The Expo! at the ANG Seminar in Denver lasted all day although a few teachers couldn’t open their tables until after 5 pm because they were teaching.
The first table to greet you was the very friendly and active VA chapter, Hampton Roads Sandpipers. They had charted ANG’s approved logo in 2 sizes. This is a 2.5″ round on a 5″ 18 count canvas. It came with a length of silver Kreinik for the needle. They were also selling 5″ 3D printed stretcher bars so I had to get the ornament to try the bars!
They fit together ok but not as flush at each joint as the wooden ones. When you press the tacks in, there seems to be a very resistant top layer and once that is penetrated, the tack is firmly in place. I’ll be sticking with wood ones.
In general, I am not a big shopper and Expo! is no different. That’s all I bought but enjoyed looking. I was tempted by some kitted Michele Roberts egg kits but I decided to pass. My back had spasms that prevented me from returning in the evening. Luckily, the inflatable pillow made sitting on the chair in the classroom the next day possible.
Let me also plug the Seminar Campaign fundraiser which I did donate to based on the 14 seminars that I attended to get in a drawing for a $100 gift certificate to A Stitching Shop (I didn’t win). There will be another drawing at the end of August. Read all about it at https://www.needlepoint.org/page/2026SeminarCampaign and consider donating.
Back to Faith from The Cabochons Series by Susan Portra at my ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter Stitch-in Saturday. Over the last 2 months I got working on our Santa canvas and so not much to report on this lately. Our Bring the Joy Santa designed by Marjorie Sarnat is done and heading to the framer. It looks great. The photo will be released by Fireside Stitchery on social media once it’s framed and then will hang in the store. In the meantime, I know 2 people have requested the threads and stitch guide and maybe a third. It was a chapter project discussed montly at our meetings over the past (almost) year! But, I digress.
I’ve been replacing French Knots with cross stitches or onlong cross stitches depending on the configuration. But, they didn’t work out so I laid a long length of Petite Very Velvet and couched it. The silver Fyre Werks is picking up the mint green from the Petite Very Velvet more in the photo than in person. Photographing needlework is really difficult.
The large side areas and beads/Cabochons are all that’s left to do on Faith. August 22 is the next ANG Main Line Stitchers Stitch-in.
Filed under: ANG Needle Pointer's Timeless Treasures From the Archives
There’s a bit of a timing snafu issue with the article in Timeless Treasures from the Archives in the July/August 2026 issue of Needle Pointers Magazine.
At the proofreading phase of the magazine, I was informed that the stitching project by Christine F needed to be moved to the next issue. But, I had related the Archives article to places of worship because her piece is based on a stained-glass window from her church. Other than not being able to find her design until next month, the article is a stand alone piece that is all about beautification of places of worship including photos from my trip to the National Cathedral in 2018 after ANG’s Seminar in Washington, DC.
I’m sure you’ll enjoy Christine’s piece in the next issue!
If you’re not a member of ANG, the American Needlepoint Guild (needlepoint.org), it’s easy to join. There are many free designs exclusively available to members.
One of the volunteers for the ANG Seminar Exhibit complimented me on my packaging of Shelly the Turtle. Because of the dimensionality of the piece, I wanted to protect it from shifting and getting crushed. So, I created a well for the frame to sit in. The base is foam board.
The piece is wrapped in tissue paper and placed it top side up inside the well. The two stacked rolled up magazines are taped in place on each of the four sides to accommodate the raised areas.
Another foam board is placed on top of the magazines for the lid. Bubble wrap corners are held in place by string but loose enough that they can slide off and be reused.
Then, written instructions are provided in case they won’t let me pack it! Twice Shelly has traveled and twice I was allowed to repack it. Once I drove it home and in Denver because I wanted to ship FedEx and ANG was only using UPS.
There will not be an exhibit next year in Nashville because it’s only a 4-day Seminar. I heard just under 100 pre-registered for next year (about 1/3). It’s the second time that was offered. Pre-registrees are allowed to register for classes one week before other ANG members. I saw pieces that I like and pre-registered. My top picks are the Aurora Borealis by Wendy Moore (3-day class) and the ornaments by Toni Gerdes (1-day class). Nashville is a very cool city and it’s in October (21-24). Save those dates!
