We have moved . . .

This is the blog for the City of York branch of the Embroiderers Guild. The branch closed, but the people created a new group called York Embroiderers and Stitchers (YES). They have a new blog site here:- https://yorkembroiderersandstitchers.blogspot.com/

Do come and find us!

August Meeting - Our first as YES

Well, we made it and on Saturday, 14th August had a super start for YES at our first meeting and in our new venue. Thirty-one people attended with two visitors. Apologies were received from another ten who will be at the September meeting, consequently  we thought it best to postpone the choosing of the new logo until then.

It was lovely to see everyone again, including  those who are returning after a fairly long absence from the EG York branch. Though, thanks to Nicky, our Zoom meetings have been very good and kept us together nothing can quite compare with the real thing. We were also able to express our thanks properly to Sue, who on resigning after many years service stayed on the committee for another year during which her experience and inside knowledge were much appreciated.

The hall buzzed with talk and activity. Yes, there was activity as well as talk, and in the Show and Tell session we thoroughly enjoyed seeing a wide variety of extremely skilled and creative work. 

Just some of the items
 featured in the Show and Tell

The sale  of books from our library at the folk hall was very successful. Next month the regular sales table  will be back and we are grateful to Maggie and Angela who have offered to take responsibility for it.  Sally will be with us in September with books for borrowing and at this meeting Moira will be seeking volunteers for the tea rota.

After lunch members settled to stitch for an hour before refreshments were served and we said our goodbyes, looking forward to next time when we’ll have textile artist Justine Warner as guest speaker.

A new start - starting tomorrow!

After so many months, firstly not meeting at all, and then meeting via zoom, followed by the collapse of the Embroiderers' Guild branch network, we are about to start meeting as York Embroiderers and Stitchers. This is a message from Chris, our Chair: 

Nearly there! So just a few practical points about the meeting on 14th August. 

We start at 11am and finish at 4pm. After  a brief welcome we’ll have a Show and Tell of work members have done since we last met. (If you prefer just to display your work of course that’s fine.) After breaking  for lunch at 12.30 it’s stitch and chat so please bring some work with you. 

At this meeting you can complete enrolment, and you’ll receive copies of the group’s constitution, our programme, and a YES information sheet. Members will also see the entries for our YES logo competition and vote for their choice.

There will be a sales table but for this month it will be books only. These are from the library we had at the folk hall. From September there will also be the  remaining library books for members to borrow. 

Takeaway drinks can be bought from the cafes in Haxby but tea/coffee and biscuits will be provided at the end of the afternoon. If you would like to have your lunch in the garden we recommend that you bring a suitable chair as there is limited outdoor  seating. 

Though not mandatory, at this stage  the hall management has requested that masks are worn when  moving around the hall. The hall will have been thoroughly cleaned and sanitised appropriately.  

We are all looking forward very much to meeting again. 

Best wishes, and see you soon,

Chris

July meeting roundup

At our last Zoom meeting on Saturday, 3rd July, after a plenary session in which she explained the current arrangements for the new group, Nicky then organised small breakout groups for members to  discuss the matters raised in the survey she  had previously emailed to everyone. There were many  helpful comments and suggestions put forward in the feedback from the groups and these will be used  by the committee to inform future planning and organisation. Those who didn’t take part in this meeting have been invited to email their response to the survey to Nicky.

The timing and pattern of the day, the frequency and type of speakers we have, what kind of  input we could receive from our own members and the effective use of social media were amongst the topics considered.  With a healthy bank balance it might be possible to have some outings too. A programme of speakers and activities is in place for the remainder of the year (click here for the programme page) and the committee can now start planning for the whole of 2022 bearing in mind the members’ suggestions. We’re very much looking forward to meeting in person on 14th August in our new home.  Don’t forget your show and tell, or even just show, work and your entry for our YES logo competition.

July Meeting - Still on Zoom

Following the Government's announcement that lockdown wasn't going to be lifted on 21st June, we have had to change our plans. This is a message from our Chair. 

