Mouse Tales
Vol 3 - Issue 2
July 2004
Hello and good day to everyone in the chapter. Hello especially to the
new members that have recently joined the chapter. As president of the
chapter I have a unique opportunity to step back and see the chapter
growing and moving in some wonderful directions. I would like to encourage
everyone to read the website, especially the activities page and join in a
stitch-a-long or ornament stitching. I also want to encourage everyone to
take to heart the Presidents Challenge for 2004, that being continued
making bookmarks for the literacy program and trying a new finishing
technique for the first time.
I hope everyone is enjoying their weather and that the US stitchers
enjoy a summer like no other. Personally, this time of year is hard on me
because it is the in-between time for me, in-between all the gifts for
weddings and such I get to do some stitching for me! (LOL) Looking forward
to seeing everyone at the meeting in July, it will start on July 8 and end
July 13. Take care and be careful everyone, and please, please do some
stitching that is relaxing and joyful for you and yours.
Sincerely,
LoriBeth Etengoff,
Pres., CyberStitchers EGA
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Sharon Hite is officially our Region Rep. Congratulations and a round
of applause for Sharon!
Sharon jumped right into her new duties as she was attending the June
Share-A-Stitch Regional Seminar. She collected donations for our chapter's
basket for the seminar. She posted pictures of all the goodies for us at
http://www.xStitchLover.com/ega/basket.htm
and reports that our members were very generous in their donations.
Sharon also has pictures from Share a Stitch to share with everyone at
http://www.xstitchlover.com/sas24/
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GCC's:
Once again, our Big Education Event classes
are:
Beads & Comanche Stitch
Beginning Drawn Thread Sampler
Casulguidi & Lavender
Crazy Patch Adventure
Finishing with Flair
Fun with Beads & Peyote Stitch
Gracie
Grrcia
Meadowsweet
Options in Hardanger
Ornamental Delight
Plum Blossoms
Star of Hearts
Ukrainian Openwork
White Queen
We divided up the 15 classes into 3 groups with 1 group of classes
being offered each quarter in 2004, starting with the 2nd quarter 2004.
The groupings are:
2nd quarter: Beads & Comanche, Beginning Drawn Thread,
Casulguidi, Options in Hardanger, White Queen;
3rd quarter:
Crazy Patch, Finishing with Flair, Fun with Beads, Gracie, Ornamental
Delight;
4th quarter: Grrcia, Meadowsweet, Plum Blossoms, Star
of Hearts, Ukrainian Openwork.
We have registered our first 5 BEE classes. The registration process
for the 1st set of BEE classes went ok. To aid the process in the future,
please be sure that your personal information is up to date. Also, when
you receive an email with payment information for 3rd or 4th quarter
classes, please try to send your payment in by the deadline to avoid
holding up your classmates; once everyone has paid, the class can be
registered.
For those of you like me who like numbers, the 2nd quarter classes have
the following statistics:
Beads & Comanche Stitch - 21 students; 14 BEE students, 6
paying chapter members, 1 paying non chapter member
Beginning Drawn
Thread - 11 students; 5 BEE students, 4 paying chapter members, 2
paying non chapter members
Casulguidi & Lavender - 21
students; 10 BEE students, 6 paying chapter members, 5 paying non chapter
members
Options in Hardanger - 16 students; 7 BEE students, 6
paying chapter members, 3 paying non chapter members
White Queen - 21 students; 13 BEE students, 8 paying chapter members
I have been contacting our new members with info about the BEE. Most of
them have selected a class. I will be sending out payment info around the
start of July for next quarter's BEE classes. Payment will be due by
August 20, 2004.
There are still openings in next quarter's BEE classes. Don't forget, if
you have already selected your BEE class, you can still sign up for any of
the other classes as a full tuition student. If you'd like to join any of
these 3rd quarter classes, please let me know offlist: Crazy Patch
Adventure, Fun with Beads and Peyote Stitch, Finishing with Flair, Gracie,
Ornamental Delight. Note: Ornamental Delight is being retired after this
year. For the 4th quarter, one class, Grrcia, is already full.
