February meeting - Members' Day - using equipment!

For our February meeting we decided to utilise the equipment that our guild owns. We felt that not all members were aware of what we have, and also how some of the bits of kit work, and what you could use them for.

We had several stations, each manned by a volunteer (our thanks to these wonderful people); free motion embroidery being demonstrated on a sewing machine, embellishing machine, die cutter, smocking machine, and the marudai.

The smocking machine, is so clever, and doesn't need to be used only for garments. It could be used to create texture for all sorts of projects! We put some fabrics through it that it probably had not been intended for (such as some shiny blue spandex type), but which resulted in some fantastic bits that could "definitely be used somewhere". We've all said that in our times...

The marudai is a beautifully crafted piece of work in its own right, which would look lovely in anyone's living room! Should you wish to use it, we all found it very therapeutic, how you move the strands in different orders to create the cord. The natural stones providing the tension for an even pattern only added to the fascination.

Please see our facebook page for further pictures and videos.

The die cutter and dies were popular as ever, with lots of people having a go with paper, card and fabric.

It was great to have the free motion embroidery and embellishing machine demonstrated in such a way that I actually understood how to do it, and feel confident to have a go at home.

In other things . . . 

Our next meeting is on the 2nd March, with Joanne Frankel giving a talk on her journey from Design-2-Stitch. This is followed by a workshop on Sunday.

The stitch club will also take place as normal on Saturday morning.