GREATER GRAND RAPIDS CHAPTER

January-February 2011

A Note from Carolyn - A Word from our President Elect

HAPPY NEW YEAR - I hope that each of you have enjoyed a wonderful holiday season with family and friends.

Many thanks to everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and cards on the passing of my mother. Our family was touched by your kindness.

Many of us begin a new year with resolutions, and the best of intentions for carrying them out. If you are like me, they are broken before the first week of the New Year. With that in mind, I'm setting a goal for myself rather than a resolution, and that is to "stitch from stash" in 2011. There are many UFOs, class projects that are partially finished, kitted pieces that have been on the "must stitch" list for a least a year. The satisfaction that comes from stitching something that has already been started will remind me of the occasion when it was begun.

Perhaps there are other goals to be added throughout the year: gifts to be made for someone special, clearing out the long-forgotten supplies, getting patterns organized and cleaned out. There are so many things that are stitching related that anyone of us could just have the goal of getting everything in its own place.

I am looking forward to the New Year with great anticipation. All the very best to each and everyone.

CALENDAR
January Dates
3 - Sampler Group Monday at 12:30 PM - Call Susie H.
tbd - Board Meeting
27 - Evening Meeting Thursday 6:45 PM at Heather Hills Retirement Village
28 - Day Meeting Friday 9:00 AM at First United Methodist Church

February Dates
5 - EGA Stitch In Public Day *UPDATED* at the Gaines Township Library 10 AM - 2 PM
7 - Sampler Group Monday at 12:30 PM - Call Susie H.
15 - NEWSLETTER INFORMATION due
tbd - Board Meeting
24 - Evening Meeting Thursday at 6:45 PM at Heather Hills Retirement Village
25 - Day Meeting Fridat at 9:00 AM at First United Methodist Church

DAY PROGRAMS
January

Program: We will work on Habitat samplers. Bring white or off-white 14 or 28 count fabric to work on (cut at least 12" by 14") and DMC 798 and 912.

Hostess: Vonna H.

February
Program: To be announced.
Hostess: Volunteer needed.

EVENING PROGRAMS
January

Program: Habitat Samplers. The following supplies are needed: DMC 912 & 798; 12" by 14" white or off-white 14 or 28 count even weave fabric; usual stitching supplies; and pattern.

Hostesses: Janalee K, Marilyn B, and Betty H.

February

Program: Kissing Pillows for our soldiers. The following supplies are needed: 14 count white Aida (6" x 6"); DMC 797, 321, and Blanc; usual stitching supplies; and pattern.

Hostesses: Carolyn N. and Pat A.

March

Program: We will make the tags for the thread holders. The following supplies are needed: white card stock; scrapbooking paper in various prints; 1/4" round hole punch; EK Success 1/2 " round hole punch; EK Success Real Estate Sign large punch; sewing basket 3/16" Antique Brass Flower eyelets by Dritz; 3/16" eyelet tool; hammer; Aleene's tacky glue or PVA glue;Tsukineko Fantastix Coloring Tool Brush Point; and Avery removable multi-use labels 5/16" x 1/2".

Hostesses: Geri J-B and Jane W.

April

Program: Pat P will teach one of her bracelet designs - Ellen's Bracelet. Pat will put together a kit for us at an estimated cost of $10-$12. The bracelet may be done in all white or with colored accents. Photographs of the two bracelet options are below.

Hostesses: Judy F., Carol W., and Diardre Q.




May

Annual Potluck Dinner - If you have suggestions for a speaker or program, please contact Nancy B.

September
Hostesses: Peggy H and Karen V.

October
Hostesses: To be determined

DAY GROUP AGENDA

When we get together at the day meetings in January and February, come with your ideas about what we should do in the upcoming months. Do we want to have members volunteer to do a program each month as we've done in the past? Do we want to select a Group Correspondence Course to work on together? Do we want to change to stitch-in status? Or do we want to disband? Please put some thought into this and join us in January and February for a lively discussion about our day group's future.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Chapter Special Interest Project

If there is enough interest, Pat P has offered to teach a puffy crystal heart pendant that could possibly be a one day Saturday class. It is more involved and will take some time to do. It has 72 4mm Swarovski bicone crystals. An interest sheet will be available in January.