It’s very disappointing that we won’t after all be  meeting in person on 3rd July. We have all been looking forward to it very much. There will however be another Zoom meeting, but this time with a difference. We are keeping to the programme sent out in April, which means it’s your opportunity to think about what you hope to enjoy at future YES meetings and to share your ideas and suggestions with the other members in small groups. The results of these discussions will then be shared with the whole group. The topics for discussion  will now be sent to everyone via email before the meeting,  at which Nicky will explain the process and divide those attending into chat rooms for the discussion, to be followed by someone from each group in turn reporting its findings. I‘m afraid I can’t take part in what will no doubt be a very interesting and worthwhile meeting, but in any  case it would be Nicky who will be in control.

If you are already on our mailing list, you will soon be hearing from Nicky, who will send out the draft constitution for YES, and a list of the points for discussion for the July Zoom Meeting. 

A reminder that the August meeting will be on the 14th, and not on the first Saturday of the month which is Yorkshire Day and for which the hall was previously booked. Before lunch we’ll have Show and Tell beginning with Nicky. After lunch it’s stitch and chat, a book sale, enrolment, and formal copies of the programme and the constitution for everyone . Members will also be able to see the entries for a YES stitched logo and to vote for their favourite. Don’t forget to bring yours along! It’s going to be a busy day.

Very best wishes,

Chris

June Meeting - Elizabeth Almond

Well Saturday, 5th June was the last in our very successful series of Zoom meetings. Many thanks must go to Nicky whose skill and efficiency in organising these has been much appreciated by members and speakers alike.

Liz Almond  was our speaker and with plenty of helpful images she guided us through the process of creating a textured calico garden, though the techniques demonstrated  need not be limited to gardens. From gardens to elephants and abstract patterns, she showed how the use of a wide variety of threads and yarns in various  shades of one colour can  produce a striking image. And as she said, we will undoubtedly already have all the threads needed. A mixture of flat stitches, textured knots (in particular her favourite colonial knot)  traditional stitches and couching is used, allowing for a  more creative and individual approach from that of the traditional calico garden which thirty-five years ago Liz had to make as part of  her City  and Guilds course. Never again she said! But three years ago when she reluctantly agreed to run a day workshop on the very thing she decided to take a more contemporary approach, and is pleased she did so.

For those who couldn’t join us on Saturday Nicky has recorded the talk. A PDF showing everything required for a textured stitch project is available from Liz at £6.50. If you would like to have one just let Nicky know and she will give her your details.

One more thing. Don’t forget about the competition for a YES logo, to be chosen by the members at the August meeting.

No, there’s another thing. Do think about volunteering to run the sales table which is a great asset for the members and which provides a welcome addition to our funds. There would be help with this, including the storage of some of the stock.

May Meeting - Ann Pocklington

Our May meeting was a very lively Zoom presentation from Ann Pocklington.

Her talk was entitled Crinoline Ladies to Soldering Irons. The title didn't add that this was via a tale of the complete unravelling of her knitted dress when she was only little, a fiendish mathematical puzzle and a fascination with lichen. As you can imagine, this was a fun talk, which was also full of lots of information about techniques and possibilities.

Next month on 5th June, we have what will (hopefully) be our final Zoom meeting. This will be a talk from Elizabeth Almond. 

In July we will have our first 'in person' meeting as York Embroiderers and Stitchers at the Memorial Hall in Haxby, and in August we will be judging the competition for our new logo. The competition is open to all members. There are no limitations on size, the logo can be just YES or York Embroiderers and Stitchers. The only constraint is that stitch must be involved! So have a go!

The programme page has more details about all the forthcoming meetings - do have a look.

April Competition Winner

Not without difficulty... the committee chose Denise's Twelve Days of Christmas as the winner of the April competition. 

The April competition is for the best piece worked to a commercial design.

Design by Larissa Holland

Denise worked the Twelve Days of Christmas Ornaments designed by Larissa Holland. Further details can be found by clicking on this link to Larissa's website.

Our next competition has a very broad and open remit - we would like members to submit a stitched design for our new group logo. Our group is called York Embroiderers and Stitchers, so our initials are YES. Your piece can be any size and in any medium. It must incorporate stitch, and it must show the name or initials of our group. That's it - the rest is up to you.  This will be our competition for August. Please bring your entry along to the August meeting, where the winner  will be selected by all members attending that meeting. If you can't attend, let Nicky know (see contacts page) and we can make arrangements to get your piece to the meeting. 

