2023 Leonida Leatherdale Award
The first-place winner of the 2023 Leonida Leatherdale Award was Diane Scott. Her entry is titled What I Learned at Seminar. Diane designed these stunning orchids and used various stumpwork techniques to bring them to life. Second place went to Kim Beamish for her original design, Masquerade II. Kim’s three-dimensional mask showcases a variety of embroidery techniques. The base is pulled thread and whitework. The stumpwork is needle lace and pulled thread. Beading is worked on the base and around the piece for embellishment. Designed and stitched by Marcella Pedersen, Marco Polo Blessings took third place. Marcella’s piece features blackwork stitches with gray floss to create shading on the linen sails; polyester sewing thread for the stumpwork components; wooden hull, snakeskin net, cotton batting clouds, stretched jersey fabric to create the wavy sea, and polycotton fabric for the sky.
WEG Celebrates 50 Glorious Years!
submitted by Patty Hawkins, WEG Saturday, October 14, 2023, dawned grey and gloomy in our Canadian Prairie city, but no matter. The Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild (WEG) members were all smiling and laughing as 43 gathered at the beautiful Assiniboine Park Pavilion to celebrate our 50th Anniversary. WEG was “born” on September 27, 1973, in response to a call by Winnipeg’s then mayor, Stephen Juba, urging citizens to “start something” for Winnipeg’s Centennial Year; it did not matter what you started, just start it! That motivated Leonida Leatherdale, a prominent Winnipeg embroiderer and stitching studio owner, to found a local embroidery organization – the Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild. At the same time, Mrs. Leatherdale laid the foundation for a national embroidery society – the Embroiderers’ Association of Canada (now known as Embroiderers’ Association of Canada/Association canadienne de broderie to include our country’s French heritage). WEG and EAC/ACB thus share common beginnings and grew into separate but affiliated organizations. Both groups enjoyed 50th-anniversary celebrations this year; EAC/ACB’s annual seminar was held here in Winnipeg for this special occasion. And until their recent passing, two founding members of WEG – Jo Hewitt-Nickel and Shirley Tyderkie – still attended meetings regularly and generously shared their love of needlework and expertise in stitching with those who joined our Guild over the ensuing years. The Assiniboine Park Pavilion is located in the heart of Winnipeg’s expansive Assiniboine Park, which also houses a zoo (with a world-renowned polar bear rehabilitation centre!), the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden, and The Leaf, a spectacular conservatory turning our snowy winters into glorious summer all year long. When planning our event, the organizers – Gail Wence (Chair), Patty Hawkins, Marjorie Morris and Linda White – wanted our anniversary to be a memorable gala affair. This venue fits the bill! Upon entering the foyer shortly after 11 a.m., members were welcomed by Kylea Fulton, who invited them to sign the event register. We provided a table groaning with complimentary patterns gathered over the years; members could sift through and choose designs to plump up their stash. The ladies had been asked to bring a favourite piece of embroidery for display, and we outdid ourselves! Exhibit tables featured a wide range of beautiful needlework: stumpwork, thread painting, canvaswork, bead embroidery, goldwork, bargello, beaded ornaments, Hardanger, cross stitch, Casalguidi, punto antico, and more. Everyone enjoyed a beverage while visiting and admiring the displays. We then entered the gorgeous glassed-in pavilion where nine round tables awaited. Set with beautiful linens and china and sporting lovely centre pieces created by Marjorie Morris, each chair held a brightly coloured gift bag filled with goodies. In early spring, our committee began to solicit donations from many needlework suppliers and designers across Canada and the U.S. Of significant note were robust gifts from Coats & Clark/Yarnspirations, Colonial Needle, Colour Complements, DMC, The Gentle Art, Kreinik, as well as many, many smaller individual gifts. We also received generous donations from WEG’s accomplished designers, Kathryn Drummond (Gingerbread Girl Designs) and Carolyn Mitchell (Carolyn Mitchell Designs). A plated lunch followed featuring Caesar salad and a delicious grilled chicken breast ciabatta bun with peach chutney, brie, arugula and garlic aioli. Dessert was fun! We enjoyed a sundae station groaning with chocolate and vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate fudge and caramel sauces, a decadent assortment of toppings, and a tray of dainties – which disappeared in short order! While enjoying our dessert and coffee/tea, our co-president and committee chair, Gail Wence, gave a brief history of our guild. She then acknowledged 11 members for milestone recognition of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, and