Meetings: from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm (Class from 9:30-noon)
usually first and third Tuesdays in each month
Kortright Presbyterian Church
55 Devere Road, Guelph
Bus route #10
Website: cegguelph.ca/
Report – April 2026
submitted by Mavis Brown, ONN Rep
So far 2026 has been a busy and productive year. Classes have been busy and interesting and the afternoon programme has kept everyone interested.
The classes have been busy and popular. We have six classes plus an independent group. The classes include; Beetle Brooch…stumpwork ; The Rabbits Perfect Picnic…a beautifully dressed bunny; Needle Lace Elements and surface embroidery; Shisha Embroidery; Fantasy Flower Pincushion and Notebook…felt and beadwork; and Forgotten Treasures…finishing off UFO’s.
Our afternoon programme has been equally successful. For Valentines we enjoyed Tea and Sweet Treats and making a Friendship Card. This involved a Palen-tine stitch and a quote and then an exchange of cards. We had a lesson on making the Hole-y cards we use as our chief fund raiser. Lizzie Costello introduced us to Fabric Envelopes which can actually be sent through the mail. Great for re-cycling leftover fabric. We had Judy Eckhardt do a fascinating demonstration of the myriad varieties and applications of backgrounds with Transfer Foil. Our guest speaker was Lauren Wright Vartanian. She showed us her embroidered alphabet highlighting Stitch in Science which she had reproduced as a children’s book. Our final presenter for this term is Jennifer James who is a weaver and textile artist. She will present her journey through creating pieces for challenges she has done very successfully.
We are coming to our annual Open House and everyone is invited to come see what our group has accomplished this year.
Report – December 2025
submitted by Mavis Brown, ONN Rep
Everyone was excited to start the new year. 85 members, old and new, registered and signed up for their choice of two classes for the year. A request was made for everyone to wear a name tag to facilitate conversation between members old and new. With so many members it helps new members to feel more welcome when you can say their name in conversation. (it also helps those of us who have a disability when it comes to remembering names!)
For the Fall Term, the classes were well attended and successful. Classes included a Beginner’s Class, Wool Applique, Clothing Embellishment, Crazy Quilted Christmas Trees, Needle Felting and Keep it Simple Stitcher. The teachers were all members and stepped up to the plate well prepared. The results of these classes will be on display at our Open House in April. (Keep Tuned…well worth a visit!)
The afternoon programmes were well attended. These are whole group sessions. They are organized by a team of members. Included in the afternoon programme was a Mingle Opportunity Game to introduce each other, a sewing kit using a variety of buttonhole stitches, a presentation of samples and experiences members had at EAC Seminar, a presentation on colour, a chance to try some unusual and more complex stitches, and of course our Annual Stash Sale. The sale always generates excellent support for the bank account.
The Library is excellent and everyone is encouraged to make good use of it. We have a very active Library group who arrange a Show and Tell table, a table displaying new books and magazines, and a themed display each week of pieces done independently or in classes from past years. This energy of the Library Team has created a wonderful way to mix with members of the classes other than the one we are involved in. It also highlights the wide creativity and ability of the members. There is no competition and everyone finds interest in the huge cross-section of items in each display.
There was a ribbon workshop held in November which was well attended. To finish the year we had our annual Christmas workshop making a variety of ornaments, and, of course, a goodie table!
Report – October 2025
submitted by Pat White, Chair of CEGG
Another exciting stitching year is here. The Guelph guild has completed its registration and currently there are eighty-six members. This is comparable to last year. We find that a few members leave and some join in equal numbers. Often new members join after attending our spring Open House and many come with friends looking for new hobbies/activities. We also do outreach events that draw new members. This year’s events were Weftfest in May, and the Aberfoyle fall fair in September. This fall fair event includes a ‘make and take’ project for children. This year we taught over thirty kids of all ages to sew on buttons and stitch up pieces of felt to make stuffy ‘Dots”. Here are three photos of their earnest efforts. We also are displaying our members’ fabulous projects in a branch of the Guelph public library and the Evergreen Seniors’ Centre in the fall.
As usual we are offering classes in different embroidery techniques including introduction to embroidery, embroidering images, Christmas crazy quilting, clothing embellishment, applique, needle felted landscapes and independent. You can read about each class in more detail on our website – Canadian Embroiderers’ Guild Guelph – classes. Another six classes are offered in the winter.
We had fun at our stitch in the park events in June, July, and August. Anyone who is interested can join us for some stitching and catch up at Riverside Park. We had fabulous weather this summer and lots of stitching and laughter. If you do not already do this, we highly recommend it. Here is a photo of us gathered in the park.
CEGG is gearing up for our 50th anniversary in 2027. Plans are underway and we are looking for fabulous ideas from members of ONN.