April Meeting - Emily Harvey

Plans for our new group York Embroiderers and Stitchers are coming together, and at our Saturday Zoom meeting, Chris outlined some of the developments.

A new programme of events is being created, and details can be seen on the programme page. As a new group, we need a new logo. The competition to be judged at the August meeting is for such a logo. There are no rules, other than it must be in stitch! Either York Embroiderers and Stitchers or YES can be made into the logo.

Following news of these exciting developments, we had a zoom talk from Emily Harvey, a York based printmaker.

Emily spoke about her work, and the inspirations behind it. She showed how her work could have links with textiles, and talked about her residency at the Textile Archive of Bradford College. She is currently experimenting with making prints from pieces of woven rattan. The results are very striking, and could easily be translated into textile techniques. 

She is a member or York Printmakers, and they have an upcoming exhibition at the North York Moors centre in Danby from the 8th May 2021.

Next month we will have a Zoom talk from Ann Pocklington, on the subject 'Crinoline Ladies to Soldering Irons'.

New Beginnings

We are very pleased that there has been such a lot of support for an independent York group in place of the York branch of the Embroiderers’ Guild and you will see from the above that we now have a name; York Embroiderers and Stitchers. This has the benefit of a very positive acronym, YES.  I shall resist the temptation to add an exclamation mark.

We also have a new home. Beginning in July we will meet at Haxby Memorial Hall from 11am until 3pm on the first Saturday of every month,with the exception of August, October and January 2022 when we’ll meet on the Saturday after. 

Haxby Memorial Hall will suit us very well. Plenty of space and parking in a good location, plus a garden for al fresco  lunch in the summer.

The first meeting will be for informal stitching and catching up with each other,  but it will also be an opportunity for the members to give their ideas and requests for future programmes and procedures,  and to offer their help in any way. We would also like volunteers for running workshops and /or giving short talks. Or even long(ish) ones! We’ve had some offers and will be chasing these up. We are confident that our finances will enable us to have some external speakers from time to time throughout the year.  

Further details, including subscriptions and an initial programme, will be sent to everyone after Monday’s committee meeting. We would like the group’s members to be involved in the creation of a full and varied programme for the next year, one which reflects their interests and aspirations. There will be more on this at our first meeting.

Many thanks from the committee for all the lovely messages we have received. We appreciate them very much indeed.

At our Zoom meeting on 3rd April we are to have Emily Harvey as the speaker. Her talk is on Print and Printmaking. 

This blog has also had a little facelift, which is a work in progress as the new group develops, but all the archives are still here.

Next month's speaker and the future of the group

A super speaker at last Saturday’s Zoom meeting. Alison Wake who is based in the Peak District, described  her work as ‘painting with yarn’. Her talk was perfectly structured for a Zoom presentation and was obviously much enjoyed. We’ve had lots of enthusiastic  feedback from members. She can be found on cognissart.co.uk.

We’ve also had lots of support for the creation of an independent embroidery and textile art group in the light of the recent Embroiderers’ Guild crisis and the consequent closing of all EG branches. Given the financial predicament in which the EG finds itself and the EG Trustees’ legal obligation to protect the charity, the closures were inevitable. However, the news came as shock, though on reflection not really a surprise. As well as the desire to have an independent stitch group there have been offers of help with activities such as running workshops and financial donations to help us get started which is immensely encouraging.

The committee is investigating possible venues for the group and looking at the various aspects of its organisation including subscriptions and a monthly programme. We’ll keep in touch as we go along.

Our next Zoom meeting will be on 3rd April when Emily Harvey will talk about print and print making.

March Meeting

 Our March meeting will be on Saturday 6th. As we are still in lockdown at the time of writing, this meeting will be via Zoom, and joining details will be emailed to members nearer the time. Our speaker will be Alison Wake. Click here to visit her website.

You may have seen that our Exhibition, planned for 2021 has, not surprisingly, been postponed until 2022. That doesn't mean that work has stopped though! Here is an image of some work in progress from Moira, for our Hedgerow theme.

