Christmas update

Our branch Christmas party last Saturday, 6th December, was a really enjoyable, activity-packed event.  Lunch was followed by the eternally impossible Christmas quiz set by our Chairman (sorry Anne!) and a dip into Secret Santa's sack for everyone -  all the gifts (textile-related, no more than £5) were beautifully and creatively wrapped, almost too good to open.

This year's Christmas challenge was to make a cracker - textile, of course.  There were some beautiful and colourful crackers on display, and the winner was Jenny's:

The winner is decided by people voting for their favourites by putting coins into a pot next to each one.  Members can vote as many times as they like, and the winner is the one with the greatest number of coins. The winner donates all the money collected to the charity of their choice: Jenny's choice was the Air Ambulance.

Here's a photo of the jolly crowd of us who had just enjoyed an excellent meal cooked by caterer, Cheryl (who also doubles as photographer), and accompanied by Bucks Fizz, wine, coffee and chocolates:

You can just make out that Helen, standing in the centre, is holding one of the lovely table decorations made by Jean (second on the right, middle row).  A few lucky people with winning tickets took home the decoration from their table.  Winning cracker-maker, Jenny, is seated far right.

Further good news on the day was that joint Programme Secretary, Gill, had that morning collected an award from the Mayor of Rugby, Richard Dodd, for her textile piece called ‘Printed Garden’ in Rugby Art Society’s Annual Awards.  This is the second year running that Gill has won this award.

Gill used live plant material from her garden earlier in the year to print both positive and negative images on cream fabric before colouring it. Besides lots of detail with free machining and hand stitching, she also added organzas, velvets and embellished fabrics. 

The prize - a meal for two - was awarded by the restaurant Cafe Vin Cinq, who sponsored the awards. Gill's piece will be on display in the restaurant for a while following the exhibition, on floor one of Rugby Library, which finishes this Thursday, 10th December. 

Anyone visiting the Library should also take the opportunity to see two fantastic pieces on floor two, by branch member Janet Rose.

We wish Leamington & District Branch members and 

all our other readers a very 

Happy Christmas and New Year!

Looking forward to 2016 ....

We can certainly look forward to a packed and interesting Members' Day on Saturday 9th January, which will be our first meeting of the New Year.

We will meet at 10.00 am as usual, and the main activity will be to make a 'crazy patchwork' panel, using the lucky dip packs that were left over from Regional Day. Members have received the instructions and requirements list, but do get in touch if you have any queries. 

Alternatively, if you have opted to have a lesson in free machine embroidery, you will be shown the basic techniques and create a sample of stitched doodles.

In addition:

• Sue Cooke will update us on CB300 - don't forget to bring any work you've started based on Capability Brown at Charlecote Park; 
• Ruth Humphreys will bring her portfolios and tell us about the Distance Learning Course she is working on; and 
• West Midlands Regional Chairman, Stephanie Harper, will join us for our regular Shared Lunch (please don't forget to bring a plate of food to share).  
• After lunch, we will discuss the proposed changes to the Guild constitution, and continue with our crazy patchwork panels.

A great opportunity to catch up with each other again, and start a new creative year ...