The Coif is Home at Last.

On Saturday, February 15 we finally presented the finished polychrome coif to Agecroft Hall. It has been fun working on it over the last 3 years, but now it is ready to be part of the interpretive program at Agecroft.  First it will be on exhibit with the other coifs held in the Agecroft collection.  Be sure to go and see the coif and of course Agecroft Hall.

Here is the Saturday turnover with Gentle Pursuits members and two Agecroft representatives.

And here is one of the professional photographs taken on the head form Agecroft Hall had ready for the coif.

Next up, a blackwork coif for another interpreter!

A Bevy of Bookmarks

 

Our Saturday meeting for January was very successful.  After several hours of stitching we have lots of bookmarks for The READ Center in Richmond, but we can always use more so please keep on making more bookmarks and bringing them in to meetings.

 

Thanks to Diana there were lots of threads and patterns to choose from to make the bookmark inserts.

 

We had the coif modeled by a visitor to our meeting.

And she won our monthly opportunity drawing.  Thanks to Dee for bringing in the bag of goodies.

Lots of lovely things on our Ta-Da table - as usual.

Brenda Rosseau came to tell us about the Pocahontas jacket being recreated at Colonial Williamsburg’s Costume Design Center for Preservation Virginia’s Historic Jamestowne. Several group members signed up for sample kits and hope to join in the project which starts this week.

The Coif Debuts at Our September Meeting

Well, we did it. The coif is finally done.  Stitching was finished in April. Now Margaret has put the lining in and sewn it up.  We'll let you know when it is presented to Agecroft Hall.

 Jean taught our annual Members' Appreciation Program this year.  A small pulled-work sampler that we can make into an ornament.  As usual, Jean made the work seem much less intimidating the many of us thought it would be.

Some members painted their felt for next month's silk ribbon class with Catherine.

Congratulations to Catherine Jordan! Catherine's Zentangle inspired art box received First Place in Original Professional category, Juror's Award, Delegate's Award and Best of Show at American Needlepoint Guild National Seminar exhibit, Anaheim, CA 2013. Note that the centers of the ribbons all have embroidered designs. 

Lots of lovely things at our Ta-Da Table this month as well.  We've all had a couple of months to work on things. Carol was lucky she left with all five of her beaded nutcrackers.

Outreach Activities - Spring 2013

Robin Hegner, a teacher at Riverside School, came to our April meeting and presented her with all of our bookmarks! It was an impressive sight to see them all on the table. The school is very happy to have the bookmarks to distribute to the children at the end of this school year. Please continue to bring any finished bookmarks to a meeting as Bookmarks for Literacy is an annual project for EGA. We will be looking for a new group to support for next year, so let me know the name of a school or an adult learning center who would appreciate our handiwork.

Jean has beautifully finished the blackwork handkerchief for Agecroft Hall.

 

The embroidery and goldwork are finished on the coif and it has been hemmed, but the lining is still in the works.

 

But the coif did visit Agecroft Hall when the DC EGA chapter came down to see Agecroft and Virginia House. Hard to believe it has been three years since the coif started and all the hands that have helped get it to this state.



The coif visits Agecroft Hall

A lovely group of ladies from Historic St. Mary's City in Maryland came down yesterday to visit Agecroft Hall and see their embroidery collection. They work as interpreters and costumers for HSMC and wanted to exchange expertise with Agecroft staff. Catherine, Diana, and I met them at Agecroft Hall and brought along the coif, the handkerchief, that Jean Connelly has been working on, and the sweet bag Catherine made. We had a lovely tour, saw the freshly cleaned and repaired tapestry going up, and then had a behind the scenes look at the collections. Some of the embroidery was already out, in preparation for an embroidery and textile exhibit to coincide with the October MAR meeting here in Richmond. And there are plans for more to be on display by then. It was great and I was able to get a picture of the group from Maryland, with Libby and Richard (l) from Agecroft Hall, and Catherine (3rd from left). The two youngest members of the group interpret the life of children at HSMC and brought their lovely pockets to show us. It was great to see two young people so enthusiastic about embroidery and history. If there had been time, I would have loved to have them work on the coif!

Coif in Williamsburg

Just a quick photo update. Leslie, a stitcher from Texas, had a chance to work on the coif this morning at the Gathering of Embroiderers. Thanks so much for your help!

