Spending Time with the Lake Michigan Sampler Guild

This past weekend I traveled to the Chicago area to teach two classes, A Lady's Worke Box and A Needleworker's Sampler Huswif for the Lake Michigan Sampler Guild.  I last taught for this guild in 2008 when they were celebrating their seventh anniversary.  I don't know where the time has gone!

Saturday's project was A Lady's Worke Box.  Here are some photos from that day.

I love the following photo of Mary S. and her daughter Susan B.  Both are "sampler addicts".  I've known both of them for quite a few years, but it's been a while since we've been together.  It sure was great to see the two of them again.

 This is Jenny R. taking a short break from her work so I could take a photo of her.

I asked her if I could take a photo of her class progress on the needlebook.  It wouldn't surprise me if Jenny has it all stitched by now.

Here are Marilyn V. and Julie H.  They were both in my first class, Call of the Sea,  when I taught at Rae Iverson's A Stitchers' Gathering.  Both ladies brought quite a few completed With My Needle projects for me to see.

In the upper right hand corner of the following photo you can see Marilyn's Friends in Stitches, which she adapted so she could frame it instead of making it into a sewing case.  Back then, Marilyn didn't like to make sewing cases.  My how times have changed!  Also in the photo are her Call of the Sea and Acorn Sampler Sewing Case, along with her Alphabet Samplings book.  Julie also brought her Call of the Sea, along with Bunnies in the Garden, Flowers for Lily, Remember Me Sewing Pocket, and Long May She Wave.  There was at least one more project that didn't get in the photo.

The next photo is of some of the models that I took with me.  Folks always enjoy seeing models.  Seeing a photo of a project  is not the same as seeing a project in person.

Sunday's class was A Needleworker's Sampler Huswif.  This project can be either framed or made into a huswif.  Although this is one of my early teaching projects, it still remains very popular.  (Both A Needleworker's Sampler Huswif and A Lady's Worke Box will be taught once more in 2013 in Wichita, Kansas in late October.  Further information is on the teaching page of my website.)

Late in the day, I asked the ladies if I could take their photos for my blog.  They all very kindly obliged.  I only missed getting a photo of a few of the attendees.  Sorry, ladies, if I missed you.

Here are Grace P.and Karin Z.  Grace, who lives in England, timed a visit to her friend Linda C. in Indiana to coincide with my class.  Grace's and my paths have crossed quite a few times over the years both in the US and in England.  With Grace is her friend Karin Z., who is originally from the Netherlands and now lives in the Chicago area.  Grace and Karin have taken needlework classes together in England.  Isn't it wonderful to hear about the friendships that have been formed through our love of needlework?

Here is Susan B. again.  Next to her is Pat C., who lives in Wisconsin.  I've known both of these ladies for quite some time.  Next to them is Terry T., whom I met last year at the House of Stitches retreat in LaPorte, Indiana.  Terry brought many of the stitched pieces from last year's project, A Lady's Worke Box. She told me her goal is to have the project completed by the  time I see her  in a few weeks at this year's House of Stitches retreat.  I'll keep my fingers crossed, Terry, that you are successful.

Next are Barb B. and Sandie B.  Like Terry, I met Barb last year at the House of Stitches retreat.  This was the first time I had met Sandie, who came down from Michigan for the two workshops.

Next are Sandy I., Kate N., and Sue R.  Sandy drove in from Pennsylvania  to take classes, and Kate lives in the Chicago area.  For both of these ladies, these were their first With My Needle classes.  Sue is from Indiana; I had met her earlier in the year when she attended the A Lady's Worke Box class with the Queen City Sampler Guild here in Cincinnati.  Sue brought some of her stitched pieces of the project.  It was fun to see the progress she has made.

And next are Anna K., Marilyn V., and Julie H.  Anna and Julie drove down from Wisconsin and spent the weekend with Marilyn.  This was the first time I had met Anna, but Marilyn and Julie have been in several of my classes before, not that either of them need a class.  My goodness, they are exquisite stitchers!  I saw a photo of one of Julie's latest finishes, a beautiful stumpwork orchid piece, and Marilyn bought her Amy Mitten on-line mermaid class project.  Wow!  Both ladies had me drooling!  Marilyn is the Lake Michigan Sampler Guild's program chair, and what a wonderful job she did with organizing the two workshops.  (Thanks, Marilyn!)

Next were Judy C. from Wisconsin and Donna F. and Judy S. from  the Chicago area.

Here is Karin Z. again, this time with Brenda S., who also lives in Illinois.  Karin told me she had especially enjoyed my recent blog posts about the Museum of Bags and Purses in Amsterdam.  She had not known about it, but is going to make sure she visits it the next time she goes back to the Netherlands to visit family and  friends.

Next are Susan K. and Carol S., both also from Illinois.  Susan has been an antiques dealer since she was a teenager, and it was particularly interesting to hear her thoughts on why some of the old work boxes had a cork screw in them.  It was good to see Carol again.  I think we first met at one of Rae Iverson's retreats.

And next are Ginny B. and Joyce R. from the Chicago area.  This was their first class with me.  I think Joyce has since signed up to take Fruit of the Vine Sampler Huswif at the House of Stitches retreat in a few weeks.

And last, but not least, are Jenny R. and Mary S., two more local needleworkers.  I wish I had caught Mary looking up, but she was quite intent on her work.  Can you see her classwork in front of her?  Like many of the others, both Jenny and Mary made great progress in class.

Near the end of the A Lady's Worke Box class on Saturday, I showed lots and lots of images of antique work boxes and antique tools.  Jenny brought an antique "bracelet etui" to Sunday's class for all to see.  What makes this piece even more special is that it is a family heirloom.   (Thanks, Jenny!)

I  spent the last part of class going over the assembly process for the huswif and needlebook.  I like to show the process through the use of mock-ups and slides.

And then, all too soon, it was time for us to go our separate ways.  Thanks, everyone, for coming to the workshops.  It was great to meet old friends and to make new ones!  I hope that our paths will cross again in the not-too-distant  future.