even two ladies with 45 years of continuous membership in the Guild: Sharon Etsell and Susanne Sulkers. Each honouree received a gift card in proportion to their years of service. The dedication these women have shown to our art and their constant support of the guild and its activities is genuinely admirable. Then, 12 Past Presidents were recognized, with three having served “double duty.” The delicious chocolate “Thank You” bars they received were hand-crafted by local chocolatier Constance Popp, and, speaking as one of those Past Presidents, I can relate that they were absolutely delicious! This brought us to our main event, Keynote Speaker Cynthia Boehm, an award-winning, Red River-based beadwork artist and designer. Growing up surrounded by creative people, Cynthia found a love and appreciation for the historic Cree MĂ©tis beadwork and art of her home community of Norway House (in Northern Manitoba, Canada). Later on, when she discovered her grandmother’s art (housed in the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg), Cynthia was inspired to delve extensively into the historical beadwork and embroidery patterns of her Cree MĂ©tis ancestors. These beautiful designs – produced during the mid to late 19th Century fur trade – became world famous. Rendered in silk embroidery and colourful beadwork, the graphic flowers and serpentine leaves that characterize these exquisite pieces inspired Cynthia’s creative journey. Cynthia spent the next hour recounting her interesting background and artistic inspiration for us. She talked about some of the examples of her beautiful work, which she brought with her, including the magnificent stand-alone floral beaded piece, “My Journey Home – Honouring Our Grandmothers,” which echoed the title of her presentation. Also on display and discussed by Cynthia was a selection of the materials she uses for her art. She concluded her talk by graciously answering many questions from curious guild members. Following an appreciative thank you to Cynthia – who received an enthusiastic round of applause – Patty Hawkins took a few moments to list and thank the many donors who helped to make this luncheon special. We are so grateful to each contributor and encourage our members to support them all! As Gail said her goodbyes to our members, Patty and Marjorie handed each person another bag filled with gifts. These project bags in vibrant pink (WEG’s colour) with white, yellow and blue highlights were specially commissioned for us and donated by Marjorie, our Event Sponsor and current Vice-President. Tucked inside each was a beautiful – and useful! – wooden pin cushion tray from Sudberry
Seminar Theme Award Winners
EAC/ACB’s 2023 seminar theme was The Stitch Goes On/Le point continue. That theme was interpreted quite differently by the three winning entrants. First Place: Diana Kelly, Lakeshore Creative Stitchery Guild, The Stitch Goes On & On & On Diana Kelly’s entry is an original design. As part of the Seminar Theme Award, the entrant provides a statement about their piece. From Diana’s statement: Second Place: Marcella Pedersen, Regina Stitchery Guild, The Stitch Goes On & On & On Marcella’s Hardanger runner was stitched with #8 pearl cotton on Lugana white opalescent 28-count linen. The design was adapted from a chart by Evelyn MacKay. No statement was submitted. Third Place: Lorraine Iverach, Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild, Edith Adele Campbell Starts Her Day From her entry statement:
What a Revelation! Salley Mavor and her Felt Art
As part of EAC/ACB’s Speaker Series, Salley Mavor spoke about her journey as an artist who tells stories with three-dimensional embroidery. The October 14 presentation covered a wide range of creative endeavours, from illustration to doll-making to stop-motion animation, demonstrating that there are no limits to what can be expressed with a needle and thread! It was an opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes peek at Salley’s innovative, creative process, which is unmatched within the fibre art world. Salley sees herself as a needle artist. A needle is her tool, thread is her medium, and stitches are her marks. Salley has been sharing her art and processes on her blog/home page for many years. You can view a recorded presentation, An Afternoon with Salley Mavor. You can find links to all her videos on her website. The videos include a short documentary of Salley creating the illustrations for her most recent children’s book, Making My Bed, the stop-animation video, Liberty and Justice – A Cautionary Tale in the Land of the Free, some of her installations, and so much more. That’s where you’ll also find her “Stitch Minute Videos” – short closeup views of her stitching various elements for her art. Learn more about her books, exhibitions, processes and more on her website Wee Folk Felt. The Speaker Series is just one of the free opportunities for current EAC/ACB members. Find out how you can become a member.