Happy New Year 2011

December's holiday lunch was a great success. Isn't this a wonderful selection of ornaments? It gives you an idea of the amazing range of styles of needlwork practiced by our members.And here is the chapter showing off their ornaments. Many thanks to Kathy, Laurie, and Nancy for a wonderful event.

We have an amazing line up for this year.

January 22, special Saturday meeting – Outreach Black work with Jean Connelly.
You should already be registered but if not, you can still come and stitch with us.

February 2-5. The coif will be in Williamsburg at A Gathering of Embroiderers. Margaret Henderson is going down for a couple of classes and will take it down. If you wish to stitch a bit on the coif, email her before the end of January February 15 – Debbie Stieler design American Patchwork, taught by Julia Bender.

Register by January 20.

March 12, Saturday - Richmond Two Tone Sampler, designed and taught by Pam Darney. Supported by the Joan Masterson Memorial Chapter Education Fund. Mid-Atlantic Region members and guest welcome.

March 15, Tuesday - Twisted Rope Strand taught by Cathy Keith.

April – Casalguidi with Julia Bender

May - Swedish weaving with Dee Ragsdale and possible Lavender Fields road trip

Please check your newsletter for registration forms and more information on all these events. If you would like to become a member, please email Dee Ragsdale

October update - August to November info for all

August 2010 Program Our Christmas in August program on finishing with Joan Hippen was very well attended and enjoyed by all. September 2010 Many thanks to Catherine Jordan for the chapter members free program in September - Hemstitching. Hopefully there will be some finished pieces in October to show in the blog. Thanks to everyone who brought in work for display at the Fairfield Library in September. These displays are always well received and it is a great way to show people the variety of needlework we do, and maybe even get new members.

Jean Connelly has been working on the coif since August. It has been wonderful to see the coif slowly show all its colors. Can't wait to see how it will look in October after another month with Jean. The Holiday Luncheon is scheduled for December 4 (check your newsletter for more details). If you plan on participating in the optional ornament exchange, it is time to start planning. Here are some of last year's ornaments for inspiration. October 19 Meeting Join us for a talk about aprons by Sharon Spradlin Barrett - come with a tea cup and wear an apron if you have one you'd like to show off. It is also time to sign up for this year's President's Challenge. Join in October using the coupon in the newsletter and get the metal form and instructions you will need to participate.

November 16 Meeting Kathy G will be teaching us how to work the crewel piece 'Heart of the Shenandoah' designed by Michele Chavez. Check the newsletter for the registration coupon which is due at the October meeting.

Coif progress

Our July meeting was an informal stitch-in. Catherine Jordan, our chapter president, had been working on the coif for a month and brought it to the meeting to show us the progress. She has done all the strawberries and 1 1/2 cornflowers and 1 and a bit roses.What an accomplishment. She has the coif for another month, plus more silk. We may be ordering more soon.

April meeting and coif update

Thanks to all of our generous members, Diana was able to send 3 boxes of supplies to Haiti by Hand for distribution to craftswomen in Haiti. Take a look at the blog to see what the group is doing.

We've had some fun programs making needlecases, silk strawberries, and leaning to mount and frame needlework. Our May program is based on a cross-stitch sampler at Wilton House, an historical site in Richmond. June will be our silent auction. Members can bring in needlework related materials (books, stash, etc.) and it will be auctioned off to other members to benefit the chapter (things like paying for the instructor for our Christmas in August program and our free September program). Out with the old stash and in with some new!

Don't forget ALL EGA members renew at the same time this year. Dues must be received by our May meeting.

And for those following along with the coif, here is the latest.
Two new motifs have been stitched and added to the instruction book. This daffodil is based on a motif on the purse in Agecroft Hall.
This cornflower is a traditional design, although the base and shape are adapted to fit into this particular coif pattern.

Gentle Pursuits members, if you have any photos to add to our blog, please send them to Margaret.

Coif Progress - March 2010

Here are a couple of the coif motif tests that have helped with the colour choices. The honeysuckle is a common motif on jackets and coifs - there is even one on the demi-lune purse in Agecroft Hall. There are a couple of adjustments on this one, the side flowers are smaller than the center flower and two buds are missing. Also, in order to fit into the design, it has to sit on the heart. The spider web circle will be done with faux gold after all the silk stitching is done, so progress photos might look a bit odd for any of the motifs that need gold.

