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 2026: Pacific Dreams/Rêves du Pacifique
Richmond/Vancouver, BC | May 5-10, 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 – Hues in 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
- 2025 – Stitching Under the Arch – Calgary, AB – Calgary Guild of Needle and Fibre Arts