Meets: September to April
Activities take place on Thursdays: 9:30-11:30 a.m., 1:00-3:00 p.m., 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. or as specified on the Guild calendar posted on our website.
We are located at Westmount Presbyterian Church, 521 Village Green Ave, London, On.
Website: www.ceglondon.com “A Textile Arts Group”
Report – October 2025
submitted by Jennifer Meister, Past President, CEG, London
CEG, London kicked off its 55th year this month with a show and share of members’ summer activities. Twelve classes are being offered between September and December, ranging from Beginner Stitches to Free Motion Sketching. Throw in 3D Felting and a Hundred Day Stitch Challenge and there is something for everyone!
This year, CEG, London will also host Pop Ups – a single afternoon stitching activity. Also this year, we will be working with a local writing group to interpret poems their members have written. The poetry and the textile art will be presented as part of the Guild’s Textile Showcase in April and will then go to the Ailsa Craig Arts Centre for a six week exhibit later in May.
One of the highlights of the Guild month is always the speaker we host via Zoom on the third Thursday of the month. Our September speaker was mixed media map artist Valerie Goodwin and in October we will hear from British embroidery artist Jessie Chorley.
We’re excited for another year. Stay tuned to the next issue of the ONN newsletter for an announcement regarding CEG, London’s Summer Workshop instructors. This is always an important part of the Guild year and is open to non-members.
Report – July 2025
submitted by Jennifer Meister, ONN Rep
In April, the Canadian Embroiderers’ Guild, London completed its 54th year. It was a year of classes, workshops, international speakers and special projects like Pop Ups, Stitch of the Month, and the Whisper Project. We also knit over 50 hats for those in need, led an experiential learning course at Western University and made 249 bags to hold the tubes mastectomy patients come home from the hospital with.
Three hundred and thirteen visitors attended the Guild’s Textile Showcase held April 25 and 26. Textile Showcase is the Guild’s annual show of the work produced throughout the Guild year. Some of this work is below.
From June 2 to 7, the Guild hosted its annual Summer Workshop with instructors Julie Garcia and Carolyn Parks.
Garcia, from Winnipeg Manitoba, led Fabric Landscapes: Concept to Completion. Beginning with fabric painting to create sky fabric, students learned the step-by-step process of designing and building a layered landscape and adding stitched elements and details to create a unique and dimensional work of art. Parks, of St Jacobs Ontario, led The Art of Felting. Over three days, participants learned to ‘draw ’with wool (needle felting) to create an 8” X10” piece; and ‘paint’ with wool (wet felting) resulting in a 14” x 16” work of art. Participants then embellished and accented both pieces with stitching (machine and hand), beading, etc.
September 2025 will mark the start of another Guild year. Find out more about the Guild’s classes, events, and Zoom presentations by international speakers, at the following link: https://ceglondon.com/programs/classes.php
Report – March 2025
submitted by Jess Blackmore, ONN Rep, Communications CEG London
Well, it’s been, and continues to be a real winter this year, including Snow Days. Yes, we have had to cancel more than once this winter, but fortunately, we have meetings of some kind every Thursday, so that takes some of the sting out of the odd cancellation.
Lecture Series
In January, we heard from Cas Holmes, Norfolk UK, on “embroidering the everyday.” She is one the UK’s most renowned textile artists who has written several books including, Stitch Stories: Personal Places, Spaces and Traces in Textile Art.
In February we listened to Susan Purney Mark, from Vancouver, BC. Her lecture was entitled Cloth to Codex. Susan brings her experience in dyeing, screen printing and image transfer to create unique and unusual book forms on fabric. She showed us a remarkable selection of book forms, made from a wide variety of materials.
For our full speaker program, please refer to: https://ceglondon.com/programs/docs/GuestSpeakers-2024-2025b.pdf
Classes
Our winter classes this year include such topics as Visible Mending, Paper Piecing & Pattern Making, Fibre Emballage, Felting & Surface Design, Textured Weaving, and Hungarian Written Embroidery to mention some. They all seem to be running smoothly and enjoyably.
For class descriptions, please see: https://ceglondon.com/programs/docs/Winter2024-2025Classes-2024Nov17.pdf
In early January we also enjoyed a full “Inspiration Day” workshop on making Inchies, Twinchies and Moos. There was a palpable delight in the air, to be together, in person, at last. We have had so few opportunities since Covid to do this. It was terrific to be together. I think we could have sat around all day tying our shoes and we’d have been happy 😀 But actually, the two members who offered the workshop had spent a good year making preparations. All materials were provided and the range and creativity of how people responded to the format was remarkable. We’ll be displaying more of these at Showcase.
So, here are some photos of work done in the fall classes and Inspiration Day just past:
Other Monthly Activities
Apart from the monthly business meeting and the speaker, there are other ways to stay involved with our Guild. We hold classes, as above on two of the Thursdays of the month and on the other we offer popup presentations or workshops, presented by guild members for guild members. Each month we also have a “Stitch of the Month” session, where participants have a chance to explore what they may at first have thought was a familiar stitch. But during the afternoon, they learn to explore many of the variations and optional ways of utilizing the stitch.
And in addition to Stitch of the Month, recently we have had popups on what to do with UFOs (unfinished objects), ways to finish your work for display or storage and we’re just about to have one on Hexies.
Our new Project, the Whisper Challenge, continues until early April. The idea, borrowed most recently from the Grand Guild of Fibre Artists, but was originally based on a challenge done by the SAQA Fergus Pod. Like the children’s game of Broken Telephone, the first artist is given a photo to inspire a textile work. About a month later, the 2nd artist is given a photo of the first textile work to use as inspiration. Third, fourth and maybe fifth iterations follow. No one but the first artist sees the original photo, and all of the art works are hidden/saved, for a final reveal at the end of the chain. We plan to display the finished pieces at our Annual Showcase of Arts.
