It has been a long winter, but we’re finally turning the corner toward spring! As the days get longer and we start dreaming of warmer weather, it’s the perfect time to refresh your stitching projects and connect with fellow embroiderers.
Whether you’re finishing up those cozy winter projects or planning something bright for the season ahead, we hope this newsletter finds you with needle in hand and creativity flowing!
Happy stitching,
The NER Board
SAVE THE DATES!
September 19, 2026: NER EGA 2026 Region Day (a virtual event!)
May 13 – 16, 2027: NER 2027 Seminar at the Delta Hotel, S. Burlington, VT
UPCOMING EVENTS
On Point: New Research into Vermont Needlework
Join Shelburne Museum curator Katie Wood Kirchhoff in conversation with the Vermont Sampler Initiative’s Project Manager Ellen Thompson to explore extraordinary examples of schoolgirl artworks made in Vermont, ranging from traditional samplers and silk-on-silk embroideries to memorials, family registers, and more. This webinar will preview some of the remarkable items that will be on display as part of Shelburne Museum’s 2026 exhibition On Point: Needlework from the Garthwaite Family Collection.
NEW! NER PHD Stitch-Ins
Could you use some encouragement to finish a few of your WIPs? Would you like to get to know other EGA members in the New England Region and what they are stitching? Do you have questions about your current project, materials or tools needed for a new project, or how to stitch the perfect French knot? And would you like to do all of this from the comfort of your favorite stitching chair?
The NER Education Committee has the answer – virtual PHD Stitch-Ins, starting in March!
What is a PHD Stitch-In?
- An online get-together (using Zoom) to stitch and chat.
Why should you attend a PHD Stitch-In?
- Connect: Meet other EGA members, be inspired by their projects, and maybe add a few new items to your “I want to stitch that” list!
- Learn: Get answers to your questions and hear advice from the PHD Help Desk – the collective knowledge of other stitchers!
- Support: Use the time to focus on your WIPs, and receive a virtual “high five” for every finish!
When are the PHD Stitch-Ins?
- Join these March sessions any time:
- Friday March 20, 9:30 – 11:30 AM; AM PHD Stitch-In link
- Sunday March 29, 1:30 – 3:30 PM; PM PHD Stitch-In link
And just in case you were wondering:
- NER = New England Region
- WIP = work-in-progress
- PHD = projects half done!
Questions? Contact Deb Damrell, Assistant Region Director/Education (ard@ner-ega.org).
NER America 250 Stitch-a-Long
All EGA members in the New England Region are invited to participate in a recognition of our nation’s semiquincentennial – the NER America 250 Stitch-a-Long.
- What: Select any needlework project – either a new project or a work-in-progress – that represents America’s 250th anniversary to you.
- Any technique
- Any size
- Any source – original, commercial, adaptation, class project
- How: Stitch your project throughout 2026 – on your own, at the new NER PHD Stitch-In sessions, or form a group to stitch together (in person or virtually).
- When: Complete your project for display at the NER seminar in May 2027. We may also have an online “video parade” after seminar.
Contact Deb Damrell, Assistant Region Director/Education (ard@ner-ega.org) with any questions.
A Summary of EGA Education Opportunities
Did you know that individual EGA members can choose from a wide array of needlework courses that cover a full range of techniques and skill levels? In addition to the programs and classes offered by the New England Region, our national organization offers the following:
Group Correspondence Courses (GCCs) offer low-cost, high-quality learning experiences for groups of up to 20 participants, plus a group coordinator. GCCs are open to all EGA members.
GCC Lightning Rounds: No group needed! There are currently 5 GCCs being offered in techniques ranging from beading to Elizabethan embroidery, painting on canvas and perfect cross stitches. Lightning Rounds are the perfect opportunity for anyone who wants to work on a course or explore a new technique on their own, or as part of a chapter program.
Online Studio Classes: These classes typically consist of two to six lessons posted to the EGA website over two to three months. Students provide their own materials, or may order a kit for some classes. Emails provide links to class materials, and access to a class discussion group to ask questions and share progress with the teacher and other students. Registration opens March 4 for Gawthorpe Peacock with Phillipa Turnbull, a Jacobean design based on a 100-year-old bed hanging. Other 2026 Online Studio Classes will feature petit point with Natalia Frank, a colonial band sampler with Barbara Jackson, plus courses with Katherine Diuguid, Terri Bay, Kay Ackerman, and more.
Virtual Education Courses: These multiple-day courses are held via Zoom and include written instructions, online technique or stitch demonstration videos, real-time interaction with the teacher, and kits (for some courses). Registration is currently open for Triple Lily Ornament, a small Elizabethan goldwork and raised work piece with Melinda Sherbring. Registration for The Black Rose Sweet Bag, an intermediate level blackwork course with Carolyn Standing Webb, opens mid-March.
Individual Correspondence Courses (ICCs): ICCs are in-depth study programs dealing with a wide range of embroidery techniques and disciplines at various skill levels. These courses offer EGA members intense, personalized study under the supervision of teachers selected for their outstanding needlework skills and knowledge. Current ICCs cover design, color theory, quilting, surface embroidery, and canvas work.
Read more about each of these education options, plus Master Craftsman and Technical Excellence Certification Programs and the EGA Virtual Lecture Series on the EGA Education page.
If you are interested in any of these courses and would like to join with other New England Region stitchers taking the same course, contact Deb Damrell, Assistant Region Director/Education (ard@ner-ega.org). She will connect you with others who have the same interests.
NEWS & UPDATES
Youth joined SOME’s Stitch-in-Public Day Events
Two kids and 18 adults participated in SOME EGA’s National Stitch-in-Public Day on Saturday, Feb. 7. At the Waterville, ME location, host Sherry Cochran said three of the six attendees were beginners. “The two little ones are 6 and 8 and had never done embroidery before. One woman perfected her French knots. Lots of stories about aunts, mothers, and grandmothers who passed on their stash!”
In Brunswick, ME, SOME members Carol Fitzgerald and Laurie Sims hosted eight stitchers. Carol F. said, “We had the table runners from the chapter, some examples of finished pieces from Guild classes, a table of magazines to give away free plus floral dog kits, some rework kits left over from a chapter project …. and wool felt, Aida bookmarks and several bobbins of floss.”
In East Kingston, NH, five stitchers navigated slippery roads to snuggle up next to a cozy fire, while a snowstorm raged outside. Host Vicki J. Brown said “We stitched together, marveled at each others’ embroidery projects, and exchanged tips about threads, portable task lights and transfer options (sulky solvy water-soluble stabilizer does wash out!)”
Too read more and see pictures of everyone stitching together, click the button below!
SHOW & TELL
SOME’S Youth Event
SOME’s youth event was so popular, Connie Small is now teaching a weekly “Stitch a Bookmark” Youth workshop every Wednesday afternoon at the D. A. Hurd Library! Click the button below to learn more and see pictures of the kids’ completed work.
Beaded Keychains Galore!
Merrimack Valley Chapter members stitched these spiral beaded keychains designed by Rosemary Carter.
“Witch” Stitched by Linda King
Linda King (Merrimack Valley Chapter) adapted this pattern by Salley Mavor, creating this stunning witch riding a broomstick!
Spring Cleaning Your Embroidery Stash
As we begin to finally exit winter, it’s the perfect time to organize your embroidery stash and rediscover forgotten treasures buried in your collection!