To calculate your cost as a full tuition student, take the cost of the
book and add $15.50 if you're in the US or add $18.50 if you're outside
the US. If you haven't yet selected your BEE class or missed the payment
deadline for last quarter's classes, you can still select your BEE class
now. Just let me know.
Petite Projects: The current petite project, "Battenburg
Snowflake" by Hope Wright. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cyberstitchers_ega/files/Class%20Previews/
to preview the project. Select the Petite Projects Preview folder, then
snowflake.jpg . If you're not a member of the Petite Projects groups, send
an email to CSPetiteProjects-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and I can add you
to the group. Once you join, you will have access to the project in the
files section of the Yahoogroup CSPetiteProjects group.
Hope's directions also include ways to help you design your own
snowflake patterns. Here is a neat idea for anyone wishing to make
ornaments for the ornaments outreach programs. There is also a photo album
labeled "Battenburg Snowflake" in the CSPetiteProjects group where you can
upload photos, scans, etc of any completed petite projects, even past
projects. If you upload a photo, etc, please put your name somewhere in
the title so we know who it belongs to!
SAM:
We are in the 4th and final year of SAM, the Stitch-A-Month program we
purchased from the Vintage Stitchers chapter. Month 10, the Jessica Stitch
is now up. If you are not a member of CS-Stitch-a-Month and would like to
be, send me an email and I'll invite you to the group.
Stitchalong:
For our May meeting we stitched the "Goodie Bag IV" from At River's End. It is found here: http://www.concentric.net/~Nyssa/goodie4.html. Look in the files section of Cyberstitchers_ega in the Education Dept. folder and go into Stitchalongs. In the May 2004 file, Donna and Cameo
have stitched a few very nice pieces.
Our next stitchalong project, due for the July meeting, is "Spring
Sampler" by Linda Connors. It is found here: http://www.caron-net.com/designerfiles/desaprilfiles/aprchrt.html. A new stitchalong will be announced at our July meeting.
Please let me know if there is an interest in a group stitchalong, a
small meeting stitchalong, or any other similar ideas you might have. If
you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me.
Anne
L
Education Chair
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Bookmarks:
A reminder of our ongoing Bookmarks for Literacy outreach project.
Members stitch a bookmark. It is sent to the project coordinator, who then
sends all bookmarks in a batch shipment to a literacy organization for
distribution to its clients as a gift. Lynn has volunteered to be the
Bookmarks for Literacy project coordinator for 2004. When you have your
bookmark finished, please send
an e-mail to Lynn to receive the mailing address.
The Center for Literacy in the Philadelphia (Pa.) area was chosen to
receive our bookmark donations in 2004 (http://www.centerforliteracy.org).
This 36-year old community-based, non-profit organization serves over
4,000 people in two large counties, both children and adults. Their
client/student base encompasses both those who are English-speaking and
those for whom English is their second language. In a telephone
conversation, the executive director told me that their students/clients
originate in just about every country of the world. The Center for
Literacy tutors/teaches not only reading, but also writing and
mathematics. Many uses will be found for our hand-stitched bookmarks
within their varied programs -- graduation gifts, progress awards and the
like. The Center will enthusiastically accept our bookmark donations at
any time of the year; they are quite happy that we want to donate to their
organization in 2004.
You can stitch the pattern of your choice, but if you would like some
ideas, we have a few pretty patterns created by Lynn, Cameo, and Lori Beth
in a folder titled "Bookmark Patterns" in the Cyberstitchers_EGA Yahoo!
Group Files area. Please post a photo/scan of your finished bookmark so
that we can all be inspired by your unique creative touch.
A reminder: there is NO deadline. Your bookmark will be gratefully
accepted at ANY time during the year.
Thank you for your participation, and we're looking forward to seeing
your beautiful handiwork!
Christmas Ornaments:
Chapter members are invited to stitch an ornament (in any technique;
Christmas- or winter-themed) for this Outreach project. Once stitched,
ornaments will be sent to the chapter project coordinator,
Nancy. These ornaments
will go to the Attic Needlework store in Mesa, Arizona (http://www.atticneedlework.com).