Report – March 2025
submitted by Patricia White, ONN Rep
It has been a busy year for our members at Canadian Embroidery Guild Guelph. We have just finished our winter classes and are now preparing for our Open House on April 15th. Hope you can come and view our displays and relax in the tearoom. Hours are 1:00 to 4:00 pm. (55 Devere Drive, Guelph)
We ran four classes this winter: Endless Landscapes, Postcards, Elizabethan Embroidery and Architectural Embroidery. It was quite a range of styles and skill sets. See the descriptions below. They might interest some of your members.
Elizabethan embroidery is characterized by an abundance of stylized flora and fauna motifs in polychromatic colours set amongst twining, swirling, vine borders. Often metallic braids and spangles are added for a touch of bling and whimsy.
Endless Landscapes are often called Myriorama. These small landscapes, usually a post card size, can be done in a variety of fibre art techniques. You tell your own “story” through stitching.
Embroidered postcards are a unique way to send a personalized message to friends and loved ones through Canada Post. This is a wonderful way to unleash your creativity and reduce your UFOs!
Architectural embroidery involves many textures as well as shapes and perspectives. The aim of this class will be to stitch a building… house, barn, shop, any building…Amazing techniques become bricks, wooden fences, or pathways.
The highlight this year were the displays of embroidery on different themes for each week of classes. Here are some photos from our three-dimensional theme.
The Library Committee researches books and magazines to accompany the items brought in by members. The most amazing piece was the chest stitched by Heather Brighton with stitching on all sides and even the drawers! This will be on display at the Open House, and it must be seen in person to be appreciated.
Our spring workshop happens in April this year and is taught by our member, Judy Eckhardt. She will take us on a two-day experience with multimedia projects combining hand and machine sewing. This is a fantastic way for members to dive into their stash and be creative.
The other amazing part of our time together is during the afternoon program. After our classes and brown bag lunches we gather for an hour to learn something different. We toured the Guelph Museum one afternoon to take in their display of early embroidery from the Guelph area. This was a fascinating tour. Chicken scratch embroidery was taught to our group which reminded us of some of the historical stitching. We also created strawberry shaped needle sharpeners. At our last class our member, Joanne Holt, spoke on what judges are looking for at fall fairs. She is a certified Ontario Agricultural Association judging instructor. She has competed in many distinct levels of competitions, her latest being the World Jam Champion in England! Joanne has collected a trophy or two competing at the Royal Winter Fair. This was a timely topic to inform members who enter fall fairs.
We already have our 2025-26 program set with teachers and topics. Fortunately, we have plenty of skilled embroiderers in our guild who are willing to share their techniques with the rest of us.
All the best to embroiderers across the province. We will be ‘stitching in the park’ during the summer months to stay connected and motivate us before we get together again in September.
Report – December 2024
submitted by Pat White, ONN Rep, CEGG President
The year started off with a bang with our classes filled and eighteen new members! How exciting to see unfamiliar faces to our group and welcome back those returning members.
Our fall offerings of classes were all filled up. We had six separate groups; several were over subscribed including the beginner’s class. Here is a link to the CEGG website for a description of the classes – https://cegguelph.ca/home/classes-are-the-heart-of-the-canadian-embroiderers-guild-guelph/ with accompanying photos.
We invited Kathryn Drummond from Winnipeg for a two-day workshop in November. This is the first time in a few years since we had an external presenter for a workshop. Kathryn shared her Casalguidi-style embroidery to sixteen of our members. She is an excellent presenter, and her fairy door designs are incredible. Quite a challenge for many of us. Here is a link to her Gingerbread Girl Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/p/Gingerbread-Girl-Designs-100063922130117/.
Our Christmas workshop, also held in November, got us motivated to stitch Christmas ornaments and gifts. Here are some photos of the button snowman, the gold Christmas trees and the cute mice, all ready for Christmas. Each guild member selected one of the six offerings. We left with completed or almost completed ornaments and extra calories from the treats brought in by members. We also contributed to the food bank which is active in the church where we meet.
We will be busy again in the winter with six additional classes and preparing for our Open House on April 1st, 2025.
All the best to everyone for a happy and healthy New Year,
Report – September 2024
submitted my Mavis Brown
Medieval Faire…Fergus
On July 20th Lisa Hass and Mavis Brown spent a fun day at the Fergus Medieval Faire. We joined Helle Torm-Newland and Norma Goring demonstrating lace-making, Ellie Gallo-Hendrix was weaving and Shona Papillon was spinning, at their booth in the line of vendors along the main street.
A huge crowd wandered the street all day. It is so much fun watching the myriad of costumes that have been contrived from individual creativity wandering the street. Men, women and children, dressed in medieval armor and corsets, and non medieval costumes, all delighted in dressing up and meeting friends or just checking the vendors. Most of the vendors catered to the theme of the day. Each year the costumes increase in number as people enjoy the fun. The King and Queen wander and the Pickle Man does a roving business. Demonstrations of jousting and dancing and music attract huge crowds. Lots of food!