Viewers’ Choice Awards 2023
1st Place Odette Gaudet, Chickadee Chapter of Needlearts: Dedication and Service, Original Design As a young woman, I took notice of Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Canada in 2010. Everything about her inspired me. Her dress, professionalism, duty and service. On her 21st birthday in 1947, she said, “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.” She honoured that declaration. This project has been a labour of love, from learning pattern making and dressmaking to goldwork, silk ribbon, bespoke hand beading, crewel and stumpwork. Various sizes of sequins, beads, and pearls were used with wool, velvet, silk, and cotton threads on satin fabric. Stitches include satin, satin stitch padding, backstitch, straight, split, cable, feather, fly, trellis stitches, colonial knots, couching, and wrapped cording. 2nd Place Megan McLoughlin, Individual Member: Tropical Punch designed by Debbie Rowley of DebBee’s Designs Tropical Punch is a fun-to-stitch symmetrical piece in a palette of primarily blues and lavenders, with vibrant splashes of colour thrown in. Due to the variety of threads called for by the designer, the different textures create interest, and the piece is filled with intermediate and advanced counted canvas work stitches. 3rd Place Shirley Ganske, Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild: Dimensional Beadwork Display, Various Designers
LLA Now Annual
The Leonida Leatherdale Award is now annual! Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild has decided to sponsor the award honouring the driving force behind our association’s formation every year. The Leonida Leatherdale Award (LLA) will be given for an original design or adaptation that takes the traditional art of needlework and raises it to new heights. This award is presented for a work of needle art that best exemplifies Leonida’s vision and purpose “to encourage and promote the practice and knowledge of the art of embroidery in all its forms.” Find out how to submit your entry for Seminar 2024: Endless Horizons.
Avis Plumarius Takes Flight
Our gal loves bling! She’s flirty and sassy, sparkles and dazzles! Avis’ plumage is the combined effort of 22 enthusiastic embroiderers who teamed up to create her 24 feathers.
In 3rd: EGP’s Endless Scene: Out for a Walk
Endless Scene: Out for a Walk is a myriorama of 14 embroidered and embellished scenes.
A Celebration of Bears Takes 2nd Place
A celebration indeed! The Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild’s entry titled A Celebration of Bears was awarded 2nd place in the Seminar Group Project category at the 2023 Members’ Exhibition. Thirty-four members of WEG stitched the 193 bears that make up this entry.
Blue is for Recycling II
by Marcella Pedersen, Regina Stitchery Guild This printed cloth was a garage sale item I picked up that was partially completed. I think I picked this up because of my Belgian heritage, though this might be a Dutch couple. Once I started working on it, I could see why the item wasn’t finished. As you see in the picture of the partially finished piece, the print on the material has cross stitch guides that are not the same size; some lines are narrow, and some large. Not to be done in, I took up the challenge to finish the piece, but it is definitely the worst embroidery piece I have ever finished. I thought all cross stitches were equal. I am still not a fan of cross stitch embroidery.
Blue is for Recycling I
by José Hope, Embroiderers’ Guild of Victoria & Arrowsmith Needle Arts Guild Blue can conjure up thoughts of our beautiful west coast skies or ocean waters in summer but in my heart, I always think of Delftware. This may be my heritage or just childhood memories of my parents’ home. When I found an unfinished tablecloth in one of our local thrift stores, I knew right away what I wanted to do with it. It had been started with one motif partially stitched in six-strand floss, such a shame on this beautiful polished cotton fabric. I carefully unpicked the previous owner’s work and began surface stitching with three-strand variegated blue DMC floss. The joy and peacefulness of bringing an unwanted treasure to life warms my heart. This beautiful tablecloth will reside not in a drawer but on my table so it can be enjoyed by all who visit me. At present, I’m stitching another tablecloth rescued from the second-hand shop, titled Blue Onion (top right), which is larger and from the 1970s. It is stamped cross stitch in two shades of blue!
Dresden Work Flower Bud Pattern
by Mike Parr Dresden Work Flower Bud is just one of the five patterns that have been provided by EAC/ACB designers/supporters as a fundraiser for our 50th anniversary. See all five of the 50th Anniversary projects! This small flower bud design with a Jacobean influence has been embellished with pulled thread and surface embroidery techniques that were typically found in Dresden lace whitework which originated in Saxony in the mid-1700s.