Annual Goings on
And speaking of Showcase, after our successful revival of Showcase, our annual art show, held in April 2024 for the first time since Covid, we will again be hosting our annual show of members’ works in the April 2025 Showcase, to which all are invited.
Summer workshops also continue in June, with two different, three-day textile workshops. For detailed information about the workshops, please see: https://ceglondon.com/programs/workshops.php
The Felting workshop offered by Carolyn Parks is full now, but there are still a few spaces in FABRIC LANDSCAPES: Concept to Completion, June 2-4, 2025 taught by Julie Garcia of Winnipeg. Consider joining us for this exciting workshop.
We continue as well, with our outreach programs. So far this winter we have provided about 50 toques to local school children, that are knitted by volunteers from the membership, using donated yarn and patterns.
Well, thanks for reading CEG London’s late winter update. Speak to you again in a few months.
Report – December 2024
submitted by Jess Blackmore, ONN Rep
With our Guild year in full swing, there are lots of activities to report on. This is our second year in the new location and people seem to be enjoying it. Well-lit and spacious feeling, it’s a pleasant place to chat, stitch, eat lunch with friends and take classes. We haven’t returned to full Guild meetings as we probably wouldn’t all fit in if absolutely everyone came. But with the ability to meet by Zoom, we continue to engage the Guild with a full monthly meeting where we also bring in a speaker from Ontario or possibly much further afield.
Lecture Series
In fact, in October we heard from Alice Fox, who lives in West Yorkshire, UK. Her talk described her art practice and how she uses her garden allotment as her focus, and creative source literally, as she reuses pieces of the shed and other objects found on her allotment, and figuratively as nature inspires her.
Then in November Lucy Martin spoke, herself a hand embroiderer who does bespoke work,as a freelancer in London, UK, as well as working as the Head of Education at Hand & Lock— London’s premier embroidery house, providing embellishment services to the royal family,design houses, the British armed forces and members of the public. Lucy discussed and showed Hand & Lock’s work from over their 257 year history.
In January, we are looking forward to hearing from Cas Holmes, Norfolk UK, on “embroidering the everyday.” She is one the UK’s most renowned textile artists who has written several books including, Stitch Stories: Personal Places, Spaces and Traces in Textile Art.
For our full speaker program, please refer to ceglondon.com/programs/docs/GuestSpeakers-2024-2025b
Classes
Thanks to our members volunteering as teachers, we are able to offer classes in both the fall and winter seasons of the Guild year. This winter we are going to be able to choose from the following classes:
- Repurposing Lace and Linen
- Visible Mending
- Introduction to Paper Piecing and Pattern Making
- Felting and Surface Design
- Stitching on Leaves
- Introduction to Traditional Rug Hooking
- Miniature Landscapes
- Textured Weaving
- Hungarian Written Embroidery
- Woven Vessels
- Fiber Emballage
- A Tale of Three Stitches
For class descriptions, please see: https://ceglondon.com/programs/docs/Winter2024-2025Classes-2024Nov17.pdf
Other Monthly Activities
Our motto this year is: if it’s a Thursday, it’s a Guild day 🙂 We are able to make that happen by offering other activities in addition to formal classes and the monthly full Guild meeting. Luckily, we have other member volunteers who have been providing guild members with a “Stitch of the Month presentation” and pop-up lessons on a variety of topics.
But for the “snow day” on December 5th, we would have had a pop-up in December on “How to finish your work for preservation and presentation.” And in November we had an afternoon pop-up called LAYERS, LAYERS, LAYERS, Stitching with Paint and Paper. In this sampler class, we explored the magic of layers. Starting from a blank sheet of paper, we played with paints, markers, crayons, and threads. Splashes, marks, and abstract shapes danced together to create cards that we could then decorate with colourful threads (by hand or machine) on our own.
And we have a new activity this year, a Whisper Challenge. The idea is borrowed most recently from the Grand Guild of Fibre Artists, but was originally based on a challenge done by the SAQA Fergus Pod. Like the children’s game of Broken Telephone, the first artist is given a photo to inspire a textile work. About a month later, the 2nd artist is given a photo of the first textile work to use as inspiration. Third, fourth and maybe fifth iterations follow. No one but the first artist sees the original photo, and all of the art works are hidden/saved, for a final revel at the end of the chain. Should be fun. We’ll show you how it comes out in April, during our final reveal 😀
Annual Goings on
And speaking of April, after our successful revival of Showcase, our annual art show, held in April 2024 for the first time since Covid, we will again be hosting our annual show of members’ works in the April 2025 Showcase, to which all are invited. The Whisper Challenge textiles will also be in the show! Dates, times, and location to follow in the next newsletter.
Summer workshops also continue in June, with two different, three-day textile workshops.
For detailed information about the workshops, please see:
https://ceglondon.com/programs/workshops.php. If spaces are free, after our members have registered, the public will have an opportunity to register for the workshops.
We continue as well, with two of our outreach programs. One day each fall, some members get together to manufacture attractive bags to cover the drains from their surgeries, with which breast cancer patients are sent home. This year proved to be a bumper year for hundreds of completed bags, and hundreds more components to start off next year’s production line.
We also provide local schools with toques and scarves for children (mostly), that are knitted by volunteers from the membership, using donated yarn and patterns.
Well, thanks for reading CEG London’s early winter update. Speak to you again in the Spring. Happy Holidays for those that celebrate and a wonderful New Year to all, whenever you mark it.
Report – September 2024
submitted by Jess Blackmore, ONN Rep
Even though it was summer, activities didn’t really cease at CEG, London. To start, we had several “Focus Groups” where members got together to share an interest. Topics included: Felting, Armchair traveling, Lace making, Stitching in the park and Paper Vessels.