CEGG had a small display and during the day we had a constant flow of interest in our work. We were able to talk to many young people who had contrived their own costumes so were attracted by the needlework. We sold some of our cards and gave out information. It was fun!
Report – March 2024
submitted by Judy McMullan, ONN Rep
This winter we had our usual set of 6 classes: Fun with Fibres with Laura Dobrindt was different every week with brooches, necklaces, small bags and more. Ana-Maria Kramer kept her Fine Whitework class challenged with some more demanding stitches. Pat Bowley’s cozy group explored Japanese Kogin stitching along with other pattern darning techniques. Jane Londerville taught Sashiko and Mavis Brown covered stumpwork and needle painting in her Summer Dreams class. Joanne Oldridge and Anne Peters had the paint out with their class, before they embellished their fabric with thread in Mark Making with Paint & Stitch.
We also enjoy a variety of topics in the afternoons. Pat Jay made us little kits for each of us and we had time to finish a tiny cross-stitch of a thistle. Jackie James demonstrated the fusing of ordinary crayons to fabric to enhance embroideries. We all had a try and then used embroidery threads to complete the images. Pat Bowley led us in creating embroidered felt bookmarks. We also had a trunk show and demonstration of various types of lace from Helle Torm-Newland and Pat Jay. Designer Bonnie Glass brought some of her amazing garments to the guild and talked about each of them. They were modeled by a couple of our guild members.
Our own Open House and display of work will be on the afternoon of Tuesday April 16th from 1-5 pm. We will operate a Tea Room on premises. We invite you to come and have a look at what we do and enjoy a chat. The Open House is at our classroom location – 55 Devere Drive in Guelph.
This year, we are also excited to be hosting the first post-pandemic ONN Fair at the same location. I’m sure everyone knows it’s on Saturday May 4th from noon-4 pm. See you there!
Report – September 2023
submitted by Judy McMullan, ONN Rep
CEG Guelph classes are underway and we had a good start at our venue, Kortright Presbyterian Church. The church has lots of space, which we need with 73 members taking classes. However, we are using every rectangular table in the place and then some!
We have a full slate of 6 classes: Beginner Embroidery, Beaded Blackwork Sampler, Deerfield Embroidery, Empower Your Vintage (working with vintage embroideries), The Knotty Bits (working with Floche and using some of the more esoteric stitches) and Wool Appliqué along with our usual Independent table.
I’ll include our teaser photos for those classes as we haven’t been stitching long enough for any photos of our new work.
Our Afternoon Program started off with Ruth Douglas giving us a history of the CEGG banner (seen above). The banner is about 1 metre tall and hangs on a specially created stand. It comes out at Open House and other displays of our work. Coming up will be a presentation from Kimat Designs – which many of you are very familiar with! Our popular Stash Sale will be mid-October. Laura Dobrindt will lead us in making a poppy brooch in November.
Report – July 2023
submitted by Judy McMullan, ONN Rep
CEG Guelph has no formal meetings during the summer but we did appear in a couple of summer events. We had a display at the Fergus Fibre Festival in May and at the Fergus Medieval Faire in July.
As usual, we will have a display in the Guelph Public Library main branch, during August. Our last summer display will be the Aberfoyle Fall Fair in September.
We also sponsor an embroidery prize at each of the Fergus Fall Fair and the Aberfoyle Fall Fair. We want to encourage embroidery!
We enjoyed our summer, outdoor stitching events so much last year that we had one in each of June & July and will have one at the end of August, too. Shown is a photo of the July group (minus the photographer, of course). Yes, the geese were very much around and kept us paying close attention to where we stepped!
Class planning for the fall is almost complete and the list of courses will be on our website, cegguelph.ca, by mid-August. We’ll have 6 offerings in the Fall and 6 in the Winter. Of course we always have our “independent” group in each term for those who already have a stitching plan.
Report – March 2023
submitted by Judy McMullan, ONN Rep
Our Winter term went well and no snow cancellations! 🙂
As well as our classes (Sue Ronchka’s “I Wish I Had a BIG Hat”, Alison Jackson’s “Hardanger: Basics and Beyond”, Bridget O’Brien’s wool applique course “The Circle Game”, Judy Eckhardt’s “Motifs and Slips” and “Glazig Embroidery” with Janet Sunderani) we had some time in the afternoon programs to explore.
As a service to our members, we always keep a store of blank cards with apertures for a small embroidery – “holey cards”! Ruth Douglas gave us a refresher on how to install your little piece into the card for maximum effect. For example, a small piece of felt or thin batting behind your piece gives it extra oomph.
