL

 Robin T's. finish of With Thy Needle and Thread, Easter Peep Parade, on 18ct Fiddlers Cloth

 Stacy S's. finish of a With Thy Needle and Thread design

 Stacy S's. finish of a wee scissors keep (1 1/2 inched by 2 inches) and the draw string bag.

 Carol W's, finish of the Herb Garden by With Thy Needle and Thread

 Joan T's. finish of Hooray for the Red, White and Blue - clever treatment of the frame!

Tiny waxer - less than 1 inch tall, and a stitched and rolled felt pin cushion by Stacy S. from a class with Betsy Morgan.

Next meeting, second Thursday of September.   Visitors welcomed!   We will surely roll out the welcome wagon for you.  If you are in the South Jersey area, please stop in and join us for a night of needlework.  For more information, please post a comment on any post and someone will get back to you!