duClay Chapter of EGA: 2016

12/14/16

Kathy Rees Ornament Class

In November, our Chapter had the pleasure of hosting Kathy Rees of Needle Delights Originals. This is Kathy's second visit to our Chapter and we consider her a good friend. This time, she we were all stitching one of her ornaments.

Kathy brought a variety of thread and metallic threads for us to choose from. The photo below is what was left over after everyone had made their selections. Lots of variety!

This is Kathy's sample of what we were stitching.

Here is a larger grouping of some of her ornaments. They're a great project for learning a new stitch and how to compensate that stitch. Plus they stitch up so fast it's almost instant gratification!

Our members got right to work. Of course, there was plenty of socializing going on too!

Some of our members progress!

This may be the project for a future class with Kathy in 2017.

Of course, Kathy brought a trunk show with her and there was a fair bit of shopping going on!

Kathy thank you so much for your generosity and friendship to our Chapter. We appreciate you and of course, love your projects!

8/14/16

Sizzlin' Summer Retreat

Two weeks ago, duClay hosted it's first ever retreat. We celebrated the sizzlin' days of summer because July in Florida is always sizzlin. We set up at the Inn on the Lakes which is nestled between two lakes (Lake Jackson and Little Lake Jackson) in Sebring.

The views were tropical and lush even though outside temps were around 100 degrees during the day.

The Inn has a world class restaurant located on property, Chicanes, that was available for all three meals. In other words, members could check into the hotel and never leave until the retreat was over if that is what they chose! The food was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented.

The weekend activities included a Pirates Booty game that was only possible due the following sponsors. We cannot thank these businesses enough for their generosity. Please do show our appreciation by shopping with them for your needlework needs.

Victorian Motto Sampler - best known for affordable hand dyed finishing supplies & hand-dyed floss
Avery Claire Needleworks - finishing service
Needlecraft Corner - full service shop
The Black Sheep - full service needlepoint and yarn shop
The Silver Needle- full service shop
The Attic Needlework- full service shop
Traditional Stitches - full service shop
The Inspired Needle - full service shop

Since our sponsors were so generous, we played Pirates Booty instead of drawing for door prizes. Pirates Booty is similar to the game often played at Christmas parties where everyone is given a number, selects a gift (in this case a treasure) or steals a treasure that someone else has already opened. After 3 steals, the treasure was retired and no longer up for grabs. Which is a good thing since there was a LOT of stealing going on!

We also had a mid-year drawing for a gift card to Inspired Needle for the WIP Challenge. Anyone who had finished a project this year that was on their Challenge list were entered. Theresa R was the lucky winner!

This less than stellar photo shows the beautiful sunsets we were treated to from our stitching room.

Another activity was a beaded scissor fob taught by our very own Melody.

And of course, every duClay get together includes an amazing array of projects for show and tell!

Some activities need to be documented but not discussed - what happens at retreat stays at retreat!

A huge thank you to Melody for planning and executing the retreat! Everyone had a great time and are looking forward to more to come.

7/24/16

Easter Egg Class with Janeann Sleeman

In July our Chapter hosted Janeann Sleeman at the historic Bensel House for another needlepoint class. Janeann has taught three classes for us before and it is always a pleasure to have her back.

This time the project was a darling stand up Easter Egg. Janeann taught the first in a series of 3 Easter egg canvases by Labors of Love in Atlanta who also developed the stitch guide. Janeann's talents are being recognized by many of the nations top designers and we are so lucky to have her teach for our chapter.

The kits were full of a variety of colorful hreads!

The class participants were maxed out at what Janeann allows which permits a lot of individual attention and instruction to meet the needs of the members in attendance. The members who attended had a wide range of needlepoint skills and it is the perfect setting to learn a lot of tips from Janeann.

This was Jill's project at the end of the day - each area worked and the student well prepared to finish the rest of the project at home.

Many thanks to Jill for taking the photos for the class. The class is pictured below with Janeann, Jill was behind the camera.

Lunch was catered by Brenda.

Many thanks to the Lynch Family for allowing the use of the Bensel House.

5/8/16

Needlework Antique Showcase

Yesterday after our monthly business meeting, our Chapter members shared their Antique Needlework items. Our members brought a variety of items to share - from quilts, to needlework accessories, to antique handmade baskets to antique samplers. The collection was very diverse. Each member shared their item and gave a brief background on how it was acquired. It was wonderful to hear of the personal connections and stories behind each antique. Some were of friends, other of family - all was interesting to hear. A full set of the photos can be seen here in our Flickr album.