Meanwhile our Education Planners secured volunteers to teach our fall and winter classes. In early September, members found out which class they could join and begin collecting tools and materials needed for the class. Our fall class lineup offers a wide variety of classes to members, both in-person and online using ZOOM. Classes are offered on Thursdays, in the morning, afternoon and evening.
Earlier this September we sent a small delegation to an annual London Public Library initiative where clubs in town can provide information and meet up with potential members who might be looking for a new hobby. Approximately 20 people expressed an interest in joining the Guild during the day.
Summer 2024 also marks the end of our first year meeting in a new location, Westmount Presbyterian Church. We learned, over the year, how better to offer what the members wanted, which was mostly, more in-person meetings, more of the time. This coming year, therefore, we will offer guild members four Guild days a month at WPC! Activities in person include classes twice a month, a full guild monthly meeting (both on Zoom and in person) with a speaker, informal gatherings to stitch together and various pocket learning opportunities such as “A Stitch a Month.”
Our monthly speaker series started in September, with a bang-up presentation by Michele Carragher, the Embroidery Designer for Game of Thrones, House of Dragons, The Crown and other outstanding series’. The remaining speakers this fall include:
– Alice Fox, West Yorkshire, UK, “Plotting” www.alicefox.co.uk This talk describes Alice’s practice and how she uses her garden allotment as her focus, both for creative inspiration and as a source of inspiration.
– Lucy Martin, London, UK of Hand & Lock, handembroidery.com Hand & Lock is London’s premier embroidery house providing embellishment services to the royal family, design houses, the armed forces and members of the public. Lucy will describe and show her company’s work.
Finally, our Summer Workshop Planners have selected Julie Garcia and Carolyn Parks to be instructors for Summer Workshops in June 2025.
Report – July 2024
submitted by Cheryl Wallace, ONN Rep
This year we held our first in-person Textile Showcase in four years, and we would like to thank our Showcase Committee, Jan Taylor, Dianne Fewster and Linda Norley, and all the volunteers who stepped up to help them setup, manage, organize, dismantle or contribute in any way to the success of the day. A special vote of thanks to Cal from Westmount Presbyterian Church, whose efforts during our two-day event, truly went beyond expectations.
Feedback from the public and the membership was positive and the learning experience of creating a Textile Showcase in our new venue was a valuable one. Thanks to recommendations made by this committee, we will continue to learn and improve as we go.
We recently finished our Summer Workshop 2024 with two incredible instructors – Toni Major and Ann Marie Patrick.
Toni’s workshop focused on acrylic paint and ink on gelli plates and mono prints on fabric.
Ann Marie’s Workshop focused on printing patterns and designs on fabric using thickened Procion dyes.
Even though our formal classes end in April and the Summer Workshop was over in June, we still have informal activities taking place throughout the summer months. Focus groups are facilitated by members for members and happen in person and through Zoom. The following are taking place this summer:
Felting Group
Armchair Travelling – stitching reminders of places visited
Paper Vessels (by Zoom)
Lace Work
Gather and Stitch in the Park
Gather and Stitch at Lynda’s
Members set their own meeting times and schedules and set their own content.
It’s amazing to look back on this year and see how full and exciting it has been. It’s our first year in our new facility and we have certainly been listening and learning as we’ve gone along. We returned to a full complement of in-person classes while retaining a Zoom component for those wishing that option. Our Speaker Series continued to flourish with local, national, and international speakers. We provided opportunities for Focus Groups to continue to meet throughout the Guild year at WPC. Gather and Stitch opportunities were scheduled (both in-person and Zoom groups) and once we were more settled at our facility, we began to schedule more opportunities to meet and stitch. “Stitch In the New Year” was just one example.
Full thanks to our members, who brought their suggestions to our Executive Board through our Member at Large or Education Coordinator or any member of the Executive and who were willing to volunteer to bring their suggestions to fruition.
It is through their continued comments, suggestions, and support that we will be offering activities on four Thursdays a month, including pop up demos and Stitch of the Month Club, in the new Guild year. A special Whisper Challenge will start the year off in grand style. There is a lot to look forward to in 2024-2025, while we will continue to listen and learn and provide opportunities for our members to meet, socialize and share their skills and expertise.
Report – March 2024
submitted by Cheryl Wallace, ONN Rep
Guild members have been keeping busy with classes and Guild activities as winter weather has alternated between unseasonable warm and bitter cold. On January 11th, we decided to “Stitch In” the new year. All members were invited to bring something to Show and Share, to our Gather and Stitch group, either an item they had created from one of the Fall classes or a project they had worked on independently. They were also invited to bring a lunch and stay for the afternoon activity – Creating Textile Art Cards. As a Guild, we make Textile Art Cards and sell them to our local community at public events (as well as use them within the Guild). It was a great way to begin the year. On March 7th , members were invited to Gather and Stitch in the morning, bring their lunch and “Stitch to Show You Care” in the afternoon by making and decorating felt hearts. These hearts could be kept by the members or donated to local charities where they can be given out for a variety of reasons to anyone needing a bit of love: pocket hug, hearts for loss, friendship etc.
They’ve also been enjoying our monthly Zoom Gatherings with speakers such as Ekta Kaul, an award-winning textile artist living in London, England. She is known for her narrative maps that explore places, history and belonging, through stitch. During her January presentation, she shared an overview of her practice and included an overview of Kantha tradition, its vocabulary of stitches and how she incorporates it into her own work. https://www.instagram.com/ekta_kaul/
In February, Dawn Cook Ronningen, from Maple Grove, Minnesota, gave members a look at her collection of historic needlework tools. She told us about her new book, “Sewing Rolls, Needle Rolls and Huswifs”, and displayed examples of these items during her presentation. Learn more about Dawn and her work at https://collectorwithaneedle.blogspot.com/
Our guest speaker for March will be textile artist, Lorraine Roy, a former CEG, London member, who will speak to us about, “My Life in Stitches”. Lorraine creates wall hangings and framed textile pieces using raw edged applique techniques and embroidery. You can see examples of Lorraine’s work on her website: https://www.lroyart.com/
Our last speaker for the year (April) will be Heather Goodchild, a Toronto, ON, textile and multidisciplinary artist, who will be speaking about, “Textiles and Beyond”. See more about Heather at https://heathergoodchild.com/
Once again, many thanks to our wonderful Speaker Series planning team for their dedicated work. We wouldn’t be able to enjoy such wonderful speakers without all their hard work.