February meeting with Amy Butcher

 Hi everyone,

A reminder about our Zoom meeting on Saturday, 6th February at 2pm It has soon rolled round. We are delighted to be having Amy Butcher as our speaker and at our Zoom committee meeting yesterday Nicky told us about the super visuals Amy has prepared for her talk. Liz will co-host the meeting so that Nicky can assist with these.  Nicky will email the meeting ID and password for the meeting to you.  This meeting will be free to all those on the 2019/2020 membership list, plus new members.

We would like to continue to hold the April competition for the best piece of work from a commercial design. These can be done from a kit or something from a magazine, or a workshop etc. This  year we would like members to send Nicky a photo of their entry, or entries, to cityofyorksec@embroiderersguild.co.uk by 30th March at the latest. She will show them onscreen, without names, at the Zoom meeting on 3rd April. The committee will then choose the winning entry. Won’t be easy! 

Speaking of images, we would love to have images of members' work on the blog.

Send them to me please, at csmall044@gmail.com with your name and who took the photo. This latter is only for Diana’s records   because of copyright law. Don’t ask! 

The blog has been devoid of images for nearly the whole year, so to get the ball rolling, here are pictures of work by some of our members.

From Gina

From Moira

Also, don't forget that you can see work from other branches by checking out the links on the blog.

From Jacqs

The committee has made  the decision to cancel the exhibition for this year, and to hold it in June, 2022 instead.  Very disappointing, but under the circumstances not unexpected. We kept hoping but it became  obvious it just wasn’t realistic. We know that many members have produced work on  hedgerows so we will keep what is any case  a lovely theme, as well as the exhibition’s overall title, ‘Our Celebration of Stitch’ . And  we’ll book the Tithe Barn as before.

From Nicky

Finally, another reminder of the fortnightly  Zoom Social Stitchers sessions, next one on Monday, 8th February. These are proving increasingly popular, a great way to keep in touch with our fellow stitchers. Details will be emailed. 

Very best wishes to you all,

Chris

February Meeting

 It was super to have so many members join in when we had our first Zoom meeting in January, and we are very much looking forward to the next one. On February 6th our speaker will be York textile artist Amy Butcher. Amy was a guest speaker a few years ago, since when she has had great success with her charming and beautifully executed work. So, see you all on the 6th.

As with the January meeting, joining details will be sent via email to members. For further information see our Programme Page, or our About Us page for contact details.

We're back!!!!!

I'm very pleased to say that meetings of the York branch will be resuming in 2021.

We have a full programme for the year; for details click here.

Because of the ongoing pandemic, the first two meetings of the year will be via Zoom. The venue for the following meetings will be announced here and via our facebook page, with joining details for zoom meetings (if needed) being emailed to members.

Our first speaker of the year is Ailish Henderson. Ailish has visited us before. This talk is entitled: Journey through a BA

If you'd like further details, please contact us, using the details on the About Us page.

September Update - Sadly meetings cancelled until 2021

The covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the opportunity to hold monthly branch meetings. Behind the scenes, the committee is still working hard. This is an update from our chairperson Chris:

The committee met on a lovely  afternoon in Sue's beautiful garden. As well as being good to  see each other, and the tea  and cake, and the chat, it was a very productive meeting and we got a lot of business done. 

It's sad but hardly surprising that all our meetings for the rest of the year have been cancelled. We hope to resume in January and followers of the blog will by now have seen what an  excellent  programme  we shall have. 

With the resignation of Sue from the committee, and our Programme Secretary Gina and our Treasurer Lilian resigning with effect from October, we have three places and two roles to fill.  Jacqs and  Liz  have volunteered to take these roles on and will be duly nominated. Their names and any other nominations will be put to a vote, which  will have to take place using email or post. We don't have to hold an AGM but we do have to have an election for any new committee members. Ingrid will be emailing everyone with the details and I shall contact those members not online. 

We decided that because we have missed so many meetings we would like to reduce the individual subscription to the branch by £10. More on this to members from Ingrid via email and from me where necessary in the old-fashioned way. We agreed to offer a textile student bursary in 2021, and this will be advertised via social  media eg Instagram.

