About Seminar

What is Seminar?

Volunteers of the Embroiderers’ Association of Canada, Inc./Association canadienne de broderie, Inc. and the host chapter or chapters plan and hold a gathering we call a “seminar” at a location in Canada, typically in May of each year. The site for this inspirational event changes depending on which chapter or group of chapters is hosting that year. Members from across Canada and other countries gather to join in exciting educational opportunities, fellowship, shopping, and fun.

Participants mingle with old friends and make new friends who love needlework in all its forms, taking classes, attending the Members’ Exhibition and shopping in the boutique and during Market Night. There is always an excellent selection of two-day and four-day classes. Options Day activities are usually tours of local points of interest and one-day classes for those who can never get enough! The seminar includes a welcome reception, the EAC/ACB luncheon, and a closing banquet. The Members’ Exhibition awards presentation, along with lots of other events, round out the seminar.

Teaching at the Seminar

We are looking for instructors for upcoming seminars. We strive to offer classes in various threaded needle techniques – contemporary and traditional – suitable for stitchers at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.

Project classes, notebook classes, and classes which allow experimentation would be welcome, as would instruction in design and colour. We are requesting proposals in all areas of needle arts that would fit this bill, including dyeing, painting, design, and others at all levels of experience.

Interested? Contact us about teaching at upcoming seminars; we’d love to hear from you!

Seminar 2025: Stitching Under the Arch

Calgary, Alberta | May 13-18, 2025

Contact the Seminar 2025 Co-Chairs through our contact form.

Seminar 2026: Pacific Dreams/Rêves du Pacifique

Richmond/Vancouver, BC | May 2-10, 2026

Contact the Seminar 2026 Co-Chairs through our contact form.

Seminar 2027: The Art of the Needle

St. John’s NL | June 14-20, 2027

Contact the Seminar 2027 Co-Chairs through our contact form.

Previous Seminar List

The first chapter, the Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild, held the first seminar in May 1975. Constance Howard, from England, was the featured teacher. Phillip and Nellie Bergh gave an outstanding slide lecture and display of Nellie’s embroidery collection. Other teachers for the first seminar were Bea Erickson, Sally Schreiber and Jane Dams. Participants came from Canada and the United States.

Year – Theme – Location – Chapter Host(s)

1976 – Seminar 2 – Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild
1977 – Seminar 3 – Quetico Centre, ON – Embroiderers’ Association of Canada
1978 – Seminar 4 – Inn-On-the-Park, Toronto, ON – Toronto Guild of Stitchery
1979 – Rocky Mountains – Banff Centre for Continuing Education, AB – Embroiderers’ Association of Canada
1980 – Spring – Niagara Falls, ON – Niagara Peninsula Needle Arts Guild
1981 – Back to our Roots – Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild
1982 – Tulips – Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Valley Guild of Stitchery
1983 – Open Fields – Regina, SK – Regina Stitchery Guild
1984 – City Skylines – Montreal, QC – Lakeshore Creative Stitchery Guild
1985 – Northern Lights – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Needlearts Guild
1986 – From Sea to Sea – St. John’s, NL – St. John’s Guild of Embroiderers
1987 – Summer Kaleidoscope – Peterborough, ON – Embroiderers’ Guild of Peterborough
1988 – Impressions – Sault Ste. Marie, ON – Sault Guild of Needlearts
1989 – Contours – Calgary, AB – Calgary Guild of Needle & Fibre Arts
1990 – West Coast Images – Victoria, BC – Embroiderers’ Guild of Victoria
1991 – Meeting Place – Toronto, ON – Toronto Guild of Stitchery, Mississauga Stitchery Guild, and Northumberland Hills Stitchery Guild
1992 – Under Prairie Skies – Winnipeg, MB – Regina Stitchery Guild and Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild
1993 – Our Embroidered Heritage – Vancouver, BC – EAC, with the assistance of BC and Yukon chapters
1994 – Rivers of Friendship – Ottawa, ON – Lakeshore Creative Stitchery Guild and Ottawa Valley Guild of Stitchery
1995 – From a Distance – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Needlecraft Guild
1996 – Time to Stitch – St. John’s, NL – St. John’s Guild of Embroiderers
1997 – A Stitcher’s Garden – Victoria, BC – Embroiderers’ Guild of Victoria
1998 – Reflections – Hecla Island, MB – Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild
1999 – Talking Threads – Vancouver, BC – Vancouver Guild of Embroiderers
2000 – Turning the Tide – Moncton, NB – Chickadee Chapter of Needlearts
2001 – A Stitcher’s Odyssey – Calgary, AB – Calgary Guild of Needle & Fibre Arts
2002 – A Basket of Stitches – Regina, SK – Regina Stitchery Guild
2003 – Stitchers’ Ceilidh – Truro, NS – Marigold Guild of Needle Arts
2004 – Coastal Colours – Victoria, BC – Embroiderers’ Guild of Victoria
2005 – Stitchers’ Mosaic – Toronto, ON – Toronto Guild of Stitchery
2006 – River of Threads – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Needlecraft Guild
2007 – Stitching on the Edge – St. John’s, NL – St. John’s Guild of Embroiderers
2008 – Valley of Threads – Kelowna, BC – Okanagan Guild of Needle Arts
2009 – 1,000 Islands, 1,000 Stitches – Kingston, ON – Cataraqui Guild of Needle Arts
2010 – Stitching Outside the Box – Regina, SK – Regina Stitchery Guild
2011 – Strait Stitches, A Maritime Event – Sackville, NB – Alderney Needlearts Guild, Chickadee Chapter of Needlearts, Embroiderers’ Guild of Fredericton, Kingston Peninsula Stitchers’ Guild, Lady’s Slipper Needle Arts Guild, Marigold Guild of Needle Arts, Pleasant Valley Stitchers, Stitchery Guild of Bedford, Town Clock Stitchers
2012 – Island Images – Victoria, BC – Embroiderers’ Guild of Victoria, Cowichan Valley Needle Arts Guild, Island Stitchery Guild, and Arrowsmith Needle Arts Guild
2013 – Branching Out – Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild
2014 – A Symphony of Stitches – Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Valley Guild of Stitchery
2015 – Stampeding Stitches – Calgary, AB – Calgary Guild of Needle & Fibre Arts
2016 – Inspiring Threads – Toronto, ON – Embroiderers’ Guild of Peterborough, Quinte Needlearts Guild, Simcoe County Embroidery Guild, Tulip Tree Needlearts, and York Chatelaines
2017 – Rock Needle Scissors – St. John’s, NL – St. John’s Guild of Embroiderers
2018 – Bridging Stitches/Un pont entre les points – Charlottetown, PE – EAC Virtual Threads
2019 – Beyond the Edge – Victoria, BC – Embroiderers’ Guild of Victoria
2020 – Rhythm of the Needle – Truro, NS – Marigold Guild of Needle Arts (cancelled due to the COVID–19 Pandemic)
2021 – Magical Mystery – Richmond, BC – Semiahmoo Guild of Needlearts, Vancouver Guild of Embroiderers, Shuswap Needlearts Guild and three Individual Members
2022 – Stitching Harmony – Toronto, ON – Toronto Guild of Stitchery
2023 – The Stitch Goes On – Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeg Embroiderers’ Guild
2024 – Endless Horizons – Regina, SK – Regina Stitchery Guild