Plimoth Plantation Butterfly Ornament

Date: 11/11/2007
Time: 1:30-4:00
Type: Meeting
Location: Glen Ellyn Library
Teacher: LMSG-Leslie Lewis

Next month, at our November meeting, Leslie Lewis will demonstrate the stitches used in the Plimoth Plantation butterfly ornament kit (detached buttonhole and detached trellis). If you are interested in participating, you can order a kit for $45 direct from the Plimoth Plantation at www.plimoth.org. The kit fee includes a $20 donation to the museum. Even if you don’t order the kit, you are still welcome to attend the meeting and learn how to do these challenging stitches. Leslie will focus on teaching detached buttonhole. If you want to learn how it’s done, bring an embroidery hoop, piece of muslin and some pearl cotton to the meeting.

Highlights

Our November meeting began with a review of the upcoming programs by our president, Katie Simmer. In December, we will have our holiday party at Mary Ann Anderson’s house. Please bring along a sweet or savory treat to share. For directions and more information, see the program description. If you did not get your LMSG pin and/or charm yet, they will be available for purchase at the December meeting.

Carol Schaal talked about the exciting plans the guild has for 2008. We are still in the process of finalizing the schedule for the new year, but here’s three of the confirmed programs that will be given by nationally known teachers:

  • Carol Humphrey, textile curator for the Fitzwilliam Museum, will present a lecture on April 13th.
  • Tricia Wilson-Nguyen will do a workshop (17th Century Band Sampler) on June 21st and lecture on the Plimoth Jacket project on June 22nd.
  • Catherine Theron will do a workshop and have a surprise for our 10th anniversay on October 11th and 12th.

Several other programs are being planned that will be given by LMSG members. Some of our standard activities will be back by popular demand like the Holiday Party and Ornament Exchange, picnic, garage sale, and stitcher’s challenge. The schedule will be available on this website as soon as it is finalized, so please check the home page for additional announcements in December.

At our January meeting, we will have our annual stitcher’s challenge. We’ll give out awards to those who completed their contract and sign new contracts for 2008. Bring the pieces you’ve finished in 2007 for show and tell and those you’d like to finish in 2008. Even if you didn’t finish what you set out to do, come to the meeting and see what other members have accomplished. Hopefully, we’ll inspire each other.

Make sure that you renew your membership for 2008, so that you don’t miss any of the fun! When you renew your membership, please fill out the membership form. We want to ensure that we have updated contact information including email addresses for all members.

We had several items for show and tell.

Leslie Lewis presented a program on how to do detached buttonhole stitch. Aida cloth and pearl cotton thread were passed out for practicing. Hoops and large needles were available for those who did not bring them along. Detailed instructions were also distributed for the detached buttonhole and trellis stitch. Leslie had us backstitch a rectangle or other small shape before demonstrating the detached buttonhole stitch. We each got to try our hand at the stitch. With only about 4 stitches to the inch, it was easy to see and practice. Leslie and Marilyn Vanover explained the technique of couching and described how the completed piece can be removed from the fabric and then sewn on for a 3D effect. A finished butterfly was passed around for us to admire. We took our Aida doodle clothes home so that we could practice more before we attempt to stitch a butterfly!

We hope you can join us for the holiday party in December. Have you finished your ornament yet? Better get busy, there are only 28 days remaining until the party! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and happy stitching!

Show and Tell