February Meeting - Bargello Night

Suzanne gave a wonderful presentation on Bargello.  She displayed just some of her collection of books on Bargello along with stitched examples.  We learned some history of this stitch, and also technique, reading material, samplers, original work and some handouts to get us started.  The touching moment of the presentation was when Suzanne showed us a piece that her mother had stitched while she had Alzheimers. 

Some Bargello books from Suzanne's library

This will be an upholstered chair

Some Bargello Samplers

A lesson on counting the Bargello stitches

A beautiful Bargello piece stitched by Suzanne's mom

February Meeting - Finishes & Borders!

First we'll show some finishes for this month.  A real variety of items too!  There's painted canvas, some more Hearts, a Kumihimo necklace, counted canvas and some original work too.  Every month we bring our borders project to the meetings.  They're all so different in color and stitch choices.  Here is our progress in pictures.



A Kumihimo necklace - a local bead shop class!





ANG Stitch of the Month - 2011   by Norma

ANG Stitch of the Month 2012

This years design for the ANG stitch of the month is a heart with 12 areas for different stitches. Our chapter will stitch the piece as a group.  Each month a member will take home the canvas and get to stitch part of the heart. The design is done on 18ct white and silver mono canvas with a variety of threads in reds and silver. It's a mystery "stitch of the month", so we have to wait until next month to see what the next stitch is.  Visit the Ang website for more detail information.

January Meeting

Outside the meeting hall there was a cold wind blowing, but inside it was warm and cozy as we learned about needlepoint borders.  We had a table full of magazines and books on stitches for inspiration.  Borders add interest to your needlework, but where to begin?  We wrote a 2-page handout as a guide to making a border.  If you are stumped for a design then browse through your own bookshelf of needlepoint magazines and books on stitches. The ANG magazine "Needlepointers" has lots of ideas and articles on borders, particularly issue year 2006. Next month we'll post photos of your borders progress.

December Meeting - Potluck Dinner

We celebrated the holidays with a Potluck Dinner.  Members brought in such a variety of food it was hard to know where to begin.  Two tables full of savory dishes to taste and whole separate table full of sweets to for dessert.  After tasting the dishes we asked each other for the recipes.  The highlight was our show and share table which filled quickly.

Bob surprised us all with all the progress he made on his Borders Project.  The technique is Hardanger on canvas.  It's an original design and the flower detail in the squares is just beautiful. 





Enjoy the show and share - here are some more stunning finishes.  The first picture is counted canvas technique, "Galaxy", in a primary color palette.  Old St. Nick is in cross stitch - it had been sitting in stash limbo - we're glad you decided to finish it, Sue - It's just beautiful.

Galaxy by Needle Delights

Next are three Christmas painted canvases, beautifully interpreted by Cathy.  The pears have kept her busy too - here's 7 and counting!

A close up of the needlepoint

Kelly Clark Pears



Needle Delights



Rounding out the table of show and share are two pieces designed by Needle Delights, "Amazing Color" and "Color delights - Purple".  Each beautifully showcased.

November Meeting - Finishes

A table full of beautiful finishes by our members.  There is needlepoint, pulled work, and Hardanger.



Hardanger on the left, Pulled work on the right



2011 November Meeting - Borders #1

Our chapter project is to learn about needlework borders.  In October we drew a 6" square onto 18ct canvas and devided it into 6 columns with a "floating" square in each column.  This month we stitched our squares.  The leader offered some suggestions (see the yellow square samples) and we all started stitching.  Each stitcher was creative in their choice of color, fiber and stitches.  Some of us just started our squares and some haved moved ahead of the class.  

The squares are made with 'Very Velvet' thread

6 different stitch ideas for your square



Cancer Hearts Outreach program

Most of our members have been touched in some way by cancer, whether their own struggle or that of their family and friends.  When the new Wilmot Cancer Center opened a few years ago, the Flower City Needlers wanted to recognize the new facility and those whose lives have been changed in some way by cancer.  It was important that each member have the opportunity to express Cancers impact on them.  When we first started the project, we stitched needlepoint hearts in honor or in memory of specific people or cancers.  Unsure of what to do with the hearts after their completion, we contacted the volunteer coordinator at the cancer center.  We were excited when she asked for permission to give them to patients who were alone or having an especially difficult time with their treatment. 

Our first donation consisted of 25 hearts and since then we have donated over 200. We have also donated them to other individuals, whom our members know personally.  At last year’s Tri-City ANG Needlepoint Retreat, Buffalo and Syracuse Chapters also participated in the project. A local Red Hat Society has also contributed several of these needlepoint hearts.

The hearts are four inches wide and are frequently stitched using over dyed threads, metallic threads and beads. As the amount of  threads and canvas  needed to complete a heart are inexpensive and the time to complete one is minimal, our members experiment with new stitches, with new threads, and learn how to better compensate stitches.  A local retailer finishes many of them at a reduced price.

Our members are frequently seen in waiting rooms at the doctor’s office or flying on a plane stitching our hearts away.