March also sees the opening of our Summer Workshop registration to non-members. This year we are hosting workshops by Toni Major “Print and Stitch Landscapes” (June 3 to June 5) and Ann Marie Patrick “Print Dyeing” (June 6 to June 8). The workshops are held at the John Labatt Visual Art Centre at Western University and the cost to non-members is $300.00 per workshop. There are still a few workshop spaces available.
You can find more information here: https://ceglondon.com/programs/workshops.php
After a hiatus of several years, we are once again hosting our Textile Showcase thanks to a group of volunteers who stepped forward. The Showcase will be open to the public from 12-6 p.m. Friday, April 26th and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27th, 2024. Admission is $5.00 (cash)
Report – December 2023
Submitted by Cheryl Wallace, ONN Rep
We are settling in at our new location, Westmount Presbyterian Church and enjoying the opportunity to meet in such a light filled venue, but we are still learning and feeling our way. As exciting as having more in person classes is, there are still challenges in communication. Unlike pre-Covid days, we no longer all meet in the morning for announcements before classes start and then divide into smaller groups for morning only classes— we now go directly to our classes which are divided over the full day. It seems, at least for now, a return to that level of full engagement is still not a possibility or even a desire for all members and that is something that must be honoured. That means that we must do our best to continue to develop and maintain a robust system of communication and engagement that meets the needs of our diverse membership.
Our guild runs because of our volunteers. We offer classes because our members offer to teach and share their skills and interests with others. We can offer programs morning, afternoon, and evening because our Executive key holders are willing to accept that responsibility. A full calendar of Guild activities can be found here: http://ceglondon.com/programs/classes.php We are listening to the suggestions made by our members and are looking at ways to implement their requests for additional opportunities to gather together to stitch. But, as always, and like all organizations, we are looking for volunteers to make these things happen.
We continue to hold our monthly Zoom Gatherings on the third Thursday of every month. As well as an opportunity to inform members of upcoming events, changes in operating procedures or answer questions that have been brought to the Executive, it is an opportunity to bring local, national, and international speakers to our membership.
In November, U.K. Textile Artist, Shelley Rhodes, gave a wonderful presentation to our members on Fragmentation and Repair. It was an inspiring presentation and Shelley was gracious enough to remain online to answer member questions about her process. In January, our guest speaker will be another U.K. award winning Textile Artist, Ekta Kaul. She is known for her narrative maps that explore places, history and belonging, through stitch.
Speakers aren’t the only inspiration we provide for our members. Currently, our members are eagerly making their Winter Class selections. In January a new set of classes will begin. We will be offering the following options to our members:
• Shibori in Colour
• Exploring Running and Straight Stitch
• Stumpwork- Flowers, Leaves and Bugs
• Reverse Applique
• Yoki Saito – Japanese Bags Take Two
• Surreal Collage with Paper and Fabric
• Kawandi
• Composed Fabric
• Traditional Needle Lace
• Let’s Bring the Background Forward
• Paper Based Vessels
• What is Pre-Felt and What can I do with it?
• Independent Stitchers
To wrap up our Guild year, we will once again be having our Textile Showcase, April 26-27, thanks to a group of volunteers who stepped forward at the last minute. More details will come in future reports.
Also on the horizon is the 2024 Summer Workshop. The Summer Workshop will be held Monday to Saturday, June 3-8, 2024, at the Visual Arts Building, Western University, London ON. It will once again be two classes of three days each. The first class will be with Toni Major teaching “Print and Stitch Landscapes” from Monday to Wednesday, June 3-5. The second class will be with Ann Marie Patrick teaching “Print Dyeing” from Thursday to Saturday, June 6-8.
Workshop fees will be $225 for members and $300 for non-members. More details can be found on the CEG, London website. Canadian Embroiderers’ Guild, London (ceglondon.com) Non-member registration opens March 1, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.
Report – September 2023
submitted by Cheryl Wallace, ONN Rep
This Guild year marks the first year at our new location, Westmount Presbyterian Church. We are also excited to be offering a full day of in-person classes on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. Classes are scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on regular class days. We are also continuing to offer day, afternoon, and evening Zoom classes for our members, as well. A full calendar of Guild activities can be found here: http://ceglondon.com/programs/classes.php
Our AGM was held on September 9th, 2023, and we voted in several new Executive members. Our first Executive meeting was held in our new venue on September 14th, 2023, and a changeover of office took place between outgoing officers and incoming executive members. It was an opportunity to pass the baton and share an overview of the role. In the afternoon, new and returning Guild members were invited to visit the new facility to see where classes would be held in the coming weeks.
The Felting Focus group used the opportunity to show members some of the exciting projects they had been working on over the summer and held an impromptu make and take for anyone interested. The takeaway wet felting project was a fantasy flower and it’s quite probable that a number of “new converts” were made to wet felting in just that one session alone.
A new session was also introduced at the Open House and that was “What do You Know About…?” It’s an opportunity to share what you know about a topic, tool, or technique (or ask questions and learn) while getting to know members. It should be a lot of fun. What’s your favourite tool in the sewing kit?
