Guildford Club Report

2009 has started with fewer members coming to Guildford Club days for various reasons including High School and sports teams committments. In February we made a Chicken Scratch bookmark on checked gingham fabric. This technique uses basic cross stitch which is then "laced" with other threads in different patterns. We used contrasting coloured threads for a less traditional look.



In March we looked at the project featured in the latest YTFG magazine "The International Year of Astronomy" called Celestial Lights. This will be offered as a mini-workshop at this year's Sydney Royal Easter Show on the Embroiderers' Guild Stand in Area C of the Arts Pavilion at 11 am till 12.30 pm on Wednesday 22nd April, which is Children's Day at the Show. Cost is $3 to cover the kit. The kids at Guildford all enjoyed making their version of a sun or star pin with a secret flashing ingredient !




In April, we made a canvaswork wristcuff. This project was shown at the Annual Leaders Meeting by Nepean Club leader Del White, so I picked 2 or 3 stitches I thought the kids would enjoy and worked a sample. On Club day, 2 older girls worked long headbands in Gobelin stitch in black ,gold and silver threads, one worked a wristcuff and another made a bookmark!! So a project sample can inspire lots of other design possibilities. Let your imagination run free!

Annual Leaders' Meeting March 2009

Club leaders from all around New South Wales met at Headquarters at Concord West on Saturday March 28th for the Annual Leaders' Meeting. We shared information and ideas, had a great lunch and collected donated materials to take back to our Clubs. Wagga Wagga leader Fay Grant gave a presentation explaining her project design process and gave us a few activities to stimulate our design skills. I felt the day was very relaxed and we all learned something. Although a few of our leaders weren't able to make the trip down to Sydney this time, those who could make it found it worthwhile.

Christine.

Happy Holiday

These days with so many religious beliefs in the world (some who don't celebrate Christmas)it seems safer to say Happy Holiday rather than Merry Christmas. We'd really like to wish our members a great time with your family and friends over the holidays. Take care, keep safe and remember to wear your sunscreen outdoors. Most of the YTFG Clubs will have finished for the year already or be about to have their last meeting and perhaps a small Christmas party. Here at Guildford Club we're having a Christmas afternoon tea on Saturday and won't meet again till February. The kids will be making a simple craft item using fabric and polystyrene shapes, pins and sequins. Can you guess what it is? I'll add a photo to this post after Saturday so as not to spoil the surprise for any of my kids who may read this blog.
Christine.

Guildford Club News

We have 13 members at the moment, with the average attendance at meetings being 9 students and 4 adults. Although I don't have an "official helper" mums and grandmas who stay with the kids are happy to help if needed. There are always needles to re-thread, knots to tie in threads, and suggestions to make about decorations.

Some of our favourite projects this year have included finger knitting, Dotee dolls (see second and third photo) and stitching cards. At our last meeting in September we re-visited finger knitting and made some headband covers (see first photo), snakes and belts from the knitted strips. I trialled knitting with cut up store branded plastic shopping bags, which was then threaded with fancy yarns and threads. I was then able to thread the strip onto a thin plastic headband. Veronica made one too, in a different colour. The girls sewed button eyes onto the strips to make friendly "snakes" as well.

In October, we'll be stitching Christmas designs on pre-punched window cards. We also made these cards at Easter time and they were a great hit with the kids. Then in November we'll be making some Christmas Dotee dolls when we start looking at Christmas crafts.
Christine.

Winter Workshop success

Our tutor Susan Barker was amazed that everyone managed to complete their Notre Dame basket by the end of the session. The adult helpers spent the last 15 minutes of the day applying quick drying craft glue to basket linings so that everyone could take a finished project home with them.

Everyone agreed it was a great way to spend a cold wintry day in the holidays. "The best bit", said one student, "was the hot chocolate drink we had!" For us, the "best bit" was seeing the kids really enjoying themselves stitching and creating a wonderful and useful basket. I don't think anyone was planning to give their basket away as a gift, they all loved them too much.

Unfortunately, my camera was on the blitz so I dont' have a photo just yet. The Guild camera was put to good use though, so I'll try to chase a photo up for this post.
Christine.

Winter Workshop - Notre Dame Basket

We've arranged a great Winter Holidays workshop at Headquarters at Concord West on Monday July 14th. Here is Susan Barker's description of her workshop.

"Something with a French flavour, they said, as 14th July is a French National Holiday.
Ater a couple of days and a 'brain storming' session it was decided......
"Notre Dame Basket"
Taking the beautiful 'Rose windows' in many French churches as inspiration, we’ll make a decorative lid for a small woven basket.
We’ll use a 'reverse applique' technique, combined with surface stitchery and beading to make very individual lids for our baskets.
Keep your basket, as a treasure box or give as a gift to another 'special' someone!"

Time: 10am - 3.30 p.m.
Where: Guild Headquarters Concord West
When: Monday 14th July, 2008
Cost: $25 for Members, $30 for non-members (includes most materials)
Bookings to Guild Headquarters on 9743 2501, limit of 12 students.

Hope to see you there, should be great fun, and we'll try to arrange something French for morning tea!

Wagga Wagga workshop in July

Here's the publicity release from the Museum of the Riverina in Wagga Wagga about the workshop on 9th July.


School Holiday Puppet workshop, Wednesday 9th July, 2008.

"Presented by experienced textile craft worker Fay Grant. Come along and learn how to make an original Wagga Wagga Crow Puppet. Fay, who is a member of the Embroiderers' Guild in Wagga Wagga has designed and taught many creative workshops.


This is a fun workshop. Learn how to turn a hairdresser’s hair clip into a crow's head and make a detachable wagga rug for its back. Stitching together scraps of fabric your crow puppet will even have a movable beak! Suitable for ages 7 years and up.


Where: Museum of the Riverina Botanic Gardens site
When: Wed 9 July 10am-2pm
Information: $33 per child includes a workshop kit
BYO lunch
Bookings: Phone 6925 2934 (the Museum)"

This workshop is open to YTFG members and non-members alike. Bookings direct to the Museum on the number shown please.