Kathryn Lord, of the Connecticut River Valley Chapter, recently completed “Butterflies,” a spring pattern by Susan Jones.
Category: Show & Tell
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“Brrr…Snowman” Stitched by Pat Karpenko
Pat Karpenko, of the Connecticut River Valley Chapter, recently finished this adorable piece from the December “Snow Day” workshop. “Brr…Snowman” was designed by Pepperberry Designs, with a stitch guide by CRVC member Judie Solomon.
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Favorite Medallion #1 Stitched by Laurie Sulger
Laurie Sulger, of the Connecticut River Valley Chapter, recently completed Favorite Medallion #1, one of the EGA’s Petit Projects. This beautiful medallion combines pulled thread and satin work in the manner of Hetsie van Wyk of South Africa.
Click here to download this Petit Project—just keep in mind that the basic count for the pulled thread stitches is three (not the more common two or four), so careful counting is essential!
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Gawthorpe Poppies
Winta Hay recently finished Gawthorpe Poppies, designed by Deborah Wilding (Crewel Works Company). This design is based on a runner from the UK’s Gawthorpe Textiles Collection.
Gawthorpe Textiles Collection is an internationally renowned collection of global textiles located in the heart of Pennine Lancashire. Founded by the Honourable Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth (1886-1967), the collection was amassed to educate, inspire creativity, support wellbeing and to preserve traditional craft skills by sharing knowledge, skills and expertise across cultures. Click here to learn more about the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection.
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Backyard Birds by Suzanne Bruno
Suzanne Bruno of the Southern Maine (SoME) Chapter completed her third art collage book, Backyard Birds.
Artist Spotlight: Suzanne Bruno
Q: Tell us about your background in needlework and how you discovered EGA.
A: I come from a long line of sewing women and have been a member of the Southern Maine chapter (SoME) for 18 years. I learned about EGA from some of the women in my Crazy Quilters of Maine group, a chapter of the Pine Tree Quilt Guild. My first love is crazy quilting, and when I started seeing a lot of “junk journal” and “paper collage” online, it was a natural progression for me to attempt the same techniques with fabric.
Q: What inspired you to create “Backyard Birds” as your third embroidered book?
A: I live on a lake in a rural area of Maine surrounded by birdsong, so the bird idea developed naturally as I searched for free images online to interpret in fabric. I set aside fabrics and trims from my stash and came up with a suitable size where I could incorporate an embroidered bird and leaves section from an antique crazy quilt, plus a small piece of an antique paisley shawl.
Q: Can you describe your creative process for this project?
A: The pages came together as I started layering my materials. I often take photos of my work in progress before everything is stitched in place. The challenge for me was to use only what I have in my stash. The most enjoyable part of this project was attaching and embellishing the twig and branch “perches” for the birds. Backyard Birds took me over a year of planning, collecting, and stitching.
The challenge for me was to use only what I have in my stash. I love antique textiles and rescue the worn and torn whenever possible.
Q: What makes this book personally meaningful to you?
A: When I share this book with friends and family, I get very nostalgic about fabrics, trims, and embellishments from various quilts and tea cozies I’ve made over the years. Each piece tells a story and connects me to past projects and memories.
Q: What’s next for you creatively?
A: My next fabric collage book is in the “planning in my head” stage—it will take a while! I’m also working on my second crazy quilt, which I hope to complete for a milestone birthday in 2026.
Suzanne Bruno’s “Backyard Birds” beautifully demonstrates how traditional needlework techniques can evolve into contemporary art forms while honoring the past through rescued antique textiles.