Last, but definitely not least, the classes on offer this Fall are:
Scenic Views – thread painting
Making Textile Cards
Contemporary Needle Lace
Colour Gets the Credit – Value Does the Work
Dimensional
Beading 101
Omiyage
Encrusting Calico
Stitches on Trees
Let There be Stitches
Embellished Felt Balls
Skinny Lines, Inserts and Appliques
Making Artists’ Books
Independent Stitchers – morning and evening groups
Report – July 2023
submitted by Cheryl Wallace, ONN Rep
On Saturday, June 3rd, CEG London just took part in “Join the Club”, an initiative sponsored by the London Public Library. All clubs and local organizations had the opportunity to have a display table on the mezzanine floor of the main library building. Open to the public, the displays gave organizations and groups a chance to create awareness about themselves, and their role in the community. We had a number of people stop by our table to look at the items we had on display, talk about textile art, and take away a brochure for future reference. It was a great idea – Many thanks to the folks at the library.
We ended our year on a high note – Summer Workshop 2023 – June 5th to June 10th.
The week started with Harriett Riddell and Free Motion Story Telling and ended with Bettina Matzkuhn teaching about the Poetics of Landscapes. Both encouraged bringing a sense of freedom, self-expression, and creativity to textile work. Participants emerged from the workshops re-energized.
Even though formal classes and guild activities have ended, members continue to meet over the summer. Focus groups such as Slow Stitch on Paper, Felting, Solar Printing, Basket Weaving, Walking for Inspiration, Stitching a Pocket Garden, “Busy Bodies” (as presented in the Rachael Singleton workshop this year), as well as a Dyeing Day are planned for the summer months. These groups are facilitated by the members themselves. Other members are meeting to stitch in a local park.
This summer heralds exciting changes for the London guild. We are moving to a new location. As of the end of August, we will be located at Westmount Presbyterian Church, Village Green Ave, London, ON. While it may take some time to become fully familiar with our new surroundings, we hope that being able to access our venue every Thursday will allow us to be creative with the opportunities we will be able to offer our members in the coming Guild year. Our new calendar shows some of the things that are scheduled for the Fall.
Report – March 2023
Guild members have been keeping busy during these blustery winter days enjoying our monthly Zoom Gatherings with speakers such as Martina Celerin, a textile artist and scientist who grew up in London, ON and now lives in Bloomington, Indiana. She took our members on a virtual tour of her studio, showing her 3D woven tapestries and her supplies – containers of beads, discarded jewellery, bits of leather, hemp, wire, lace and other recycled or found items.
In February, Allie Davis and Roxane Shaughnessy of the Textile Museum of Canada gave members a tour through Double Vision – an exhibit of Nunavut artists Jessie Oonark (1906-1985) and her daughters, Janet Kigusiug (1926-2005) and Victoria Mamnguqsualuk, (1930-2016). The exhibit “shines a light on a highly distinctive art form called nivinngajuliaat that developed out of government-sponsored craft programs in the Arctic, beginning with the sewing program in Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake) established in the 1960s.”
Our guest speaker for March will be Hazel Monte, a textile artist from Seattle, Washington. Check out her blog, Handstories…adventures with fibre and life for more information about her work, or check her Instagram . Many thanks to our wonderful Speaker Series planning team for their inspired work. They enrich the experience of all our members.
March also sees the opening of our Summer Workshop registration to non-members. This year we are hosting workshops by Harriett Riddell (June 5 to June 7) and Bettina Matzkuhn (June 8 to June 10). The workshops are held at the John Labatt Visual Art Centre at Western University and the cost to non-members is $300.00 per workshop. Bettina’s workshop is currently full. There are only a few places available in Harriet’s workshop, so don’t delay.
Harriet is a Textile Performance Artist who travels the world with her sewing machine in challenging locations from the slums of Nairobi to the tea fields of the Himalayas. Through free motion embroidery she captures her surrounding environment and the people she meets. Her workshop is entitled “Free Motion Story Telling and Portraiture”.
There will be time for playful activities with the sewing machine to loosen up, observational drawing exercises engaging the eye and mind. Participants will be focusing on portraiture, learning the rules of the face, and finding ways of incorporating words and details which make up a person and their personality. The workshop will then delve into storytelling and the many ways to tell a story with textile.
You can see the amazing work of Harriett Riddell at the following link: Harriet at work
Our members have been busy stitching up a storm (pun intended) in classes. Here are a few examples from the classes that just finished.
Report – December 2022
submitted by Cheryl Wallace, ONN Rep
As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, we continue to remain busy with our stitching activities, very “Busy Bodies” indeed. Our November virtual workshop with Rachael Singleton, a UK textile and mixed media artist, was a wonderful way to spend two Saturdays together, cozily stitching and chatting and sharing ideas. In the mornings (afternoon for her), Rachael shared her ideas and techniques for Busy Bodies and took us on her artistic journey through the world of textiles and mixed media. During the afternoon, we stayed online and chatted and stitched and worked on creating our own Busy Bodies.
October brought the 50th Anniversary Textile Showcase which was held at the For Love of Art Gallery in Westmount Mall. The highlight of the Showcase was the Gold Challenge which was judged by Andrew Smyth of Strand Fine Art Services, Tricia Johnson, from the Department of Visual Arts at Western University, and Catherine Elliot Shaw, Acting Director, McIntosh Gallery. Amy Lee was awarded 1st place, Lynda Watson was awarded 2nd place, and Wilma Kirmse was awarded 3rd place. Congratulations to all three on their wonderful work.
