December Christmas Party

Members celebrated Christmas with our traditional potluck and ornament exchange.  After a delicious meal and a friendly game, we each emerged with a lovely stocking.

The theme for this year's ornament exchange was a stocking.  It was interesting to see how each member of the chapter interpreted the design to make a stunning and unique stocking.

Our potluck lunch is always delicious, and this year was no exception.  Some of us remembered past members by preparing some of their favorite foods.  It was a good time for remembering old friends and happy times.  Carol had made a gift of a beautiful poinsettia pin for each of us.

November Retreat

In November, members went on a weekend retreat to a lovely house in Bella Vista.  We each were responsible for one meal for the weekend, so we ate very well!  We brought projects, UFO's, and bonnets that we wanted to finish.  Saturday morning, everyone was up early to go to a local church bazaar, and several members found wonderful bargains and treasures.  We celebrated Tawana's birthday with a cake appropriate to our love of sewing...a sewing machine on top and spools of thread around the outside.

October Program - Sashiko

 Sashiko (刺し子^?, literally "little stabs") is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching (or functional embroidery) from Japan. Traditionally used to reinforce points of wear, or to repair worn places or tears with patches, this running stitch technique is often used for purely decorative purposes in quilting and embroidery.  (Wikipedia)

Diana taught this technique on a little bonnet kit from Wendy Schoen.  The back of the bonnet has a flower outlined with a running stitch with a bullion bumble bee in the center.  The front edge of the bonnet has Sashiko embroidery in a scalloped pattern with lace on the edge.  A ribbon rosette of silk ribbon is used to attach the silk ribbon ties.  Diana completed the ensemble above which is on display at The Stitchin' Post in Little Rock. 

September Program - Faggoted Bonnet

Bedetta taught this lovely bonnet using faggoting to connect pieces of lace to make the fabric for the bonnet.  There are tiny pintucks at the back of the bonnet and the entire bonnet is edged in entredeux and lace with silk ribbon ties.

August Program - Boutis Bonnet

Boutis is a cousin to quilting.  It is a hand-sewn form of decorative needlework that uses a whole-cloth technique in which two layers of fabric are stitched together in decorative patterns into which loose batting and cording are then inserted.    This kit from Marie Yolande makes a beautiful white bonnet.  Diana taught this unique technique which has a sculptural surface in a beautiful pattern.  The bonnet edge is accented with lace, and the ties are silk ribbon.