Guildford Club update

Our last meeting fell in the middle of the school holidays, and just before the 50th Anniversary Exhibition. As a result only 4 of our regular members attended, but we made up for small numbers with our BIG enthusiasm for the project of the month. Finger knitting was a new technique to all the kids, and some of the parents as well. I found a tutorial on the internet and taught myself over a couple of days, so you can imagine my delight when all the kids managed to make several items in our 3 hour session. I brought along some of the fluffy, knobbly and hairy knitting yarns that are around at the moment as well as a couple of plainer ones. Some of the kids worked with 2 yarns together and had great results. I hope you like our pictures. Look for some instructions in the next Newsletter !
Christine, leader Guildford Club.

Exhibition workshops- colourful bird puppet

4 students made a colourful bird puppet on Sunday. Terry, Caitlin, Eleanor and Louise chose their kits and then measured and sewed hair, stitched eyes, beak and body together over the next 1 1/2 hours. By the end of the session, everyone had finished their puppet and posed for photos. I'll post the individual photos when I can match each name to the photo I took in the next week or so. The other workshop photos were taken by another Committee member, so I'll post those too when I can get them. We also sold lots of kits to people not able to do the workshop on site, so if you'd like to buy one (see my older posts on this blog for photos of the workshops) contact the Guild and we'll see if one is available.

50th Anniversary Exhibition display

A BIG THANKYOU to everyone who sent along work to be included in the YTFG display at the Exhibition, as you can see we had a fabulous dislay and lots of visitors were full of praise for the work done by all the kids. Our banner turned out really well too, we had a name patch for every active group and some groups also did sample patches to go with their names. The YTFG Committee members sewed the banner together. It will now be displayed in the Roma Field Room at the Guild and at Craft shows where the Guild exhibits, and may even travel around NSW to some regional exhibitions in the future too. Well done, everyone !!

Guildford Club news

At the September meeting we all made a little biscornu (pronounced by-corn-you) using Aida or evenweave linen and eyelet stitches. This can be used as a pincushion or a decoration with a ribbon or cord hanger. Our club now has 10 members on our roll, and we average 8 each meeting. We are a happy co-operative group, sharing our equipment and encouraging each other as we work. Some of us did some eyelets on a sample patch to go on the YTFG combined banner to be shown at the October exhibition. We hope to see some of you there.

3 WEEKS TILL THE 50th ANNIVERSRY EXHIBITION

Yes, in just 3 weeks time the wonderful exhibition at the Sydney Showgrounds will have started. There are still some vacancies in some of the YTFG workshops, which are being held in the 2nd week of the School Holidays. Jelly Fish and Chirpy Chick are fully booked, but Scarecrow, Bird Puppet and Treasure Bags are still available. You will have to phone the Guild Headquarters to book as soon as possible. There will be some additional kits for sale for most of the workshops, so if you miss out you may still be able to buy a kit to do at home. Everything is included in the kit except scissors, which most people can find at home. At just $10 they are great value, but they are only available at the Show. Remember, children under 16 accompanied by an adult get free entry to the Show. There are traders selling embroidery supplies, the exhibition and embroidery competition, lectures and workshops and demonstrators stitching projects. Lots to see and do, so try to get along to the Show sometime over the 5 days October 10th to 14th, Southee Pavilion, Sydney Showgrounds, Homebush Bay. Hours are 9.30am till 4.30pm daily except Sunday when we close at 4 p.m. Come and say Hi! at the YTFG display, I'll be the one in the crazy hat !

YTFG at Stitches and Craft Show August 2007

Here is the left hand wall of the Guild stand at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse at the Stitches and Craft Show. The Farm Challenge panels, some Distance Course posters, the new "Starting To Stitch" book (have you got one yet?) and the samples for the October Exhibition workshops are all included. The bookings have started for the workshops, but there are still a few vacancies. We hope that visitors will love the samples on display and book in by phone or in person at Guild Headquarters. I think the workshops will be a fun October school holiday activity, don't you?

Distance Club News

With Nola's permission, here are a few excerpts from her recent article in the July Record about her travels with her husband Laurie, promoting "Fun with Stitches" and meeting current and possible new students.

"Laurie and I travelled to far West NSW in April... at White Cliffs and Wanaaring. The highlight of our trip...for me was meeting two of our Distance Club students at Wanaaring and being priveledged to spend a couple of hours with them, their younger sister and mother. I was able to show Sigrid and Erin how to make two of the braids ...Judith Langdon had taught the YTFG leaders at the ALM.. with kits Judith sent for them. They quickly picked up the technique and by the time I left each of the girls had made two different braids.

I was also shown the school room where the girls do their Distance Ed lesson from Cobar school and heard them both play the keyboard. The lessons for this they have via the telephone! (their mother) Anya, a non-embroiderer, has always wanted the girls to learn to sew and had tried to teach them from books and magazines. However, she is finding the task much simpler as she told me the "Fun with Stitches" instructions are very clear and easy to follow. She also mentioned how excited the girls are when they see their work on the Guild website.

We met a lady who lives 50km from Louth and is the casual teacher for both Louth and Wanaaring schools. She spends two days a week at each of the one teacher / eight pupil schools, travelling many kilometres on unsealed roads to assist the teachers. White Cliffs also has a small school, one teacher and nine pupils. It is very rewarding to meet the people in the far-off towns of our state and especially to meet Distance Club students. We are always excited to have new students for "Fun with Stitches" so if you know of a young person between the ages of 8 and 18, please let us know."

STOP PRESS We have just enrolled our first overseas student, in Singapore! More details later.