Stitching by the Fall: Camp GLR Great Lakes Region Seminar 2011 April 3 to 7, 2011 - Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio - Hosted by Town & Country Chapter EGA

The members of the Town & Country Chapter are very busy planning the many activities for Stitching by the Falls - Camp GLR, Sunday, April 3 to Thursday, April 7, 2011. Many reservations have already been received...and there's still room for you too and without a late fee until December 31, 2010. Full information including color versions of the class choices can be found on the GLR website at http:..www.ega-glr.org

We are optimistic that all class offerings will be filled to capacity in addition to providing our "campers" the usual other activities during the week, including the Boutique, Bookstore, Teacher's Showcase, Stan Hywet Tour & Dinner on Tuesday evening, and Merchandise Night on Wednesday evening. We are also offering chair massages and scissor sharpening, with further details to be included in the participant booklet. Volunteer opportunities are available - please let me know if you can assist us during Seminar week by calling or emailing me.

We are anxious to have you join us at the Sheraton Suites Hotel, located on the beautiful waterfall of the Cuyahoga Falls River, where we will offer you all the amenities of delicious food, great friends, and way better beds than the "camp" you grew up with. Hope to see you there! Carmen Heare - GLR Seminar 2011 Chair

WE NEED YOU
In our local chapter - The position of Region Representative is still open this year. Please let Carolyn or Kelly know if you are interested.

The Great Lakes Region - While it is the responsibility of the Great Lakes Region Nominating Committee to create a slate of officers and a new nominating committee for the following term (2012-2014), the nominating committee cannot work toward broad representation on our region board without support from you. We are looking for dedicated people who are interested in furthering the aims of the EGA and GLR and will work toward that end. The slate of nominees for the 2012-2014 term will be presented at the GLR Annual Meeting on April 4, 2011, held in conjunction with the GLR Seminar 2011. The election will be conducted at the Semiannual Meeting in the fall. We're asking you to show your support of the GLR Board by submitting a resume to serve on the 2012-2014 GLR Board. The form is available at the GLR website http://www.ega.org/Forms/GLRResumeForm2010.pdf
When completed, send to Jan Dunmyer or any one of the nominating committee members.

PAT'S PEREGRINATIONS
DMC threads has a blog! Called "Emma's Broidery", subjects are the various DMC products, free projects, giveaways, and the needlework industry. Go to http://dmc-threads.com/

Since I just completed the Christmas ornament season with my usual finishing challenges, I was delighted to find a blog with numerous clear tutorials on finishing ornaments:
http://pinwheelponders.blogspot.com/p/tutorials.html

For those who are challenged by new stitches as I am, I'll share some of the places where I go when I am doing something new. Somehow seeing different approaches to doing the same stitch helps me be more successful!

Mary Corbet is sharing stitching videos on her blog "Needle n' Thread". She demonstrates the steps involved in making the stitch.
http://www.needlenthread.com/videos

Great stitch tutorials for when you decide to venture beyond cross-stitch are found on the Heritage Shoppe site.
http://heritageshoppe.com/heritage/stitches/stitchmenu.html

Another site for stitch tutorials is Faby Reilly, a French designer whose site is bilingual.
http://www.fabyreilly.com/index/TutorialsIndex/StitchesTutorial.html

When you need inspiration, go look at these sites:
http://theworldslargestcollectionofsmalls.blogspot.com
http://theworldslargestcollectionofsmallstoo.blogspot.com

For samplers:
http://www.needleworkantiques.com/sampler_gallery.html
http://galleryofsamplers.blogspot.com
http://quakerinspired.blogspot.com

CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

Our chapter newsletter is provided to our members in different ways: through US mail; via email; and online at www.ega-ggr.blogspot.com When you can't access your email or find your newsletter, you can always find our newsletter online at our blogspot.