Blog #85 - Sampler Gathering - 2019 - Our Seventh Gathering
Tuesday, 20 August 2019
Over sixty ladies attended this wonderful weekend.
2, 3 & 4 August 2019
All sharing our passion for needlework and samplers in particular.
As planned, arrived at the prestigious venue of Manuels/Millennium Hotel & Resort on the shores of Lake Taupo late Thursday afternoon and whilst Keith (with the grateful help of friend and Sampler Gathering committee member, Cheryl) carried all the many packed crates and boxes of stitched models and needlework products from the car and up the stairs to the conference room, I began dressing the tables with props and cloths and sorting out in my mind where and how to display everything.
From 8am onwards, all the next morning was taken up with setting everything out.
Melissa arrived mid-morning and so it was great having her help.
Once again layout was separate tables and so able to create “themed” tables.
Here are a few pics -
Attendees registration began at 2pm - and it was “all go”.
Melissa and I were inundated with attending to the needs and wants of the ladies.
For many of them we had a “holding area” where they could create a little pile of goodies and add to their “stash” throughout the weekend each time they found a design, a thread or a needlework tool or accessary they liked.
Picture to the right was taken just after registrations opened, and already at the very end of the table was the beginnings of the little - and in some cases, not so little - piles!
A closer look at these samplers on display.
All four are the same design but look so different due to the choice of thread colour.
The design is by Elizabeth Darrah of Auckland.
Design Title: Dulcie’s Sampler : Design Code: ED : DULC : Price: $45.00
The samplers were stitched with the following threads and by ~
Gail (Taradale, Hawkes Bay) :
Midnight (Silk ’n Colors by The Thread Gatherer) *
Joy (Havelock North, Hawkes Bay) :
Blue Jay (Sampler Thread by The Gentle Art)
Elizabeth Darrah (Auckland) :
Elizabeth couldn't remember, but some of it was a Rayon thread
Jan (Taradale, Hawkes Bay) :
Mermaid Shimmer (Silk ’n Colors by The Thread Gatherer)
* I was pleased to display Gail’s needlework and she too was quite excited. It was her first ever piece of needlework to have been exhibited anywhere. Just lovely. Thank you for sharing, Gail.
As per usual, Sampler Gathering attendees came from all parts of the country.
To name a few: Auckland, Whangarei, Rotorua, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Christchurch (3), Dunedin (2) & the Hawkes Bay.
Apart from myself and Melissa, there were four ladies from our stitching group, one had to cancel out and two missed out.
This is such a “must attend” retreat that registrations were full within a few days of opening.
Many of those on the waiting list missed out.
This year there were four needlework classes/projects on offer.
Alison Snepp (Australia) - A Whitework Sampler of “back, chain, darning, herringbone, marking overcast, buttonhole & Oeillet-hole stitch as well as other techniques such as pintucks, Maderia applique and tiny buttons.
Olwyn Horwood (Auckland) - Needlecase or Mat. Both using the same motif.
Trish Hill (Whitianga) - A Needlework Pocket decorated with Quaker Motifs.
Andrea Old (Auckland) - A colourful Canvas Work Pincushion.
One of the two evening lectures was presented by Vivien Caughley (the instigator of this awesome event). She read a copy of a letter written by one of our early missionaries to the Missionary Society in England, which accompanied a sampler worked by a Maori girl who was living at the mission station in the late 1800’s. It is not known what has happened to this sampler.
A special event held at every retreat is the “Show and Tell”. This is always on the Sunday morning. It is great to see what everyone has been stitching over the previous couple of years or what they have acquired.
All sorts of samplers are shown.
Antiques : Reproductions : Own Designs
Truly stunning. And SO inspiring.
Next ‘Sampler Gathering’ is to be held in 2021. Friday, Saturday & Sunday. 6, 7 & 8 August.
Plan to be there. And register as soon as you receive notification of it so that you don’t miss out. Attendee numbers are limited.
I assure you that you will have a wonderful time!
o w o
The following is not needlework related, but I thought you might like to read the encouraging words that were written on a card that was recently sent to me. On the cover of the card ….
And inside ….
to believe in yourself -
to continue each journey you start,
To face each new pathway
determined to travel
with courage and hope in your heart.
May you always have faith
in yourself to believe
in the dreams that are special to you,
In your courage to follow
wherever they lead,
in your power to make them come true.
That’s all for this time.
WHOOPS! No, it’s NOT all from me. See next page. I missed a very important announcement!
- 4 -
P.S.
My sincere apologies to Judy Clearwater.
I forgot to mention at the beginning of this blog how we missed her at Sampler Gathering this year and thank her for her work and dedication to the weekend over the past four retreat weekends.
Judy was one of the founding committee members, but sadly she has not been able to continue in her role due to ill health.
Judy - we truly are grateful for all that you have done in the past and sincerely hope your recovery will not be too much longer.
Also, since my original drafting of this blog I have been talking with my friend, Cheryl - one of the Sampler Gathering committee members who stepped in to fill Judy’s role - and she in return has sent me some photos that she had taken during the weekend.
And so, here they are.
‘Show & Tell’ on the Sunday morning. Elizabeth Darrah can be seen showing some of the ladies the most exquisite needlework tools that she has in one of her many antique sewing boxes. The box pictured is just one of the many that she has recently purchased and has painstakingly restored to it’s original glory. Just beautiful!
Samplers worked by some of the weekend attendees can be seen surrounding Elizabeth’s box.
Only a portion of one of the four tables on which needlework samplers are displayed can be seen in these two photos.
A better pic of Gigi’s original antique sampler & my reproduction of it,
and a sneak peek at the new design that will be available towards the end of the year -
Sampler Keeps.
And finally.
The sights one sees when they don’t have a gun!
Caught Out!!
Once again, that’s all for this time. Sherelyn