Three days of Heart of the Matter with Wendy Moore went fast especially because we were having fun and getting alot done!
Here’s the way David from ANG Main Line Stitchers organized his threads. Very clever. He has another three ring binder for the instructions. I wonder if they would combine easily.
One heart is visible – can you find it? There are more to come. I caught up from skipping yesterday’s final section and cleaned up my spaghetti except for 2 threads. Some in class will be eating Italian for a week! Here’s my progress on Heart of the Matter with Wendy Moore.
We started with Chotties Plaid in our second day of Heart of the Matter with Wendy Moore. I elected not to place any horizontal stitches until my vertical ones are done.
I got started in the wrong square once but got back on track before too long. I didn’t get to the square motif we worked on at the end of the day and today’s spaghetti will have to wait thanks to a bad muscle spasm in my back. It started yesterday and came back this afternoon. Despite everything, it feels like I’ve got alot done for 2 days.
First, I want to thank Leticia at The Golden Thistle for donating my favorite needle threader. Somehow, it’s not in my travel tool tote! So, I really needed this.
Today, I started Heart of the Matter, a 3-day class with Wendy Moore. I haven’t taken a class with Wendy yet and this has some challenging stitches.
The kit is wonderful. Big! Two bags of thread – 37 different ones! That must be a record!! The red bag is for the first 2 days and the yellow bag for the third day. There are 3 completely new threads for me including Au Vera Soie metallic, Wonderfill Perle Cotton, and Wonderfill Dazzle (rayon). We got a glue stick for fraying threads such as Dazzle.
The needlecase Wendy gave us also has my favorite needle threader and plenty of needles. Wonderful.
Wendy provided empty thread cards for when we open a skein and have leftover threads. Amazing. It’s great that her husband helps her kit up doing a variety of tasks.
Part of coming to class is seeing what other things, tips, and tricks people have. Wendy tells us we’ll have alot of spaghetti. So, this set up from the woman behind me is clever and will help with spaghetti. I have 4 magnets in each corner.
The instruction booklet is 59 pages! At least it’s not double-sided.
Here’s my progress after Day 1. Actually looks like alot for one day.
I did clean up my 3 spaghetti strands before tomorrow’s class (didn’t bother to rephotograph).
I took a 1-day class with Kathy Rees, ROY G BIV to get her take on color theory. The threads are all ThreadworX Vineyard Silk. So, no need to lay threads! Nice since this is a 1-day class.
We got 2 canvases so we can stitch only in the primary colors (if desired) or any colorway. All the colors are getting used in the one we worked on today. I cleaned all the spaghetti threads before leaving class.
Along with other tidbits, we learned color gets the glory but value does the work! Can’t get too much information and stitch in 1 day but we have enough to go home and experiment.
There are some amazing pieces on display at this year’s ANG Exhibit. It’s always fun to see your own piece on display. And, even more fun to see a ribbon next to it. Shelly the Turtle was awarded a First Place ribbon in the Adaptation category. I am thrilled!
This was my inspirational photo.
The shell is a canvas applique of Congress Cloth placed onto 18-count canvas, the stems on the left are needle weaving over thread and wire, the growths on the rocks and frog are stumpwork both using wire. Here are better close-up photos.
My special packaging to protect the three dimensionality of the stitching was applauded by one of the woman unpacking the pieces. I’ll need because Shelly will be heading to Florida for EGA’s exhibit in October 2026 and Virginia for the Woodlawn exhibit in March 2027.
It got the Second Place Award and The Muse’s Kiss/Peggy Laflam Award for innovation or imagination at the National Academy of Needlearts Assembly in March (https://melitastitches4fun.com/2026/03/13/2026-national-academy-of-needlearts-nan-assembly/).
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2026
It’s begun. I picked up my Welcome bag and Tote Bag for the ANG 2026 Seminar in Denver, CO yesterday. I bought an extra magnet. There is a tape measure, book with post-it notes and tab markers, a cleaning cloth, and may be a gel pack that can be heated up in the microwave or cooled in the fridge for sore muscles (I haven’t verified this yet).
Attendance is at least 265 & more if everyone didn’t want their name listed. But, it wouldn’t have hit 300.
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