On another afternoon, we brought it our textile treasures – historical or exotic – and told their stories.
Of course, Valentine’s Day is always a good excuse to get out the pink and red fabrics and Kate Pautler led us in creating Slow Stitch Valentine postcards.
Barbara Lee Johnson, Jane Londerville and Barbara Grantmyre gave us a presentation on Blackwork of all sorts. No, it doesn’t have to be black!
We’ll be seen this summer at the WEFTFest event in March in St. Jacobs, at the Fibre Festival in Fergus in July and at the Aberfoyle Fall Fair. Stop by and say ‘hi’ if you you’re there!
Report – December 2022
submitted by Judy McMullan, ONN Rep
We are sooo pleased to be meeting in person again! There are a lot of masks as we are made up of a lot of seniors but – wow! – in person!
This fall we explored travelling with your embroidery (aka Pocket Project), the calming Slow Stitching, the intricate Stumpwork (a lot of it was off the fabric), the rising Parma embroidery and our usual beginner/refresher course – Stitch With Confidence. In early December we had a session of creating Christmas ornaments.
Your correspondent did not get around with her camera so most of the photos I have are the photos of my own work! My apologies!
We always have a speaker or hands-on after lunch and Fall saw us explore Journal Covers, Scrappy Balls, a Peyote Stitch beaded ring, a Remembrance Day themed Lincolnshire Brooch and our ever popular Stash Sale.
In January, we will be exploring Sue Ronchka’s dynamic “I Wish I Had a BIG Hat”, Alison Jackson’s “Hardanger: Basics and Beyond”, Bridget O’Brien’s wool appliqué course “The Circle Game”, Judy Eckhardt’s “Motifs and Slips” and the exotic “Glazig Embroidery” with Janet Sunderani.
Report – September 2022
submitted by Judy McMullan, ONN Rep
We are very pleased to be back to in-person meetings and classes at our pre-pandemic venue of Kortright Presbyterian Church. Our Registration Day was well attended and we currently have 74 members and 6 different classes on the go.
Stitch With Confidence with Bonnie Evans is for anyone new or needing a refresher. Laura Dobrindt is teaching A New Look at Stumpwork. I’m in the class beside hers and I saw some beautiful needlelace last week! Pat Bowley is presiding over Slow Stitching. Each person will be working at their own pace on their unique project. I’m co-ordinating the Pocket Project where we are discussing how we take our projects along to waiting rooms or on vacation. We are stitching away at little scissor keeps, tiny pincushions, etc.
Ruth Douglas is teaching Ricamo di Parma and other old Italian stitches and she has quite a crowd around the tables. The Independent group, as usual, bring their own projects and enjoy some time together.
Our Afternoon Program team has had one social and one set of speakers so far. Our big Stash Sale is coming up in mid-October and that is always a good fund-raiser for us.
Report – July 2022
submitted by Judy McMullan, ONN Rep
Our recent in-person stitching sessions in the park were plagued with either cold weather (May) or rain (June/July) but a few hardy souls did brave the elements.
In May, we had a glorious online Show and Tell session organized by the amazing Gail Bailey. Gail put all of our photos and videos into a lovely video presentation and we were able to watch it together.
Several of our members made it to the Embroidery Association of Canada Seminar 2022 in Toronto. A special bonus was a chance to meet up with people from other ONN Guilds while there.
The Outreach team has been popping up at local events here and there with a display of our work. We hope to get the word out about what we do and entice new people to join us!
The Program Coordinator has been busy recruiting teachers but we don’t have the word yet on all the classes.
In the meantime, have a look at what we’ve been working on since our last report.
Report – December 2021
submitted by Judy McMullan, ONN Rep
Well, we rolled with the punches & came up smiling! Though we were disappointed not to be able to have in-person classes, we made a success of our first-ever online classes.
We had been having one-session programs all Fall so planning for 6-session classes wasn’t entirely new. Now, we are proud of the new skills we have acquired!
Some lessons learned:
1) It is much more effective to screen share a previously photographed work than to hold the work up to the camera. This is best for a Show and Tell time. That being said, it is usually possible to hold your work-in-progress up to the camera and get immediate feedback from your teacher during a class.
2) Someone, somewhere, *will* have technical problems joining the online session. Please be patient and hope it is not going to be the teacher!
3) Kindly mute your microphone when the dog barks or your phone rings.
4) Please join the session with the email you provided instead of your son’s/mother’s/work email – or at least let the session convenor know to expect a new email name from you.
5) We love, love, love Show and Tell! Keep those photos coming in!
We have one more online workshop in May – a one-day session in Beginner Hardanger. Nevertheless, we do plan on live classes for September!
Some photos of recent work. We’re still getting a chance to see those items finished just before (or after!) Christmas and items done during those cozy, indoor winter days.
Ontario Network of Needleworkers 