During their sixth annual silent auction scheduled for late November, your
ornament will help raise money for research grants and awareness programs
by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Sloan-Kettering Hospital, New
York. Last year, $6,770 was raised at this event.
A second project is in a similar format, but to a different charity:
ORNAMENT DONATION TO COMBAT DIABETES. Members' donated ornaments will be
shipped to The Busy Needle store in Rogers, Arkansas. Each year this shop
sells handmade ornaments and donates the proceeds to the American Diabetes
Association. In 2003 -- their Fourth Annual Diabetes Ornament Tree -- they
raised $1,390.64. See
http://www.thebusyneedle.com for more info on the shop; click on
"Ornament Tree" down near the bottom to see info about the project. The
coordinator for this project is Phyllis.
I have been corresponding with both stores, and they are VERY
enthusiastic about having our members participate this year!
The chapter's Ornament SAL group has already embraced an ornament
donation project. However, I would like to stress that these Outreach
projects are open to ALL chapter members for their participation. We hope
that you will agree that these are worthy charities, and that you'll start
stitching away!
We'd LOVE it if each member could stitch one ornament for an Outreach
project. Your ornament will then be donated to the charity of your choice.
More details will be posted in the near future as to where to send your
completed ornaments.
Lynn
B
Outreach Committee Chair
and
Coordinator, Bookmarks for
Literacy 2004
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by Rissa Peace Root
"We really grow as artists when we try new things. Especially things
that force us to see the world around us in a new light."
I had an interesting experience in a thread painting class I recently
attended. The teacher, Susan O'Connor from Australia, started the class by
asking us to get out a number two pencil and some paper. She had us select
a pear out of a grocery bag and instructed us to draw it, with little or
no instruction. Several of the people in the class actually gasped,
because they never expected to have to draw anything in a needlework
class. Most of us had not done this type of still life drawing since high
school art class and several people were visibly disturbed at the
prospect. However, everyone plunged ahead, all focused with quiet
determination. No one was happy with their first drawing. Then she talked
about shading and the play of light and asked us all to draw the same pear
again. It was a challenge, because the overhead lights were casting
multiple shadows, but everyone was universally more pleased with their
second attempt at drawing the pear. After the third time, we each had a
working image that could be transferred onto fabric. Only one student
elected to use the pattern included with the kit, instead of her own
drawing. We did not place the first stitch until after the lunch break.
First we learned the technique for shading with long and short stitches on
a piece of muslin, then we were set loose with our fine fabric, silk
threads, and crude drawings. It was much quicker work than I had imagined,
I was able to get about one third of the way through the project in just a
few hours. The only person who had trouble was the one who elected to use
the outline from the kit. She was staring intently at the model and trying
to match it stitch for stitch, instead of trying to interpret the shading
of the pear or drawing in front of her. Her stitch technique was
impeccable, but she was having trouble crossing that line from charted
design to something more interpretive and organic. It was a valuable
lesson and I feel like I have grown as a stitcher and a designer because
of it. Susan O'Connor was a great teacher, she understood that seeing and
drawing a pear for ourselves would help us learn more about shading than
any lecture. I was completely unsure of myself with drawing number one and
had great confidence by drawing number three (pictured below). I think
that experience was shared by most of the people in my class. Regardless
of our initial trepidation, she was making us all better stitchers.
 
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My not-so-local shop is Needlepoints Ltd.
7939 Garden Grove Blvd.
Garden Grove, CA 92641.
Their phone number 714-894-5242
and their website:
http://www.needlepointsltd.com/
. It's a large shop with everything imaginable. Fabrics (linens and even
weaves, canvas, congress cloth, and aida to name a few), fibers (DMC and
Anchor, all the Kreiniks, silks, Needle Necessities, overdyed, beads,
charms, and much, much more), hand painted canvases,
needlepoint kits (beautiful pieces) needlework accessories including
stands and lamps. They have patterns and charts for cross-stitch,
needlepoint, hardanger, and carry books and some magazines. I know I'm
forgetting some of what they carry, but the store is so big. They also
teach and have guest instructors. Carolyn (owner), Claudia, Richard, and
Diane are so knowledgeable and helpful. I can't say enough about them.
Well worth the visit if you're ever in the area.