On December 5th, registration for the Guild opens again for a 3-week period. It will also be time to choose from the selection of Winter classes. We will be offering:
Bojagi: Korean Patchwork and Related Stitching taught by Kathie Morgan (Zoom)
Commemorative Quilt: Planning and Making taught by Kathy Bissett (Zoom)
Calm Your Brain taught by Adèle Cork (in person)
Introduction to Hardanger taught by Sue Hickey (in person)
Basic Crochet taught by Karen Rose (in person)
Creative Wire Crochet taught by Judith Purdy (in person)
3D Felting – 3 Ways taught by Jan Taylor (in person)
The Creative Process: Bringing Meaning to your Work taught by Nancy Watson (Zoom)
Embroidered Portraits taught by Amy Lee (in person)
Leather Pouches taught by Paddy Richardson (in person)
Kawandi Style Quilting taught by Wilma Kirmse (in person)
Independent Stitchers (in person)
Our Speaker Series Committee has done us proud and through the magic of Zoom, we have been able to enjoy a talk from Youngmin Lee, a Korean textile artist, on Bojagi; Kaye Judt told us about the history of tatting (or macrame with thread) and Simon Beck, an installation artist, awoke our appreciation for mathematics in design, with his beautiful creations, in his talk “Snow Angels to Sand Castles”. We look forward to the speakers that the new year will bring.
All in all, we’ve had a very fulfilling fall season and the bodies have been busy here at CEG, London. Wishing everyone the best at the holiday season, Happy Stitching.
Report – September 2022
Submitted by Cheryl Wallace, ONN Rep
A new Guild year is just beginning and with it comes a sense of both beginning and continuation, renewal, and rebirth. The pandemic forced us to find new ways to communicate and to provide instruction and information to our members. A return to social interaction is an opportunity to evaluate our priorities and determine the core values of the Guild going forward. Our AGM, held on September 10, 2022, was an opportunity to do just that. With grateful thanks to retiring Executive members and a warm welcome to new and returning Executive members, we are ready to embark on the adventure that will be the 2022-2023 guild year.
As always, our members were busy over the summer months with Focus groups and the pictures reflect the following topics: Art Cards, Coiled Baskets, Eco Dyeing, Fabric Books, and Indigo/Shibori, Paper, Paint, Stitch and More.
We are continuing our 50th Anniversary celebrations with a show and sale of members’ work. It will be on display in Westmount Mall at The Love of Art from October 15 -19, 2022. We invite everyone to celebrate with us. The show will feature the 50th Anniversary Gold Challenge entries.
We have a combination of in-person and Zoom classes this Fall. There is something for everyone.
Landscape Quilting – in-person by Susan Van Arkel
Gel Plate Play – in-person by Dallas Coughlan
Embroidered Felt Rocks – in-person by Nicole Crozier
Fragments – mix of in-person and Zoom by Mary Veenman
Zentangles to Stitch – Zoom by Jess Blackmore
Let’s Play with Mixed Media – Zoom by Lynda Watson
Beginning Stitches – in-person by Sue Hickey
Stitching on Paper – Zoom by Jenn Wilson
Zipped Pouches: from Japan to London – in-person by Lynda Wadden
Independent Stitchers – in-person
In November, we are pleased to offer a workshop by Rachael Singleton to our members. Rachael is a mixed media and textile artist from West Yorkshire, England, who combines paper, fabrics, fibres and other materials to create one of a kind artworks inspired by the natural world around her. This workshop will be an exploration of how to create a visual reminder of a cherished memory requiring only basic sewing and stitching skills.
In summary, our goal is to make 2022-2023 a year: to learn, to create, to celebrate.
Report – July 2022
Submitted by Cheryl Wallace, ONN Rep
As the 2021-2022 Guild year winds down after many challenges and months of planning and activity, it is good to reflect on all that has happened and all that we, as a group, have accomplished, by working together to support and encourage each other in our love of the textile arts. Without this love and deep interest in learning and sharing skills, we would not be celebrating our 50th Anniversary as a Guild and, moreover, a Guild that continues to be vibrant and forward thinking.
That is only possible through the efforts of the volunteers who make it happen: our teachers, and those who organize them; the Speaker Series Committee who broadened our horizons when we were locked down in our homes; the Librarian, who brought the library to us when it was not open to the public; the 50th Anniversary Committee, who planned every detail of this amazing series of events, from finding incredible instructors to organizing logistics as well as fundraising activities; the Executive team, who kept us all functioning; and each and every individual member who asked, “How can I help?” Without our members, the Guild cannot run. Our success is due to the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. Thank you for making the first 50 years so rewarding.
I include a report from the 50th Anniversary Committee:
The Canadian Embroiderers’ Guild, London recently began its 50th Anniversary Celebrations with workshops and a Gala held at the Visual Arts Centre at Western University. Original plans involved 8 international artists leading 11 workshops, but many unfortunate factors reduced this number to 3 artists leading 4 workshops. Nonetheless, participants very much enjoyed 3 days of “Stitched Lines on Printed Surfaces” with Mónica Leitão Mota , 4 days of “A Strange Place for a Stitch” with Danielle Clough, 1 day of “Tassel Mania” with Naomi Smith and 4 days of “The Beaded Moccasins” also with Naomi Smith.
In the midst of the workshops, “The Gala” was held on the evening of Saturday, June 11. Over 100 people experienced a wonderful time with delicious food, drink, and conversation. A talk, delivered by Danielle Clough, was entertaining and provided an inspiring look at the future of Embroidery. Special Awards of Distinction were presented to 6 members and the evening was capped with a fun bucket raffle.
Throughout this two-week celebration two notable pieces of work were displayed. The “Scroll” was prepared over a couple of years by many members to demonstrate the “Evolution and Diversity of Textile Art” – the theme of our anniversary. “Stars of the Past” honoured long-time members who are no longer with us.
In October, our celebrations will continue with a Gallery Show featuring a Gold Challenge. Details will be shared closer to the event.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrea Manias
Past President and chair of the Anniversary Committee
Prior to the 50th Anniversary Workshops, we concluded our Winter classes. Two of those classes were held in person and the feedback that we received was positive from the teachers and participants. We were able to provide the space for social distancing and follow all protocols required by the Health Authority and the venue. Plans have been made to increase the number of in person classes offered in the upcoming Guild year.
Now that summer has arrived, we are still providing opportunities for our members but on an informal basis. Focus Group lists were circulated, where members could indicate areas of interest for further exploration. Like minded members were encouraged to organize casual groups, either in person or using Zoom to further their own exploration. This popular summer activity is member driven and has been taking place for several years.
