Embroiderers' Guild of America, Dayton OH Chapter

Minutes of the Dayton Chapter Embroiderers’ Guild of America
Community United Methodist Church
November 11, 2009  10:00 a.m. 

Members Present: Laurie Jones, Mary Ann Hoffman, Marjo van Patten, Peg LeVert, Betty Knobeloch, Corinne Clift, Eileen Berner, Avril Garscadden, Martha Ullmer, June DeBernardi, Jane Kwiecinski, Mary Mihlbachler, Nancy Hess, Marylyn Doyle 

President: Avril Garscadden called the meeting to order.
Secretary: Minutes OK as posted
Treasurer: Access issues with DayAir; report soon
Membership: Last quarter dues not yet known. National staff are all working from home due to mold problems at HQ.
Programs: Christmas Party Nov. 28 at Greene Country Club
NO December meeting; Jan & Feb are stitch-ins due to weather uncertainties; Mar is Bette Kelley. Collecting name tags & small items in Jan for February library displays.
Regional Rep: GLR bags are $25 plus $5 postage; 2 are $5.25 postage; 10 for $11 postage. We’ll take orders soon.
New Business: New national guidelines for Youth Program. $15/year for kids 7-17.
Election Results: Continuing for 2010 are President Avril Garscadden and Regional Rep Peg LeVert. Re-elected for renewed 2 years terms 2010-2011 are Treasurer/Membership Corinne Clift and Secretary/Webmaster/Newsletter Marjo van Patten. Jane Kwiecinski will take over leadership of Saturday Stitchers from Susan Wells. Avril will appoint an Education Chair.
Show & Tell: antique whitework tablecloth, Sue Studebaker Ohio Sampler book; wool scrap embellished jacket; baby bib; Xmas table mat, lots of ettuis
DAI needs encouragement to display embroidery
Glen Helen exhibit by former member Fran LaSalle 6 Dec – 31 Dec.
Patterson Homestead needs needlework 1804-1900
New Books: Welsh Samplers by Eleri Davies & Chris S. Stephens 2009 Gomer Press, Llandysul, Ceredigion SA44 4JL
Historic Samplers exhibition at Witney Antiques, exhibition catalog:  http://www.witneyantiques.com/
Program: Garnett McDonough presented a brief history of early embroidery
Embroidery, decorating fabric or animal skin with thread, is frequently considered ‘art’ before 1950 and ‘craft’ after 1950. Oldest samples are from 34,000 years ago. Early fibers include flax from 36,000 years ago and silk from 6000 BCE. W. Europe stole/borrowed/adapted/expanded forms & techniques from the East. Many church vestments, paraments & tapestries from 600 CE on were used to instruct the faithful with embroidered stories. A few pieces of Opus Anglicanum survive from 900 CE. Bayeaux ‘tapestry’ is really a cartoon depicting events of 1066. Whitework is known from the 1300’s. After 1400 secular items  -- including bed hangings and tapestries --became more common, sumptuary laws regulated who could have/wear what. Garnett’s history stopped with Elizabethan embroideries.

Submitted by:
Marjo van Patten