September meeting notices

Welcome back after the summer break. Tonight we have our guset speaker Sarah Burgess talking about her work and this will be followed by a work shop in November. Dont forget to sign up with Margaret.

It is that time of year again and Anne Haigh and Jeanette Hunter are working hard with subscriptions in the lobby. Please see them for a form or to hand in your form/cheque but do note the information about bank account changes if you intend to pay by bank transfer.

Bank account change

We have a new sort code for our bank account however it is not operational until 21st September so please don’t be in a rush to submit your payment as it won’t go through correctly until after 21st September.
If you want to pay your subs in September then a cheque will be fine, or pay electronically AFTER 21/09/2015, you can still hand your form to Anne or Jeanette toinight.
Any cheques I receive will not be sent to be processed until after 21/09/2015 either as the cheque processing centre is changing as well.
If you have the guild set-up as a known Payee on your bank account you will need to delete or edit it before using it after 21/09/2015.
The NEW code is 60-83-01 if you want to edit the payee information.

West Midlands Region AGM Saturday 26^th September 2015

Do you want to go to the AGM? It is in Craven Arms, Shropshire. Muriel Campbell, Chair of the Embroiderers’ Guild Board of Trustees will be introducing an exciting consultation of members about membership structure, the role of the branches and the role of the regions. Lunch is provided (soup and crusty bread followed by apple pie). In the afternoon Bobby Britnell will be speaking.

Nominations for Embroiderers’ Guild Trustees

I emailed details of the call for nominations for trustees of the guild. Any member is able to nominate people to become trustees. There will now be 12 trustees and members have a much bigger involvement in the nomination and election of trustees.

AGM Birmingham Branch

Our AGM will take place at the meeting on 12^th at 7.30pm. The agenda and nomintation forms are available tonight.

National Stitch Day August 1^st Library of Birmingham

We had a lovely time stitching our own tea party and not a calorie in sight (apart from those delicious cafe cakes). There were 27 stitchers' including lots of visitors and 6 children who enjoyed stitching cupcakes (apart from the baby who slept!). We hope to see some of our visitors again either at the library or at branch meetings.

Capability Brown Project

During the summer Clare posted on the blog about an exciting national Embroiderers’ Guild project with the National Trust for the tercentenary of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. There are 42 national Trust properties that will hold embroiderers’ Guild exhibitions in 2016.

Birmingham, Leamington, Solihull and Tamworth branches are twinned with Charlecote Park. Between now and the end of the year you can visit free by showing your EG membership card. There are a number of links to Capability brown at Charlecote that can be used as inspiration.

There will be an exhibition of pieces in The Orangery Café at Charlecote from March to October 2016. Pieces should be mounted on A2, A3 or A4 artists’ canvases and can use any techniques you like. We would like to have 25 pieces altogether, so I hope you will feel inspired to join in.

Clare is away on holiday today, but she will tell you more about the project next month.

National Consultation

Papers will be published by the guild at the end of September as part of a membership consultation on membership structure, the role of branches and the role of the regions. The consultation will be from October to December with final papers being published in January. A single resolution will be put to the AGM in Manchester in April. This will require a 75% vote in favour and the same system of proxy voting will be used as was used this year.

Working with Pakistani Group in Washwood Heath

Qulsom Fazil is working with a group as part of a research project into creative activities improving mental and physical health and well being. She has asked for our help to go along to the Group on Tuesday mornings in October and November. The dates are 6th, 13th and 20th of October and then 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th of November.

Anne Haigh is planning to to attend these sessions but would appreciate others coming along on 1 or more weeks as well.

They are hoping to do some stitching either on canvas or fabric and to work together to produce some form of hanging. There are two people already working with them however neither are embroiderers. Qulsom is intending to come along on Monday and bring examples of what they’ve already done earlier in the year. She is hoping some of this work can be incorporated into a hanging as well.
Could those interested please talk to Anne to arrange contact etc.

Quilters Workshop Kumiko Sudo ‘Conpaito’ and ‘Pinecone’ bag designs

Stuart Lightheart who came to several meeting and Library Saturdays has asked us to let you know that he is teaching a workshop on the Japanese bags that he was making on 31st  Otober for the Cotteridge Quilters. If you are interested there is a sheet to add your name to tonight – spaces will be limited.