Ontario Network of Needlewworkers AGM

May 12th, 2011, I traveled to London, Ontario for the Ontario Network of Needleworkers Annual General meeting. Above is the Oakville Stitchery Guild's Display of needlework. My friend, Margaret is working at the booth. I had needle work at three displays! Yes I am an overachiever!

Here, Mavis from the Canadian Embroiderers' Guild Guelph is looking after our artwork! A lovely display of detailed needlework.

My Jeweled City piece is right next to work by Erin and Doeteke. Margaret's mask is just beautiful.

A close up of our fish display for the OSG. Tracey found the netting on the playground. Another Go Green initiative.

My third display is the fibre art Group of Eight. We all participated in the cigar box challenge, each art work is truly unique! It was a lovely display for a new group to the O.N.N.

This is the Group of Eight Display. My Funky Form Vase is next to Linda's exquisite fibre egg. The photo below shows Jan's awesome encaustic art, my watercolour box and Heather's beautiful mask.

We had a very exciting day going to the business meeting, listening to the guest speaker, admiring all the guild's displays and meeting a lot of new needle workers! We even toured the University of Western for Jayne to revisit her memories.

Surjeet's Workshop

October 23rd and 24th I had the opportunity to take an embrioidery workshop with Surjeet Husain of the UK. She visited our stitchery guild in Oakville as part of her time in Canada to visit family and two other guilds. Surjeet is a very talented Indian embroiderer and painter. We learned about the textile industry in India and about Surjeet's journey as an artist. Eleven Million people in India are involved in textile industry in some manner.

Here is Surjeet instructing Danielle and Jayne. We each were given individual instruction and Surjeet wanted each of us to do an individual project. We worked on sheesha (mirrors) embroidery, pulkari and kantha stitches. It was a challenge for most of us.

Here is a lovely little bag that Surjeet brought from home for us to see. She brought many pieces of embroidery to share, all so beautiful!

Surjeet is showing us a small tree stitchery that has fabric appliques.

This large art embroidery is based on a painting of an Indian girl by Surjeet.

Overall, I had a great two days. I have admired Indian embroidery for a couple of years and have attempted a few embroideries myself. Now I have acquired a few new stitches to try on my future Indian embroideries. Thank you, Surjeet.

Ontario Network of Needleworkers AGM

A Lovely Embroidered Piece from the London Embroidery Guild

May 2nd, the Annual General Meeting for the ONN was held in Guelph, Ontario hosted by The Connections Group. Each guild brought fibre art and embroidery for their displays. A general meeting was held for the reps, followed by a Whistle Stop demonstrations. The general public and members were invited to see the displays and the CD Challenge in the afternoon. The Vendors' mall was the best yet with many books, threads, yarns,and paints. The next AGM will be held in London next May. The theme will be A Gathering of Threads. This promises to be a very exciting event with 3 days of workshops, meetings, dinners and a fashion show.

Oakville Stitchery Guild Display


Oakville Stitchery Guild
( my nest pincushion, landscape, covered journal and framed bird)

Canadian Embroiderers' Guild Guelph
( my book marks )

CEG Guelph

Susan Strachan Johnson demonstrating pabric

Marion Spanderjt demonstrating gold leaf on fabric

Gordana Brelih demonstrating the use of tyvek

All in all, it was a great day! Oakville's, Sherry DelRizzo won the CD Challenge with a lovely Stumpwork Embroidery. I am lucky to belong to two wonderful embroidery guilds. I am looking forward to a great time next year!

A Two Month Break

The last of summer at Lakeside Park in Oakville. I discovered this little gem of a park, while delivering a piece of art to the Oakville Museum for the Festival of the World of Threads. I took my little buddy along and we had a delightful time at the park. I love the Lakeshore in Oakville!

Lake Ontario shore line.

View from the park

A Grand Tree in the Park!!!! Yes, those are artists and their easels.

Oatie enjoying the surroundings.

Nesting is a new theme challenge for the new year of the Oakville Stitchery Guild. My little ATC is going to be in a book cover pocket, for my completed Sketchbook, another OSG challenge. This ATC is hand felted.

,

Among the many shows I have been participating in, this was one of them, The St. Clair Artwalk in Toronto at Penny Milton's gorgeous home and studio.

My art work hanging on the wall at Penny's.

My one stitch challenge for the OSG, president's Challenge. I used a piece of painted and stamped fabric, a straight stitch and some silk applique for the poppies. I is embroidered only with straight stitch and beaded. It is also the correct size for the Ontario Network of Needle workers Challenge for next May! I am ahead of the game!!!! More to come very soon on the other shows, I have had and I am getting ready for! My apologies to my followers that thought sometime had happened to me. I love you for asking why I wasn't blogging. And congratulations to my young mixed media artist friend, Sandra Spagnuolo who has just started her blog. I should have a link very soon,

Keep stitching, Donna

Joshua Creek Heritage Center

The Oakville Stitchery Guild meets at the home of Sybil Rampen at the Joshua Creek Heritage Center. We are very lucky indeed to meet at this recently renovated home, studio and art gallery. This is the back of the Winter Garden where we have our meetings.



This is a view of the pool from the back of the Art Gallery. Notice the Out House!





This is Sybil at a recent meeting of the Milton Fine Art Society. Sybil was the guest speaker and she gave an inspiring talk about her art and writing.





This is the Mercy Fish Art Gallery. Sybil held an art show of her work in celebration of her 80Th birthday. It was an amazing show of many media from printmaking to painting to fibre art.




This is Sybil's century family home. I am in awe of this beautiful home and gallery. Thank you Sybil for inspiring me!