New England Region EGA Newsletter

Registration is now open for NER Region Day 2026! Join us online (the Zoom link will be emailed to all registered participants) on Saturday September 19 from 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM. The agenda for Region Day includes:

A lecture and slide show on the hand-embroidered, 20-panel The Plymouth Tapestry by Donna Curtin, Executive Director of the Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, MA
A demonstration of tambour embroidery with Alexandrina Dordea, an embroidery artist from Romania, who will also answer your questions about the materials, tools and techniques used in tambour
A preview of the classes and lectures scheduled for Needles & Blooms: Celebrating 50 Years of NER EGA, our 2027 region seminar

Click here for more information about the Region Day 2026 program and to register online.

SAVE THE DATES!

September 19, 2026: NER EGA 2026 Region Day (a virtual event!)
September 22, 2026: EGA Winterstitch Registration Opens
May 13 – 16, 2027: NER 2027 Seminar, Needles & Blooms: Celebrating 50 years of NER EGA, at the Delta Hotel, S. Burlington, VT

AMERICA 250 STITCH-A-LONG: IT'S A WIP PARADE!

What are you stitching for the NER America 250 Stitch-a-Long? We want to share everyone’s progress on their America 250 SAL pieces at Region Day 2026 – to recognize what everyone is stitching, and to inspire those who maybe haven’t quite gotten started yet!

Please email a photograph of your piece (finished, in progress, still thinking about it) to Deb Damrell (ard@ner-ega.org) by September 14 to be a part of the NER America 250 WIP Parade! Include the following with your photo:

Your name and primary chapter/MAL
Title and designer of your piece

Questions? Contact Deb (NER Assistant Region Director/Education) at ard@ner-ega.org).

CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT!

JAPANESE EMBROIDERY CLASS OPPORTUNITY

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The Southern Maine (SOME) Chapter EGA is sponsoring Mary Alice Sinton, a fully accredited Japanese silk and bead embroidery teacher for a two-day in-person class in Raymond, Maine on October 29 & 30, 2026.

SEATS ARE LIMITED! Registration closes September 8 – so act today!

Students will have the choice of four designs:

Teardrop Medallion Pin Cushion
Whirligig Treasure Chest
Lotus Blossom Clutch
Prince Charming

Click the button below to see the beautiful designs and learn how to register!

ANNOUNCEMENT

NER PhD Stitch-Ins

Are you looking for dedicated stitching time each month? Do you have questions about needlework projects, supplies or stitches, or just want to see what everyone else is working on? Then join a PHD Stitch-in! You never know what we’ll be talking about and sharing! The PHD Stitch-In Zoom links are on the PHD Stitch-In page of the NER website – join us to learn all about the latest embroidery tips, techniques and resources:

Third Friday morning of each month from 10 AM to noon
Fourth Sunday afternoon from 1:30 – 3:30 PM

Questions? Contact Deb Damrell, Assistant Region Director/Education (ard@ner-ega.org).

REGION SEMINAR 2027

The 2027 New England Region Seminar, Needles & Blooms: Celebrating 50 Years of NER EGA, is being held May 13 – 16, 2027 at the Delta Hotel by Marriott in South Burlington, VT. The seminar features:

Three days of in-person classes in a range of needlework techniques and levels with Barbara Ellis, Canby Robertson, Dawn Donnelly, Jane Masenas, Janet Salerno and Kris Andrews
A private gallery tour of the On Point: Needlework from the Garthwaite Family Collection exhibit of Vermont schoolgirl artwork at the Shelburne Museum
Lectures by Tricia Wilson Nguyen of Thistle Threads, Salley Mavor of Wee Folk Studio and Ellen Thompson from the Vermont Sampler Initiative
Needlework and crazy quilt exhibits
Studio Time, Merchandise Night, Opportunity Baskets and more!

Check the 2027 Region Seminar Central page on the NER website for details, registration information and other seminar updates.

WINTERSTITCH 2027: REGISTRATION OPENS SOON!

WinterStitch 2027 is a new virtual event offered by the EGA national seminar committee celebrating needlework, creativity, and community. Read all about it here on the EGA website.

Registration opens September 22 for classes with Katherine Diuguid, Clara Warschauer, Kurdy Biggs, Chrissie Juno Mann, and Holly Bean. These virtual classes are scheduled for dates in February and April 2027, and each class registration includes a project kit. This sounds like a perfect opportunity to learn, create, and share the joy of embroidery from the comfort of your home!

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

FLOSSTUBE

Did you know that EGA has a Flosstube channel – EGAUSA – with over 100 videos that are all free to view? EGA joined the Flosstube bandwagon just about a year ago with Flosstube #1: WIP Parade – a look at several EGA members’ work in progress (WIP) pieces from past EGA National Seminars. Since then, videos that focus on projects, tools, techniques, and updates on what is happening with EGA have been added to our channel. Here are a few we recommend:

Flosstube #3: Embroidery Tool Talk features several EGA members showing and demonstrating their favorite embroidery tools, including laying tools, how to remove thread “fuzz” from your piece, special tape to mark your place on a chart, and for all trivia players – what is an aficot?
Flosstube #5: A Discussion about Light and Magnification Tools for Embroidery covers the “pros” and “cons” of different types of magnification (glasses vs. stand-along magnifiers) and lights (rechargeable, free-standing, hangs around your neck).
Flosstube #6: Why We Have WIPs may inspire you to finish a few of your “it’s almost finished” projects!

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

INTERESTING WEBSITES

org, the Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, access to its web pages, books, texts, audio and video recordings and images is free. Is a very helpful resource for antique and vintage books.
org is a catalog of antique patterns in techniques from Battenburg Lace to Whitework, and more!