Some of our members are currently in the United Kingdom through September 20 participating in one of our Extended Study Programs. Kathleen Weston, EGA member from our Turquoise Trail Chapter in New Mexico, has been sharing reports of the groups’ experience so far and some great photos. We will continue to update this post with more photos and news as they become available.
If you’ve ever dreamed about staying in a charming English town, this is the town for you. Bury St Edmonds is exactly what I’d envisioned and I could just move in and be perfectly happy.
Unfortunately, Helen Stevens was unable to teach our class as planned, so with the aide of Lucy Barter of the San Francisco School of Needlework, we secured a delightful substitute, Chrissie Juno Mann, a graduate of the Royal School of Needlework and current tutor at RSN.
When we’re not stitching and enjoying each others company, we’re off touring at Oxburgh, the home of Bess of Hardwick and the prison of Mary Queen of Scots. Samples of embroidery wrought by both are in the house along with Mary’s scissors.
Today, we leave Norwich and head to Oxford. What a lovely surprise Norwich Castle Museum turned out to be! A delightful Decorative Arts exhibit with exquisite examples of embroidery and accessories.
I am still speechless over our visit to the Guild yesterday and that’s saying something. The display at the Bucks County Museum was small but represented embroidery well. There were modern pieces, antique pieces, English, American Indian pieces, Moroccan pieces. A lovely display. There are even original Tudor houses on the street! The museum was originally a Tudor house and they had a display on what they’ve found covered over during previous renovations.
Then, we went out to the collection. OMG!! My head is still whirling from what we saw. I saved 220 photo’s and I didn’t get it all because my camera card was full! We could have stayed much longer if we didn’t have to leave. Everything she got out was more fabulous than the last.
The curator, Anthea Godfrey was there with us. What a lovely, kind and generous woman she is. She knew that we were hooked and she was happy to indulge and delight us.
Check out our upcoming Extended Study Programs
Uncommon Stitches with artist and instructor Melinda Sherbring
Isabella: A Ukrainian Whitework Sampler with artist Terri Bay
