The Guild offers a diverse program that changes each year. Generally, there are workshops, mini lessons and/or speakers on topics and/or techniques designed to enable our members to broaden their knowledge and expertise.
General Meeting and Programme Calendar 2024-2025
Programme Theme – Basic Ingredients. Program activities for 2024-25 will follow the theme of “Basic Ingredients” of embroidery. The first half of the year will allow members to focus on a series of basic stitches, exploring how they are used in both traditional and contemporary approaches to embroidery, and developing their own personal reference guide of stitches. During the second half of the year members will be able to choose to apply those stitches in a crazy quilting project or a cutwork project. All program activities are facilitated by experienced members of our guild.
Program activities are designed to be accessible and interesting to beginners and experts alike, to provide structure for those who want it, and flexibility for those who don’t. All program activities are optional; members can always choose to work on their own individual projects.
Members will also have the opportunity to participate in a collective project, Colour Play, and to create items for our annual booth at the Peterborough Fibre Festival and Sale. Two full-day workshops are planned for November (Seasonal Ornaments) and March (tba). Other activities, such as field trips, community events, and additional stitch-ins will be arranged through the year.
The first Programme of the Year occurred at our October 2024 Meeting. Seanagh led the group in a session entitled “Buttonholed”. The session focused on the Button Hole/Blanket Stitch. A number of handouts were provided which detailed how this basic stitch can be adapted (different patterns using long or short, double, open or closed, knotted). Seanagh provided the group with a very informative session. Pictures of different samples of work using this stitch are below:
The third Programme of the Year occurred at our January 2025 Meeting. Olga and Carol led a discussion about the Types of Knots used in Hand Embroidery. A handout was provided with details of some of these stitches. Pictures of different samples of work using types of knots are below:
Meeting and Programme Calendar 2023-2024
Programme Theme – Growth and Renewal. This theme was chosen as it seemed an appropriate theme in this post-COVID era, as we navigate our new way forward while drawing from our history. It is hoped that we can keep the best of what we had before COVID, and some of the new things we learned through COVID. The President’s 2023 Summer Challenge incorporated that theme with a number of projects being completed: President’s Summer 2023 Challenge – Finish Something Old or Do Something New
In September the Embroiderers’ Guild of Peterborough’s Collective Project for 2023-24: The Whisper Project begins with the reveal occurring at our April 2024 meeting. This project was inspired by the SAQA Fergus Pod project that was exhibited in Guelph in the spring of 2023: Whisper Project by SAQA Fergus Pod The project also draws on the postcard projects that the guild has done in previous years. To view the completed Whisper Project shown at our May 2024 meeting please see: Show and Tell – May 2024
October – Sampler: Textural Stitches – In October Fiona led the group in a mini-workshop entitled Seasons Sampler: Textural Stitches. For this workshop participants are to create a snowflake sampler utilizing five different stitches; pistil stitch, fly stitch, whipped spider stitch, coral stitch and Palestrina stitch. Completed Samplers can be seen here: Seasons Sampler: Textural Stitches Instructions can be found on the Members Only Page.
November – Silk Ribbon Workshop Thank you to Deb for leading a few of our members in a Silk Ribbon Workshop.
 | The project included stitching eight different stitches using floss in the inner circle and then using the same stitches but using silk ribbon in the outer circle. Pictures of eompleted projects can be seen here: Silk Ribbon Workshop |
Meeting and Programme Calendar 2022-2023
Programme – House and Garden – The programme theme this year is House and Garden. There will be one project (any size, any technique) involving a longer time period which allows for a variety of techniques. These techniques are covered in several one-day learning opportunities which include stitching flowers, ribbon work, crewel, blackwork and architectural embroidery. It also allows for interesting background techniques such as collage and printing.
At our November 16 Guild meeting architectural embroidery was explored with a review of the straight stitch/stem stitch for outlining buildings. Members could work on a small hands-on Blackwork sampler. For more information, samples and completed Blackwork samplers please see here: Blackwork Sampler Project.
There was also a Blackwork Workshop led by our own Norah which is described here: Blackwork Workshop
Our Programme Chair – Fiona, hosted a Colour on Cloth Playday on November 19, 2022. For more information and pictures of the day please see here: Colour on Cloth Playday
Our January 18, 2023 Guild meeting brought us together to discuss our preliminary plans for our House and Garden project and Works in Progress and/or Completed Projects were shown at our end of year luncheon on June 21, 2023. These works are displayed here: House and Garden Project
At our March 15, 2023 meeting Fiona treated us to a Trunk Show of work from members of the Studio Art Quilts Association. Some of the works included embroidery. Great discussion on these pieces took place. For more information and pictures of the day please see here: Studio Art Quilts Association (SAQA) Trunk Show