Regular outdoor meetings, renamed Stitch and Chat, are taking place at a local park, on Thursday mornings. It is a casual drop-in stitching session, under the trees, or in the pavilion, for whomever can make it that day. Attendance is fairly steady, and the Stitch and Chat group meet as weather permits.
In summary, we’ve had a busy year but a rewarding one. We have faced a number of challenges and our members have proven that they can adapt. We have also learned what many other organizations are learning, we are only as strong as our volunteers are willing.
We hope that this willing spirit remains strong for another 50 years.
Report – March 2022
submitted by Cheryl Wallace, ONN Rep
As 2022 began, CEG, London started the year with our Inspiration Day in January. Isabel Fletcher, a British textile designer, whose specialty is the use of textile offcuts, helped us see the potential in our own scraps. In this virtual workshop Isabel guided us to combine our scraps and offcuts in unexpected ways to both create and embellish new and existing work.
Our members have an opportunity to come together monthly, for virtual Gatherings where we share news, Guild announcements and items of interest. It is also an opportunity for our Speaker Series which has so far this year featured Danny Gregory, who used his sketchbook illustrations as a vehicle to deliver his message of overcoming your inner critic. He explained how we could “Shut our Monkey” and tame that negative voice that limits our creative energies. We were also inspired by examples of work by international paper artist Su Blackwell. She started by cutting images out of vintage books and making book sculptures as she says, “in the realm of fairy tale and folklore.” Her work is now seen and collected around the world and used in campaigns by well known commercial companies. There is a delicate, ethereal quality about her work that highlights the fragility of paper.
Additionally, each month, a Virtual Stitch, Chat and Share session is hosted for any member who wishes to attend. It is an online opportunity to sit and stitch together even though we are apart. Members share what they are currently working on and share tips and ideas.
The Winter session of Guild classes is going well. Most have continued to be virtual classes, but we were able to offer two in-person classes once the restrictions eased. Following all health guidelines, “Living Dangerously with Scissors and Needles” as well as “Three-Dimensional Bead Embroidery” are continuing to take place in person every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.
Our 50th Anniversary Summer Workshops are getting ever closer. Registration is now open to non-guild members and the reputations of the instructors are drawing interest and registration from people out of province. Sign up now, if you wish to attend — several workshops are full and space in others is limited. In addition, sale of our commemorative scissor keeper/needle minder sets is going well. For full details, please contact us through our website: CEG, London
Even though Spring may seem slow in coming, we are keeping our spirits up with classes and camaraderie as we share skills, smiles, stitches, and chat using whatever media and venue is available to us. Warmer weather and the opportunity to meet outside will only enhance our ability to Gather and Stitch.
Happy Stitching
Report – December 2021
submitted by Cheryl Wallace, ONN Rep
As 2021 draws to a close, we can reflect on the many things that have happened in our Guild this year.
We’ve had another successful series of online classes which will be ending by mid-December. Congratulations to teachers and members alike for embracing this new way of sharing skills and knowledge during these ever-changing times. Going forward into the new year, we will continue to offer a varied selection of learning opportunities in this format to all our members.
We continued to gather virtually each month to share Guild information and highlight the work done by members through classes or challenges. This was also an opportunity for our members to enjoy our Speaker Series. Textile artists of local, national, and international renown were invited to discuss their process, practice and careers in the world of fibre arts, textile history, theatre and so much more. This fall we had speakers such as Bettina Matzkuhn, Cameron Porteous and Noreen Crone-Findlay as well as our own Linda Armstrong. In the new year we look forward to Danny Gregory and Su Blackwell as well as commemorating our 50th Anniversary with Stories from our History.
2021 saw the opening of registration for the 50th Anniversary Workshops to be held in June of 2022. Registration for these workshops is now open to the public. Registration Information
Members of the Guild were invited to register for Inspiration Day 2022 when Isabel Fletcher, a young British textile designer, will be showing us how to combine textile offcuts and otherwise discarded material to produce new work. Throughout this day long, virtual workshop, Isabel will help us see the potential in our own scraps.
Our Winter line up of classes has just been announced. Most of the classes will once again be online but two classes of limited size will be in person and will be in accordance with the COVID-19 protocols provided by the local Health Unit, venue and Guild.
The list of Winter Classes includes:
Living Dangerously with Scissors and Needles by Patricia Silver (in person, day)
Three Dimensional Bead Embroidery by Margot Kearney (in person, day)
Paper, Paint, Stitch and More by Cheryl Wallace (virtual, day)
The Versatile Running Stitch by 6 different instructors (virtual, day)
New Ways with Crazy Quilts by Lynda Watson (virtual, day)
Grins, Cheeks and Jowls: Soft Sculpted Dolls by Meg Cheesman (virtual, day)
Pet Portraits: Thread Painting by Hand by Susan Hickey (virtual, evening)
The Altered Page by Kathie Morgan (virtual, evening)
Our last challenge of the year was a Christmas Ornament challenge with the ornaments made being donated to the South London Chaplaincy to be distributed to families in need. The pictures accompanying this report are some of the challenge ornaments.
Report – September 2021
submitted by Cheryl Wallace, ONN Rep
We are happy and proud to be starting our 50th year as a Textile Arts Guild and we have planned numerous activities to share with both our members and the public. While the pandemic may have delayed the start of these events, it hasn’t quenched our enthusiasm or stopped our planning. The kickoff will be a series of workshops with international artists in June of 2022 held at Western University. Check our website for details on these eleven workshops.