Bea
Here is a great little shop that's doing Internet business and has a
lot of stuff! She used to be a customer of mine, and now she has her own
business. It's called Laurel's Stitchery, in TX, and she's terrific to
work with. I just placed an order with her this morning, for her 4th of
July sale. She'll bend over backwards to get what you're looking for, and
already has most of it, I think. :) Her web address is http://www.laurelsstitchery.com/
.
Kelly
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In brainstorming ideas for a stitch-along for future meetings, Cameo pointed out a pretty design by Martha Schmidt of Needlemaid Designs called "Small Flowers." We cannot include the link due to copyright issues, but encourage you to go to Needlemaid Designs, http://needlemaid.home.att.net/ and look at her free designs. Sadly, Martha recently passed away as the result of an automobile accident. We are fortunate that she left us such wonderful things to stitch, and I wished to highlight this design of hers.
A cute bookmark for those of you stitching for the literacy outreach can be found at the Chocolate Cat. This designer has original designs as well as reproduction samplers. The bookmark has a cute cat sitting on a book and it says, "No book is worth reading if a cat won't sit on it." Too cute! http://www.choccat.com/book_pattern.pdf
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By Sue
Omiyage : Handmade Gifts from Fabric in the Japanese Tradition
by Kumiko Sudo.
This review is really a combination of telling you about a class I
recently took a class at our local arts center, as well as a book review.
In my class we created adorable little drawstring bags from scraps of old
kimono fabric. I made a little crane that looks like an origami paper
crane, but is made from silk. It is about 4 inches from the bottom of the
crane to the tips of its wings. I keep my guitar picks in it <G>.
Once the members of the ornament stitchalong group saw it, everyone
wondered if there were books out there to create these. Omiyage has
the crane in it, as well as many other precious designs. The crane itself
is really quite simple. If you would like to preview the book, go to www.amazon.com , because for this book
you are able to view some of the pages to whet your appetite. Omiyage
means souvenir, or present, in Japanese, and it also refers to small
gifts.
There are all kinds of neat designs. In my class, our teacher Aiko
showed us two other pieces. We started a bag that looks like a beach ball
and has a little bunny for a button on the bottom, and we got the pattern
to make a bag that looks like a sakura (cherry blossom). I was spoiled
because Aiko-sensei kept handing us more pieces of fabric to take to play
with. Happily, I can tell you that Omiyage has a nice assortment of
patterns to keep you happy. As for the fabric, I have found a lot of
kimono fabric on eBay by searching on "kimono fabric". There is also a
shop in New York City called Old Japan at 32 Bleeker Street, and you can
order grab bags, or single pieces of fabric from their website www.oldjapaninc.com. Be careful!
Sudo-san also has other books, Folded Flowers: Fabric Origami with a
Twist of Silk Ribbon and Flower Origami: Exotic Fabric Flowers from
Simple Shapes, as well as quilting books available. You just might get
addicted.
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Please let me make a gentle reminder to the membership about the use of
our lists. Please keep the CyberStitchers_EGA group for meetings and
announcements to the membership. Other discussions should take place in
Chat4CyberStitchers. One part of CyberStitchers is certainly the
friendships we make with one another. We share life's ups and downs over a
cup of coffee, even if I am drinking mine in New York and someone else is
drinking theirs in Ohio. It is indeed an important part of having our
chapter to be able to talk about whatever is going on in our lives; to
hold the hand of a friend in bad times and share in celebrating the good
ones; however, we need to keep our non-meeting time conversation in the
Chat4CyberStitchers group. I know I value the friendships I have made in
CyberStitchers and enjoy keeping up with folks there.
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July 8-13, 2004:
General meeting of CyberStitchers from 9PM (ET) Thursday, July 8
through 9PM (ET) Tuesday, July 13.
August 12-17, 2004:
Board meeting of CyberStitchers from 9PM (ET) Thursday, August 12
through 9PM (ET) Tuesday, August 17.
October 23-29, 2004
EGA National Seminar 2004
"Heartland Harvest: A Season to
Stitch"
Hosted by the Heartland Region. Hyatt Regency, Minneapolis, MN.
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