The Guild offers at least two workshops per year, one in the fall, and usually one in the spring. Please remember to sign up at a guild meeting or contact the workshop coordinator, Sheila Anstey, as spaces are often limited and awarded on a first come, first served basis. The guild covers the firsts $50 of kit costs with participants being responsible for the balance.
Sheila’s contact details: Email: danstey@nf.sympatico.ca; Text: 709-697-0704. Payment should be made to Arlene King aeking60@icloud.com; be sure to let her know what its for!
Workshops – 2025
Taste of Japanese Embroidery – Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, October 26 2025
In this 2-day workshop, Marion Preshing will introduce you to the amazing world of Japanese Embroidery, an ancient (1600 years old) form of embroidery from Japan. The skill level is beginner and there is no prior work required. A kit will be provided but participants will have to bring along some additional items (listed here if you want to plan ahead). The instructor will provide tools, filament silk and metallic threads to be used during workshop to create a 3-inch X 3.5-inch design of two cherry blossoms, two leaves and 3 buds on a 7-inch square piece of kimono fabric.
Techniques covered in workshop:
- Twisting silk filament thread in a Z and S twist
- Separated single layer
- Vertical single layer
- Diagonal single layer
- Line of staggered diagonals
- Line of held thread
- Japanese single round knot
Two fabric choices available, beige is most available and 12 pieces of purple/pink version of same kimono fabric. The student will choose the two colors of cherry blossoms, leaves and buds from a selection of spools of silk thread provided by instructor (see attached picture) to be used during the workshop.
KIT ITEMS:
Weekend rental of tools of tekobari, needles, awl and silk and metallic threads and fabric with design to be used during the workshop. The silk thread has 60 meters of thread on a spool. (The students will not be able to purchase these threads or tools to take home after the workshop.)
- PARTICIPANTS SUPPLY:
- Sharp pair of embroidery scissors
- 2 pair 7-inch stretcher bars (no hoops)
- Thumb tacks (at least 30)
- Either quick grip clamp or embroidery holder device to secure stretcher bars to table to free up both hands for stitching
- Magnification glasses, if needed
- Supplementary light source, if needed
To book a space, confirmation of attendance and payment must be received by the September meeting. The cost of the workshop will be $55.00. Workshop payment can be made in person at the meeting or via email transfer to Arlene King at aeking60@icloud.com. The password should be set as SJGE25.
Previous workshops
Carousel – Winter and Spring 2025
| Sessions: Date & Time: Saturday, March 15, 2025 from 9-4 with an hour for lunch (12-1) with two sessions offered during the day Location: St. Nicholas Church, Torbay Cost: $15 per session including supplies | Carousel a fun way to learn a new technique or do a simple project, all within a short time period, e.g., 3 hours. There will be several options for both sessions. Anyone who offers to teach a class will be able to take a class in the other time slot at no charge. Please reach out to Sheila for details. |
| To register (guild members): Email krista.vokey@gmail.com to book a spot. | 15 March 2025 Carousels: Making a tassel by Gillian Brown Starting and finishing a thread invisibly by Gillian Kirby Playing with painting on fabric by KJ Elton Zippity Do Dah brooch by Sheila Anstey |
Lacing Workshop – Saturday, 5 April 2025
In this half-day lacing workshop, Jewel Cousens, Anne Rowlands, and Marilyn Penney will teach your how to lace a piece of embroidery unto an acid-free backing board for framing. This may be of particular interest for those individuals working on pieces for the upcoming auction.
Participants will be asked to bring along a small, completed piece (no larger than 6X6), washed, and pressed.
Venue: Saturday, April 5 at St Nicholas Church in Torbay.
Cost: $25, includes supplies.
Please bring along your payment to the next meeting if you plan to attend. As we need to confirm the venue with a deposit, I would really appreciate it if members would email me at krista.vokey@gmail.com to let me know if they are interested.
Sue Spargo’s Felting Techniques – Spring 2025 – planning
This would be two separate classes offered on a Saturday and a Sunday in May. If you are interested in participating in this event, please Krista know as soon as possible. This will be a costly endeavour if it goes ahead, so we will need to know how much interest there is before we proceed with planning.