Meanwhile, virtual learning continues. Our fall classes continue to be offered through Zoom and member participation is high. The classes on offer are:
Background Check: A collection of options for creating backgrounds for stitch with an emphasis on found objects, recycled materials, and scrap fabrics. Instructor: Adѐle Blennerhassette Corke;
Teneriffe Lace: From tradition to imagination: Drawing on the 16th c. European tradition of Sol Lace or what later became Teneriffe Lace, and the bonanza of colours used in Ñandutí Lace, the class will explore the wealth of design possibilities available to the lace maker. Instructor: Jess Blackmore.
Mathematical Stitching: Using only a straight stitch of varying lengths, participants will create interesting mathematical designs on paper in an innovative concept designed by the early 1900’s educator Mary Everest Boole, Instructor: Cheryl Wallace.
Book/Textile Video Club: This is an opportunity to connect with Guild members and have time to look at some of those Textile Art videos and artists that you always mean to watch. It’s sort of like a book club. Instructor: Mary Veenman
In Conversation …..Take 2: We will consider the question “Where do you find your inspiration?” with a slightly different focus each time offering thoughts, images, links, and questions to simulate discussion. Instructor: Jan Taylor
Felted Applique: Pattern or Scene and Ornaments: Using large and small pieces of felted wool and commercial felt we will make a picture or design and a few delightful Christmas ornaments. Instructor: Lynda Watson
Beginning Stitches: The following groups of stitches will be covered: straight stitches, looped stitches, knotted stitches, composite stitches, and advanced stitches. Instructor: Amy Lee
As well as our regular classes, we will be offering our members monthly Zoom Gatherings with a Speaker Series guaranteed to please and Inspiration Day will offer members a chance to come together via Zoom for a very special workshop. More details coming soon.
For those members who enjoy meeting in the park, Gather and Stitch is still going strong on Thursdays and will continue to do so until the snow flies.
Meanwhile, over the summer members took part in Focus groups via Zoom and in social distanced groups out of doors. Stitch and Chat, Botanical Printing, Anne Kelly Style, and Stitching on Paper were some of the groups that met. Given some of the sad events over the summer, Prayer Flags seemed to be an appropriate theme for stitching and several members embraced that challenge. Independent stitching on personal projects meant many members were kept quite busy over the warm summer months.
Now that September is drawing to a close and fall classes are ready to begin, we look forward to a new and fulfilling year of stitching, sharing and friendship.
Report – July 2021
The Guild year 2020-2021 has been a year of firsts for our Guild and a year of realizations.
It was the first year that our transitional September Executive meeting, welcoming new members and saying goodbye to retiring ones, was held in lawn chairs on our new President’s side lawn. Mother Nature was kind and blessed our socially distanced meeting with a beautiful autumn day.
It was the first year that we did not open registration in June to welcome new members to the Guild and advertise the classes that were going to be offered in the coming Guild year.
It was the first year that Guild membership was extended, at no cost to the membership, until the end of the new Guild year. For the first time a special category of membership was created for new members wishing to join the Guild for the 2020-2021 year, at a special lower fee since we were learning to cope with the pandemic as we went along.
It was the first year that online classes were offered by the Guild to members. The Executive authorized the purchase of a Zoom membership and that opened opportunities for communication and connection. The first classes were offered through a variety of online techniques: email, video and zoom. The response from the membership was positive. As the instructors became more comfortable with the technology, more classes were developed.
It was the first year that our main means of communication was online. Important Guild information, usually announced at the beginning of a Guild day, was replaced by regular emails from the President and others on the Executive. As time went by, and familiarity with Zoom increased, monthly Zoom Gatherings were held. These virtual gatherings became a way to communicate Guild information, break into small groups for discussion, or gather information from the membership through polls. The Gathering was a place to show and share prepared presentations of members’ work as well as the results of the President’s Challenges. It also became the venue for our Speaker Program. Every month, the Program Committee arranged for a speaker to give a Zoom presentation to our Guild members. The very fact that the presentation was virtual allowed us to have speakers we would otherwise not have been able to engage.
It was the first year of Gathering in the Park where hardy individuals, with lawn chairs in hand and masks at the ready to social distance and stitch, met in the park until the snows came. The groups resumed once lockdown had been lifted this year.
It was the first year of a Virtual Winter Retreat. Not quite the same as our annual get together but it was the best we could do. It was a virtual opportunity to sit and chat on a winter Saturday afternoon and let the cares of the world go by.
Because of all this …
As a Guild, we realized the importance of connection. It is important to communicate but it is equally or even more important to have that sense of connection. We wanted to make sure that we were reaching our members but simply providing information isn’t enough. There needs to be engagement, a making of connections with another person whether it was through an email response, a zoom class, a breakout room, a handwritten Christmas card or a simple phone call. A personal touch could make all the difference.
As a Guild, we realized the importance of the willingness to try. With the goal of offering virtual classes to our membership, the first instructors to try online teaching did so while the learning curve was steep. A lot of behind-the-scenes preparation went into each and every lesson for this new medium. They are to be applauded for their willingness to be innovators (or guinea pigs)
As a Guild, we realized the importance of perseverance. No matter what happens, you have to keep on trying. And that is exactly what we are doing with our 50th Anniversary celebration activities. I think we’ve lost count of the number of iterations we’ve gone through, but the planning still continues. It may be later than we’d originally planned but it is going to be great! The committee members and the Executive liaison are to be commended for their continuing efforts.
As a Guild, we’ve realized the importance of an open mind. The pandemic has made us find other ways to do things, other ways to offer programs to our members and other ways to perform the day-to-day operations of the Guild. Our minds have been opened to new possibilities. When the pandemic is over and we can once again meet in person, we will need to decide which of the necessities that were forced upon us we would like to carry on into the future of the Guild.
All in all, 2020-2021, has been one heck of a year!
SPRING CHALLENGE PHOTOS
BUGS AND BIRDS CHALLENGE
FABRIC JOURNALS CLASS
FAUX GOLDWORK CLASS
OMIYAGE CLASS
THREE STITCHES CLASS
SKETCHBOOKS
Ontario Network of Needleworkers 