Search Site
What's Up Magazines
Embroidery: The Art of the Needle
By Annie Peroutka
"The embroidery world is enormous," says Annapolitan Canby Robertson.
She would know. Robertson is one of the 18,000 members of the Embroiderer's Guild of America, an organization open to stitchers of all levels. Specifically, Robertson is a member of the Constellation Chapter, one of the 345 EGA chapters in the United States and Canada. Based in Baltimore, the Constellation Chapter reaches out to stitchers in central Maryland, including the Annapolis area. "Our chapter currently has 180 members and is one of the largest and most active chapters in this region," says Leslie Carson, the acting President for the Constellation Chapter.
"Each of us has our own story and reason for being involved with embroidery and the needle arts," says Carson. "The joy of creating such beautiful pieces blossoms from within each of us for a variety of deeply personal reasons." Canby Robertson's interest in embroidery began as a child by watching her grandmother, who was a stitcher. To this day, she embroiders in her grandmother's beloved stitching chair.
Whether a person is new to the world of embroidery or a seasoned veteran, they're welcomed into the EGA with open arms. "What makes the Embroiderer's Guild and the Constellation Chapter so wonderful is that we have members who are just beginning their journey into the world of embroidery, all the way to members who have made needlework their life study," explains Carson. "Some volunteer at museums, some are artists and fiber artists, some study the history of embroidery or of the embroiderers themselves."
Becoming a member in the EGA opens many doors into the world of embroidery. The Constellation Chapter connects its members with the most up-to-date information on the needle arts through seminars, the EGA's Needle Arts magazine, Master Craftsman programs in specific techniques, and correspondence courses offered to both groups and individuals. "We have so many wonderful offerings in classes in our chapter," raves Robertson. "Leslie goes after some of the best teachers both nationally and internationally and brings them here to teach in our area." Since the membership has wide interests in needle art, the chapter also provides a large range of classes on a number of different topics. "We offer all levels of instruction in every type of needle art technique, and everyone is always welcome," says Carson.
While some consider embroidery to be a hobby, Robertson doesn't feel that way. "I'm very serious about what I do," says Robertson. "For me, it's an art form and a means of self-expression." Her pieces depict many topics that are in her thoughts, like women's issues. While she doesn't sell her works (she says it takes too long to create them), Robertson's embroidery can be seen in both local and national Guild-sponsored exhibitions as well as in her home. Other EGA members express numerous reasons for taking up needle art. "The majority of embroiderers will say they find needlework very relaxing," says Terri Tubergen, the Membership Chairman for the Constellation Chapter. "It's a wonderful way to spend leisure time, and can be enjoyed with a group of friends or by yourself."
When reminiscing about her years in the Constellation Chapter, one group project stands out in Robertson's mind. "Our chapter completed a 26-feet long by 8-feet wide tablecloth for the Governor's Mansion, with 24 napkins and 24 coasters," Robertson relates. Hilda Mae Snoops, the Official Hostess of the Government House under the Schaefer administration, requested the mammoth cloth. "One day, Mrs. Snoops was doing an inventory. When she went through the linens that were available for formal occasions, she found a beautiful hand-made lace tablecloth wrapped up and stuffed into the back of a closet," Robertson recalls. "The tablecloth had been used for a function years before. And because they didn't know how to clean it after the function was over, they wrapped up the tablecloth and put it in the closet. Over the years, the food stains had eaten through the fabrics and fibers." That's when the Constellation Chapter came to the rescue and created a brand-new tablecloth for the Mansion, which showcased the history of Maryland.
Although the Constellation Chapter is a strong chapter that's still expanding, other chapters across the country aren't so lucky. "Many chapters are not growing because the membership is aging, and younger women are not as interested in this, and they're not joining," says Robertson. To increase interest among young women, Constellation Chapter members have teamed up with girls in area schools to help them complete embroidery projects. Heritage is obviously important in this craft that is rooted in our nation's history. "Traditionally, embroidery was used to decorate or to embellish or to provide home furnishings or articles of clothing," says Robertson. "Most embroidery techniques that we think of today evolved out of a particular era or region where there was a need or desire for this kind of embellishment to take place."
Interested? The Constellation Chapter offers a general meeting on the 1st Monday of each month at 10 a.m. at the Howard County Center for the Arts in Ellicott City. Alternative meetings are held in Columbia, Montgomery County, Cockeysville, etc. To get more information on the Constellation Chapter of the EGA and learn how to join, visit their website at www.constellationega.org. New and old embroidery enthusiasts can also obtain information on the craft from The Yarn Garden of Annapolis (www.yarngarden.com) and Baltimore's The Stitching Post (www.stitching.com/stpost).