As
I sit here, playing with scraps of silk and velvet, planning out my
soon-to-be-created crazy quilt purse, I reflect on my six years in PNNAG
and what it has meant to me. I joined PNNAG to learn new things and to
make new friends who shared my interests. And I have done both. I have
learned to bead bracelets, fish, and boxes, marble fabric, felt wool
with needles, stitch Christmas birds, fold paper stars, wrap lantern
ornaments, and so much more. And I have taught what I know, too: weaving
rattan baskets and using chair caning techniques with ribbon.
The friends I have made are wonderful.
We laugh a lot, share ideas, and inspire each other. (Even board
meetings are filled with laughter, brainstorming, and inspiration. Who
would have thought that board meetings could be so much fun?) Without
these friends, I would never have known that people stitch dead
squirrels to their crazy quilts. How could I have gone on not knowing
that? And when I commented once that I wanted to learn ribbon
embroidery, immediately someone piped up and said, "I can show you how
to do that."
I guess the greatest strength of PNNAG
is its diversity. No matter what you want to learn, there is someone in
the guild, who not only knows how to do it, but is also willing to teach
you. We offer a variety of needle arts that no other guild does: not
only the currently popular arts like quilting and beading, but also
tatting, doll making, machine embroidery, temari, rug hooking, lace
making, wearable art, and just about anything else you can name. You
don't need to belong to 10 different guilds to satisfy all of your
interests. PNNAG has it all!
For me, part of the excitement of
needle arts is being able to continually learn and grow. I enjoy being
inspired and challenged by each of you. So think about what you have to
offer your fellow guild members. Is there a class you would like to
teach, or do you know of a needle artist whom we could invite to speak?
And don't forget to impress and inspire us. Bring your wonderful
creations to the general meetings and satellite groups and tell us about
your work. I hope to see more of it soon!
Happy stitching!
Suzanne Tilley