Joyce Gill will offer two half-day classes on July 20th.
| AM | PM |
  Temari Ball $20 including kit fee. Location TBD. |     Zippity Doo Dah Brooch $20 including kit fee. Location TBD. |
Naomi Smith will join us in late June for two workshops.
| June 18 &19 (Tues/Weds) | June 22 & 23 (Sat/Sun) |
 Sweetgrass Basket $63 including kit fee. Location and timing: The Summit Recreation Centre, 2nd floor, 126 Smallwood Drive, Mt. Pearl. 9:00-4:00 |  Beaded Poppy $63 including kit fee. Location and timing TBC. Location and timing: 4th floor, Arts & Culture Centre (accessible via elevator on the lower level of the A&CC) 9:00-4:00 |
Mike Parr will be here in the spring – late April, early May – to give two workshops.
| April 27 & 28 | May 3 & 4 |
 Elizabethan Cherry tree $55 registration fee plus $80 kit fee – total $135. Location and timing: Marine Institute, Ridge Road, 9:00-4:00. |  Stitch Your OWN Story $55 registration fee, no kit fee. Location and timing: The Lantern, Barnes Road. 9:00-4:00 |
BONUS: May 1 – Lecture on Reconstructuring an Embroidered Guild Crown from the Tudor Era – The Broderers Crown by Mike Parr, 7:30 p.m. at College of the North Atlantic, Prince Philip Drive.
Free admission
2023
October 21 & 22; October 28 &29 – Ruth Winsor will teach a canvaswork puffin the first weekend, then the ribbon rooster the following weekend. $55 for either workshop.
August 19th Anne Rowlands offered to teach an Intro to Hardanger workshop. $20 (includes kit fees).
August 12th Susan Furneaux offered to teach Exotic Bird. $25 (materials included; bring along your own fabrics, threads, beads, etc., if you like).
27 May
Child on sled. Marilyn Tucker will teach this piece at Torbay Common on Saturday, 27 May. It is a Grenfell style picture of a child being pulled on a sled.
6,7,9 &10 May
Japanese Embroidery with Marian Preshing (JEC teacher, Edmonton) is being offered for interested stitchers. Come join Marian and the current group of six stitchers to learn the art of working with Japanese flat silk in the form of Nudio. This year students are doing phases 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, & 7. If interested in getting started or attending the workshop please reach out to Anne Reynolds. The majority of the stitchers are guild members who would happily answer any questions about this artform.
6 May
All Things Embroidery workshop will be given my Elizabeth Fewer. Come for an interesting exploration of tools and tricks related to embroidery.
2022
May 2022: Japanese Beading workshop with Marian Preshing. Marian will be coming to us from Edmonton to teach a rondel piece of Japanese Beading. She will also be teaching a 4 day workshop on Japanese Embroidery.
2021
November 2021
Kingfisher by Becky Hogg
On October 23rd and November 6th, 2021, Anne Rowlands and Gillian Brown will facilitate this metalwork piece that was designed by Becky Hogg. Please reach out to Sheila Anstey or Lyn Moore to register, if you’re interested. Max 24 people, deadline to register – early September. Skill level: advanced beginner, someone who is comfortable with a needle and would like to try some gold work techniques.
About the Designer: Becky Hogg, the designer of this delightful piece, is a former RSN instructor, who now has her own business based out of Hastings UK. She has written detailed illustrated instructions that are comprehensive and easy to follow. She has a series of small metalwork birds and animals , of which the Kingfisher is one, each one leading one through different gold work techniques. She is also the author of the RSN Blackwork book.
June 2021: on the 19th, Susan Furneaux gave a workshop on caribou tufting.
May 29: Corrine Wright offered a workshop on beading. The project was a star.
2020
Oct/Nov 2020: Jane Prior joined us to instruct a workshop on 3D stitching (a form of stump work). The dates were Saturday October 17 & November 28. We look forward to seeing participants’ pieces in the new year! Here is a picture of Jane Prior’s piece:
Here are a few completed pieces form Jane’s workshop:
Our first workshop of 2020 was Obsessive Chain stitch with Bettina Matzkuhn. It will take place at Sobeys-Howley Estates (10 Elizabeth Avenue) starting 9AM on Saturday and 10AM Sunday, January 25 and 26, 2020.
Here are the results of the participants. These are just amazing !
October 2019 Marilyn Tucker – Bicycle with flowers
This is a copy of the piece, worked by Marilyn.
Elizabeth Fewer – Needlework Toys and Joys
Lorene Salt – Canvaswork Autumn Kaliedscope and Muse
Barbara Kershaw – Schwalm neck pillow and Christmas stocking
St. John's Guild of Embroiderers 