Our next committee meeting will be via Zoom. Hmm, must look around the house for  a suitably impressive background. Or a tidy one at any rate.

Chris

As a PS, the sale of goods belonging to Barbara Douglas (see previous post), due to take place on Sunday 27th September has been cancelled.

Latest News

We are still not certain when meetings will be able to resume, but we do have a full programme ready for the remainder of this year, and next year. Click here, or on the 'Programme 20-21' tab for full details,

Sadly, one of our long-standing branch members, Barbara Douglas, died in February. She was also a member of Ryedale branch, and they have arranged to have a sale of her textile materials. Update: 23rd Sept. No doubt due to the increase in restrictions due to the pandemic, this sale has now been cancelled.

Apparently, there is quite a quantity of items (I'm sure we can all relate to that!) and it is hoped that a good sum of money can be raised to support the charities mentioned. 

2021 Exhibition

A message from our Chair

I'm very pleased to confirm that our  exhibition in 2021 will once again be held in the stunning Tithe Barn at Upper Poppleton on 25th, 26th and 27th June.  It's a perfect  spot with a pretty garden and good parking. Many of you have produced work reflecting the exhibition's theme, Hedgerows, which has given lots of scope for individual artistic interpretation, not least with four seasons to consider. We're hoping, nay expecting, lots of entries along with other pieces, some of which may well  have been produced during lockdown. And of course there will be a number of meetings before entry time when no doubt our speakers will inspire work which could be exhibited.

You'll recall that the banner for the exhibition will  be the word hedgerows spelt out in appliquéd  and/ or embroidered letters. Maria provided templates for these and some have already been completed. When we meet again these can be viewed and  members can choose one of the remaining letters to complete.

Pictures from our last exhibition there in 2018 can be seen on the Exhibition page, or click here

We have no new information from the Folk Hall as to when our meetings might resume, but we'll keep you posted. In the meantime very best wishes to everyone.

Another Update

The Committee have been working towards meetings re-starting. It has become apparent though that it will not be possible to have a September 2020 meeting as our chair comments:

Dear Members,

It was very much hoped that we would be able to resume our meetings in September, however after considering the information received  from the Folk Hall with regard to their working towards a gradual re-opening from September, this meeting will not now take place. I consulted the other committee members and we all agreed that because of the likely restrictions we could not offer members the pleasant, sociable, and relaxed experience which characterises our regular meetings. This would include Stitch Club and the following day's workshop. We want everyone to come back and have a really enjoyable day and so we are aiming to meet in  October, giving considerably more time for the situation to improve.

We have unfortunately missed some excellent speakers this year however Gina has managed to book a number of them for next year. The October speaker will be Helen Barnes  and we will also have our AGM which we will try to keep as brief as we can and give Helen plenty of time to give her talk, 'Textiles From My Travels'.  We also aim to have Stitch Club, and if possible the sales table and the library. In the meantime details about the Folk Hall banner and the 'Hedgerows' project for our exhibition in 2021 will be sent to you, and we can all keep stitching.

Very best wishes to everyone,

Chris

Covid 19 update

Sadly, in the light of the current pandemic, the June and July meetings have been cancelled. We don't have an August meeting, so the soonest we might meet again as a branch is in September, as Chris our Chairperson outlines in the following words.

It's been a very difficult ten weeks but things are now easing and our old life is in sight, if not exactly soon. We have been giving some consideration as to when we might be able to resume our meetings and it seems reasonable to aim for September which is a full three months away. We have missed some really good speakers but luckily Gina has been able to book a number of them for next year.

In September the speaker will be Anne Brooke, there'll be the morning's stitching to look forward to as well, and of course quite simply meeting each other again which will be lovely. Celia has suggested that we have an exhibition of work you have produced during lockdown and what a coincidence, the competition is for the best original design.  No doubt along with de-cluttered cupboards, immaculate gardens and longer hair (and shorter tempers?) there'll be lots of interesting and impressive pieces. I'll be keeping in touch with the Folk Hall where planning for re-opening is taking place. We'll keep everyone informed, and in the meantime I send love and best wishes.  I'm looking forward very much to our being together again.
Chris.