Vicki J. Brown (SOME) created her first mixed-media piece, Lavender Cyanotype Embroidery.
“I took a weekend workshop with Katama Murray of Teach Peace Prints and created 14 different botanical fabric prints. She inspired us to stitch on or with them, so I started, tentatively, to embroider the lavender flowers. What started as an experiment became an incredibly joyful creative process, as I played with different stitches and added silk ribbon and new threads to my standard repertoire of DMC floss. The fabric wasn’t wide enough to stretch over a frame, so I sewed on a fabric border, and then splurged on a gorgeous Italian frame from Casco Bay Frames and Gallery in Portland, ME.”
Hello to all of you after a wonderful NER Region Day! If you are looking for another opportunity for great projects with outstanding teachers, don’t forget about Southern Maine’s 4th Biennial SOME Spring Getaway, March 13-15 2026 in Auburn, Maine.
Registration closes on December 31, 2025!
Cissy Bailey Smith has returned to the US after a successful debut of her Scottish Castle Etui in the UK.
You are not limited to Cissy’s selection of silks – you may provide your own to customize your etui into the castle of your dreams in this one-day class on Sunday March 15.
How some of Cissy’s students personalized their castles.
Update!
Cissy will also be offering her students a “Spring” adaptation of her Autumn Thread Keep, offering more options for you to choose from in this Friday March 13 finishing class!
Autumn Thread Keep by Cissy Bailey SmithAutumn Thread Keep by Cissy Bailey Smith
And don’t forget that Cissy is also teaching her Sampler Stories Huswif on Saturday March 14. Details are in the registration form.
Sampler Stories Huswif by Cissy Bailey SmithSampler Stories Huswif by Cissy Bailey SmithSampler Stories Huswif by Cissy Bailey Smith
Holly Bean is offering her bead embroidered Barn Owl on Saturday March 14for those who want to try some bead embroidery on cork fabric. This piece would be perfect for a wall hanging, book or box cover, or as finished as a necklace as shown. Holly is also teaching her Poseidon Seas Bracelet.
Barn Owl by Holly Bean.Poseidon Seas Bracelet by Holly Bean.
Register now!
With so many fun and exciting projects, two outstanding teachers, and optional Studio Time, the Southern Maine Chapter hopes you will join us for the 4th Biennial SOME Spring Getaway!
For complete details of each class, information about accommodations, an event schedule and to register for the SOME Spring Getaway, click here.
The Southern Maine Chapter (SOME) is pleased to offer “Sherry for Jack”, a series of four surface embroidery Zoom classes taught by Hazel Blomkamp, beginning on January 7th, 2026.The design is as featured in Hazel’s book, Crewel Intentions.
The Piece
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate to Advanced TECHNIQUE(S): Surface Embroidery SIZE: 8 1/8” x 4 ¾”
The Details
This16-hour class will be presented in four, four-hour sessions, beginning on January 7th, 2026.
LOCATION: ZOOM (Attend from home!) DATES: Every Wednesday in January (7th, 14th, 21st, 28th), 2026 TIME: 9 AM – 1 PM, EST. REGISTER BY: OCTOBER 15th, 2025
TOOLS & MATERIALS
Participants will need a copy of Hazel Blomkamp’s book, Crewel Intentions. If the book isn’t available at your library, you can purchase one from Hazel for $16.00 by checking the box in the registration form. The book contains 7 patterns with valuable embroidery instruction that will help you stitch other pieces.
TECHNIQUES
This project includes and iterates on the basic embroidery stitches, making it a great class for stitchers seeking both familiarity and challenge. In addition to practicing old favorites, participants will learn a wide range of intermediate embroidery techniques including:
Couching & Trellis Couching
Whipped Backstitch
Padded Buttonhole Stitch
Coral Stitch
Raised Herringbone
Padded Satin Stitch
Bead Embroidery
The Instructor
Hazel Blomkamp has dabbled with all the needlecrafts since childhood. When her children were babies she developed a passion for embroidery to break the tedium of life with toddlers, using it as her evening reward for having got through the day with her sanity intact. her children are now young adults and she still embroiders in front of the television every night. She has been designing for the past 18 years. Preferring to design projects which appear to be traditional, she pushes the boundaries by introducing other forms of needlecraft into traditional techniques, exploring further in everything that she does. Along with designing, she runs a busy website from home. She teaches at her home studio, in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, and travels throughout South Africa and to Australia teaching embroidery and fine beadwork. She is a regular contributor to South African and Australian embroidery magazines and is a columnist for South African Stitches Magazine.
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.
Venue and booking information can be found below, in the Accommodations section.
Registration Fees:
SOME Chapter Members: $299 New England Region Members: $324 All Others: $349
Includes
Meet & Greet
Studio Time
Mini Merch Mart
Friday Finishing Class*
Saturday Classes*
Saturday Lunch & Dinner
Sunday Classes*
Sunday Lunch
*Class attendance is included, but kits must be purchased separately during registration.
Class Options
Choose your weekend experience:
Friday evening class (open to all registrants)
One 1-day class + Studio Time
Two 1-day classes (Saturday + Sunday)
Friday Evening
Autumn Thread Keep (Finishing Class)
This lovely thread keep, based on an antique pattern, is designed to hold five spools of sewing thread.
INSTRUCTOR: Cissy Bailey Smith SKILL LEVEL: Advanced Beginner TECHNIQUE(S): Counted Thread, Finishing. KIT COST: $60 PREWORK: The linen components must be embroidered and attached at home, so they are prepared for the finishing class.
KIT INCLUDES:
Linen (40-count)
Au Ver A Soie 100.3 (5 Spools)
Accentuate
Comic Board
Lining Fabric
Ribbon
STUDENTS MUST BRING:
Embroidery Scissors
Needles
Saturday
Sampler Stories Huswif
Create a beautiful huswif featuring motifs from Scottish and English samplers. Measures 8″ wide and 4″ high!
INSTRUCTOR: Cissy Bailey Smith SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate TECHNIQUE(S): Counted Thread, Finishing. KIT COST: $95 LINEN OPTIONS: 32ct, 35ct, or 40ct
KIT INCLUDES:
Linen
Instruction Guide w/Chart
Needle Point, Inc. Silks (11 Half-Skeins)
Gloriana Silks (4 Yards)
Accentuate (2 Yards)
Au Ber A Soie 100.3 (1 Spool)
Silk Ribbon
STUDENTS MUST BRING:
Embroidery Scissors
Needles
Barn Owl Necklace/Wall Hanging
Learn how to create layered bead embroidery and beaded spiral ribbon fringe! Can be worn as a necklace or modified into a wall hanging.
Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch Special rate: $129/night (available Thursday-Sunday)
All rooms include Keurig coffee maker, microwave, mini-fridge, and free Wi-Fi! Pet-friendly rooms are available (limit to 2 pets, max). Parking is complimentary. Hotel amenities include an indoor pool, fitness center, and on-site restaurant.