The pansy and strawberry. The pansy is from the original pattern. We will try to save leaves, strawberries and buds for people who only want to work a meetings, rather than taking the whole coif home for a month. So members, even if you don't want to carry the frame around, you can still put your name on a strawberry or a leaf.

Here is the mounted coif, thanks to Sharon. She had to add a strip of fabric because of some shrinkage, but you can tell by all the tacks it is securely mounted (Evertight frames for those who are interested)

And here is the first motif stitched on the coif - a tudor rose, which is another common motif.

And here is the coif as of March 22, 2010.

The coif and threads and a binder with instructions and photos will be ready for the next stitcher at April's meeting. Be sure and let Diana Paisley know if you want to take it home or if you want to stitch during a meeting - remember the room at Christ Church is open to us at 5 pm so there is an hour and a half to stitch before the meeting even starts!

The Coif is Started

Our January meeting marked the beginning of our Coif Project. Before the meeting we met to go over the logistics of the actual coif. Then after the business meeting. Margaret Henderson taught reverse chain and detatched buttonhole and how to use freezer paper to transfer patterns. Hopefully next month we will have some of the member motifs to post, but there will be some more test motifs, used for planning a silk order, to post in a week or so.

Margaret, Holly, and Sharon are looking over the coif pattern on linen and the motif tests before the January meeting. Here is the traced pattern. Sharon will take it home with the frame and set things up - can't thank her enough for that. She has costuming and embroidery experience so she is the perfect person to start the ball rolling. She will do some roses. It is exciting to see the pattern on the linen, looking quite different from the pattern on paper somehow, and imagine what it will look like when complete.

For those who are interested in working on the coif, please join us before our regular meetings, at 5 pm. Members who take the coif home for the month will need to get it to the next meeting, so the next member can take it home.
Thanks to Cheryl Christian for the photos.
Contact Diana Paisley dipais@aol.com for more information

Testing threads for the coif

Our next meeting, Tuesday, January 19, 2010, will be the beginning of our Agecroft Hall outreach program. We will be practicing reverse chain and detatached buttonhole stitch and starting on the first coif.

The coifs we are making for Agecroft Hall will be worn during interpretive programs held during hot, humid Virginia summers, so we need to use materials that can be washed if necessary. So thread testing was in order, and it also did duty as detatched buttonhole practice and ease of motif stitching testing. Gilt Sylke Twist and real gold thread were out because of washing and expense.

This pomegranate was done in cotton perle 5 and while it fills nicely, it is just too thick - the detatched buttonhole doesn't look quite right. The gold is Nordic Gold very fine - a gold braid - and it isn't shiny enough. But the French knot center seems good in concept. It will add some variety. We really wanted this motif on the coif since there are pomegranates on the coif and a purse in the Agecroft Hall collection, plus in the plaster decoration in the dining room.

This cornflower is done in cotton perle 8. Better than the 5, but still too bulky. The gold is faux gold from Thistle Threads and it works up easily and looks very good
This carnation tested a few things. The pink and white are two strands of silk floss. The dark pink is the detatched buttonhole and seems a bit sparse. The light pink and white are trellis stitch and it is alot of work to fill with plus it doesn't seem to really add anything, plus it is hard IMHO. The green is 3 strands of cotton floss, which fills nicely but doesn't have the sheen of the silk. The gold is the Nordic Gold again, just not shiny enough.
Here is the Soie Perlee and faux gold. We sort of knew this would be our choice, but we had to see for sure. The petals of the rose are nicely filled and even and shiny - all in all, a wonderful thread to work with (but don't use too long a piece or it will unravel). The gold on the strawberry is really lovely in person. There was no green silk to test with yet, so the leaf is an overdyed cotton floss from Catherine Jordan. The center of the rose is a spiral trellis, which is easier to do that the regular trellis and the look is worth it.

The pattern we decided on was 'Mary', made by Laura Mellin and purchased from Reconstructing History. But several of the motifs were complex and since this is our first try at this sort of thing, a few easier motifs were in order. The replacement motifs are based on a couple from the Plimoth Jacket and a couple from the demi-lune purse in the Agecroft Hall collection. They will appear on the blog as we get going.

The test colours have come in from Hedgehog Handworks (they are having a sale until the end of the month). Not only do we need to decide on which colours to use for each motif, but we also need to measure how much for a motif and then calculate our final amounts to order.