Stitch in Public - Today - February 1

Hope to see you at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts café, where members of Gentle Pursuits will be stitching on all sorts of lovely things to encourage people to learn more about embroidery. We'll have the coif there if you want to see it before it goes to Agecroft Hall.

We'll be stitching until 1 pm.

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.

January 2014 Meeting

Our first meeting of 2014 will be held on Saturday, January 18th at 9AM.

This is an Outreach meeting and we will stitch bookmarks to benefit the READ Center (see last year's bookmarks above). The chapter is providing the bookmarks, needles, threads, silk ribbon, some idea books, charts and embellishments to make our bookmarks. Bring along your usual stitching supplies. Because these bookmarks are so fast and easy to do, it's a good way to stitch and catch up with your friends. We will be providing a light morning snack and a pizza lunch - as always, please provide your own drink.   

During our bookmark stitching, Brenda Roseau from Colonial Williamsburg costuming will be talking about the Pocahontas embroidered waistcoat that is being stitched for Historic Jamestowne.

Sample kits to make the bird shown above will be available for those wanting to stitch a sample and help with the jacket.


Clear Your Stash Any Time
This year we are trying a new way of stash busting/fundraising for our chapter. Rather than waiting until June to bring in any books, charts, kits, supplies, etc., for a silent auction, you are invited to donate a bag or box of items at any meeting.

Clear Your Stash items will be set out and anyone who wants something can write a check to donate what they think is a fair amount.

Each month we will try to have a goodie bag of donated items. You will be able to purchase opportunity tickets for a drawing at the end of the meeting.

Tickets will cost 50 cents; we will not have change available. Please bring exact change if you wish to use cash. 

You need to be present to win or give your ticket to a friend to pick up at the end of the meeting.

End of a Busy Year of Gentle Pursuits

Wonderful food, wonderful Ta-Das and a great meeting in November. Cathy Keith discussed how to use 4 specialty threads (with advice from The Stitching Studio) and the practice piece was a small plastic canvas that fit in a pen.  What a great idea for a gift giving.

 

 

December was our Holiday Luncheon and as usual, it was lots of fun.  Great thread winder favors and fun door prizes.  Plus beautiful ornaments in the exchange.

 

Don't forget that our first meeting of the new year is not at the regular time.

 

January 18, 2014 Meeting (Saturday)
Outreach, bookmarks for The READ Center

And before our February meeting, we have Stitch in Public Day!

February 1, 2014 Stitch in Public Day (at the VMFA)
This is a great chance to educate others about how much fun stitching can be.



Jamestowne Waistcoate Embroidery Project - more information

You may have noticed the call for volunteers for this project in our latest newsletter.  Here is some further information:

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the wedding of Pocahontas to John Rolfe, Preservation Virginia’s Historic Jamestowne will create a woman’s embroidered sleeved waistcoat worked in black silk inspired by a surviving garment in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (London). This waistcoat will be worn as part of Pocahontas’s wedding attire during the commemoration on Saturday, April 5, 2014.

The original object is an early 17th century woman’s jacket embroidered with depictions of mythical and realistic creatures, flora, and scenes from Geffrey Whitney’s Choice of Emblems and Other Devices (1586). The Jamestown jacket will replace these motifs with fruit, flowers, insects, fish, fowl and beasts specific to Virginia. A matching embroidered coif and forehead cloth will complete the suit.

The jacket in the London museum is embroidered with black silk on a plain weave white linen ground in four basic stitches: stem and outline stitch, long and short, and speckling or seeding stitch. Our adaptation will use those types as well.

Historic Jamestowne is seeking volunteers to assist with the creation of this garment. Skilled and novice embroiderers are invited to contact:

Julie Zellers-Frederick
Volunteer Coordinator
julie@preservationvirginia.org
757-856-1259

You will be sent a small sample to complete, demonstrating the stitch types present in the original garment. All skill levels are welcome. This special project is done in collaboration with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and their Costume Design Center.

Here is the kit:

Once you have sent in the sample embroidery and volunteer form, you will be sent the scheduling information. As you can see above, they hope to have it ready for April 5, 2014, so there will be lots to do between now and then.  Stitching will be done in the costume center of Colonial Williamsburg, with evening and weekend hours, as well as weekday hours.

Upcoming Fun

Gentle Pursuits members should have received their newsletters by now, but those of you thinking of becoming members, might be tempted by our upcoming events.

 Our annual holiday luncheon at Hermitage Country Club will be held Saturday, December 14, 2013. Following a brief meeting, we have a lovely meal, ornament exchange, and a lot of fun! You are not required to make an ornament to attend this event.

 How can you resist these entrees?
Bacon, mushroom, and cheddar quiche served with fruit kabobs.
Horseradish Crusted Salmon – oven baked with panko-horseradish crust and finished with whole grain mustard sauce.
Chicken Sinatra – breast meat stuffed with prosciutto and provolone cheese.

Reminder to Members - Coupon due December 6!

January 7, 2014 Board Meeting                                                                          
Board meetings are open to all members and start at 6:00 PM. For those who can, we gather at 5:00 PM to either stitch or eat (bring your own food). Location: The Parlor at Christ Church Episcopal.

January 11, 2014 Beading Interest Group (BIG) Meeting                

January 18, 2014 Meeting (Saturday)
Outreach, bookmarks for The READ Center
February 1, 2014 Stitch in Public Day
This is a great chance to educate others about how much fun stitching can be.

February 8, 2014 BIG Meeting   

February 18, 2014 Meeting
Kumihimo Cording Bracelet taught by Linda DaValle.       

February 22, 2014 Workshop (Saturday) 
Overbrook Presbyterian Church
2605 Dumbarton Road, Richmond Va.
Explore the use of dyes to make beautifully shaded and variegated skeins of threads and vintage looking linen. Catherine Jordan will be teaching and the workshop is a joint workshop with the Virginia Guild of Needlewomen.

 Usually, Gentle Pursuits of Richmond meets the 3rd Tuesday of every month from 6:30 to 9:00 pm at Christ Church, 5000 Pouncey Tract Road, Glen Allen, Virginia, 23059. We welcome new members of all needlework levels. Sit and Stitch -The time prior to our formal meetings each month (5:00 PM to 6:30 PM) is intended for us to stitch and receive help or mentoring with a technique. But check the calendar above to be sure we have a meeting. We occasionally have special meetings on Saturdays, and in other locations. Become a member and get a newsletter so you will always know when and where we are meeting. Contact Dee Ragsdale at stitchnfish@cox.net or (757)229-1166 with any questions.

Christmas in August

This is a somewhat belated post, but our annual Christmas in August class was once again a great success. Trisha Johnson did a crazy quilt ornament class for the group.  Trisha pieced the fabric, leaving the embroidered seam treatments to us, and there was a choice of shapes. Lots of choices, which is always fun.