I made it to the embroiderers guild meeting this afternoon, after months of conflicts with art commitments, but, finally, no other meetings today, and I got there.
The program was created and presented by Lyna, a skilled researcher and historical stitching worker. She also has an academic career aside from her fiberart life. Manages everything with aplomb.
Today was a slide lecture on blue and white Deerfield embroidery. Linen thread, stitched on linen, to reproduce a massive collection of colonial stitchwork. Which developed into a thriving business, in the Arts and Crafts period of the nineteenth century where craftsmanship had a resurgence and a ready audience.
Google on Deerfield, to learn about the town, its crafts and collectors. William Randolph Hearst's mother was a a keen collector of the embroidered hangings and domestic artworks.
And that was the main event. But wait, there's more.
Talented young designer Katie Woznick, has created a design honoring the hundredth anniversary this year of women's getting the vote. It's also a push to get out the vote in a critical year, at the same time. Lyna translated the image into a cross-stitch project, distributed it today, and the guild is embarking on it, different sizes, different colors.
I heard that the designer's preference is black stitching, so I'm going with that. I know this because her grandmother is a stitcher in our chapter. We have the inside track on this one!
In the interest of protecting the image, I'm giving you just a glimpse, showing that I was so excited I dashed home to rush about my partly disassembled studio for thread, needle, hoop, and got right to work. That's my V started there.
This stitching speaks to my inner Get out the Vote activist, ready for post it posse again this year, and my inner stitcher. A harmonious convergence.
We'll be showing this project at the upcoming Stitch in Public event in February, when I hope to have mine done.
And, since I hadn't been at the guild meetings for a while, my friends caught up with presents, things I'd missed out on.
So I came home with some fun loot.
Pretty good way to spend a cold damp winter afternoon. This post didn't start out as a guild report, but it sort of wrote
itself.
Is this Deerfield MA? I have visited Historic Deerfield many times, though not lately as it's an hour away. One of my favorite college courses (in Material Culture) was taught on site. Great fun and very inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThe same. We are hoping to go as a group. It's 4.5 hours away, so an overnight is the idea. There was quite a wave of enthusiasm after Lyna's lecture. She's a long time University lecturer so her talks are always very well researched and presented. She's been involved only a short time and has become a chapter treasure. She's a leading light in doll and quilting circles, too.
ReplyDeleteIt's great when the universe aligns and you can do something you truly want to do without having any 'have to do's' cluttering it up. Sounds like a grand time and fun loot for you to enjoy too. Definitely a win/win.
ReplyDeleteWell, I want to do it all! But I changed my priorities a bit over the last year, and everyone's coming to terms with it now. It's all pretty smooth.
ReplyDelete