The Embroiderers’ Guild Queensland Inc. celebrated its 40th birthday between May and June 2008 with an eight-day public exhibition, Fabulous Forty, at its headquarters in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.
The Queensland group was born of state pride. Four Brisbane residents - members of The Embroiderers’ Guild of New South Wales - had met in each other’s homes once a month for four years and sought something more. Over the years, their numbers had swelled. By 1968, there were 30 eager stitchers; still too few to constitute a branch under NSW Guild rules.
“There was something not quite right about being a NSW branch anyway,” says Joan Selnes, one of those original four and still active in the Queensland Guild. “We wrote off to the Society in London and were told we needed 100 members to become an overseas affiliate. We paid up for 100, believing in what we were doing. By the end of the year, membership had risen to 99.”
Today, the Guild has branches in Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Gladstone and Rockhampton. Headquarters is now is a former Masonic Temple in Brunswick Street where classes and stitching days run throughout the week, on weekends and during school holidays. Night groups also meet.
“Embroidery is addictive,” laughs Joan, who swears she was born with a needle in her hand. Embroidery is also very companionable, according to Guild members. “We come together and share ideas and skills and enjoy the company of like-minded folk,” says president, Darrell McDonald.
The Guild’s charter is to promote, preserve and encourage all aspects of embroidery. Its Young Creative Embroiderers Group, for six to 16-year-olds, assures a passing on of this fine art. Twenty-one youngsters gathered for holiday classes in January.
Alexandra Lang is a graduate of the children’s classes. Like Joan Selnes, she cannot remember a time when she didn’t stitch and shrugs off any notion that she’s out of step with what’s ‘cool’.
“It’s sad that a lot of teens I know admire what I do but don’t want to do it themselves. They find their time taken up with other distractions like TV and computer games. I like pretty things. I don’t follow fads and fashions. It’s fun when friends admire something I’m wearing and it’s uniquely mine; not something found in a shop,” Alexandra says.
Friends also love the fact that Alexandra is so creative. They receive one-off gifts made out of true friendship and can count on Alexandra to come up with something special for costume parties and dances. In her final year of high school, she has cunningly used her handcrafts in Senior assignments: a Home Economics textile project enabled her to use patchwork, appliqué and embroidery skills and her love of beading was sated creating a sculpture for art, using 5000 tiny glass beads.
The Embroiderers’ Guild of Queensland runs classes for beginners and advanced stitchers as well as providing a place to sit, socialise and stitch.
Embroiderers’ Guild Queensland Inc
Their specialty
Embroidery
Where they teach
Fortitude Valley, Queensland
Find them at
www.embroiderersguildqld.org.au [embroiderersguildqld.org.au]
PO Box 150,
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
149 Brunswick Street,
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Ph: (07) 3252 8629
Email:
embroiderersguildqld@yahoo.com.au
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