Embroidery Conference 2010

I’ve been a cross stitcher for a very long time, but I’ve always been interested in other forms of needlecraft. So when my local needlework store mentioned they were attending the Association of New Zealand Embroiderers’ Guild Inc (ANZEG) 2010 conference, I wanted to check it out and my lovely friend Laura agreed to come along too.

We met up at her place in the wee morning hours yesterday. It was chilly chilly chilly… the frost was so thick and mist so heavy the route down to Hamilton was spectacular, and for once I wasn’t driving so could enjoy the gorgeous views. Once we got into the city, we located where the conference was taking place then went to grab a spot of coffee/hot chocolate before heading in to the event hall.

The Embroidery Conference 2010 this year was hosted by the Waikato Embroiderers’ Guild; so on walking into the hall we were presented with their newsletter and a few tips to enjoying the event. Unfortunately, on taking my camera out, I was annoyed to discover that my battery was dead *head desk* lesson learned, next time I check my camera the night prior to an event! I feel so bad about this because we went on to look at some gorgeous work, really really beautiful stuff even for those of you not interested in embroidery.

My favourites included:

• the wall of stunning biscornus
• ‘Merlin’s Coat’ made solely out of thin thin coloured wires using a technique called Or Nue’ by Jenny Miller
• a beautifully worked piece with gold fibres, red and orange silks, shishas called ‘Indian Spice’ by Glenys Fry
• a goldwork 3-d dragon sitting in a book called ‘You Summoned me – For THISSS?’ by Betty Smythe
• … and a gorgeous castle sampler with 3 brass keys called ‘Crusaders Keys’ by Helen Palmer

One display showed 9×5 crafted note cards that were done as an exchange, each embellished in different ways, from embroidery, decoupage, quilting, to 3-d textiles. There was a book asking members of the public if they’d be interested in signing up for the next exchange, and of course Laura and I signed up! The Young Persons’ Exhibition (12 and under) was truly inspiring, to see the level of skill displayed by younguns was both scary and humbling… but it’s good to know that needlework isn’t lost to the younger generations!

As for the Merchants Mall… wow! A truly dazzling array of goods to be bought… hand dyed fabrics and embroidery threads of every hue imaginable, goldwork, silks, books, kits, patterns and accessories galore!
I think its fair to say that I was very picky, and I did check prices at all the stores before making my purchases. I had a specific goal in mind, to find embroidery books that featured Indian embroidery techniques. Alas, there were none, but I did come away with the following pretties.

Goodies from the Embroidery Conference 2010

These are:

• All Dolled Up The Merry Skater by Little House Needleworks
• All Dolled Up Red House in Winter by Little House Needleworks
• A-Z of Goldwork with Silk Embroidery
• Cross Stitch Greeting Cards by Joan Elliott
• Keep a Little Secret kit by Just Nan
• Four Seasons Blackwork Biscornus by Kitty & Me Designs (loved these because I can use them to try make biscornus with, without worrying if I stuff up and have wasted lots of time.)
• … and an Elbesee Seat Frame that I didn’t bother taking a photo of. It was being sold at a great price, and came with all three hoop sizes mentioned on the link too

Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to check out all the workshops and talks, other than that, what a wonderful wonderful day! Truly inspirational, and I’m already itching to try out some of the techniques I saw. I will definitely be signing up to become a member of the Auckland Embroiderers’ Guild.

If you are keen on checking this event out, it runs from July 09th to 15th. Location map here. Entry is NZ$5, parking is free. No photography in the exhibition halls but other than that, go crazy, and make sure to share the photos with me!