Filed under: ANG Seminar 2012
Don’t forget to sign up daily. There are 17-18 gifts per day. And, 2 super prizes. Lots of volunteers worked all day in various areas! Looking good.
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2012
It took Bill & I about 2 hours to get set. Glad I brought the red tablecloths much better than the drab gold and look great with the black as skirts.
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2012
Well, it’s Monday night & we’ll be checking in to Marriott on Thursday for Seminar! So close now. I never made my ANG MLS Chapter name tag. And, so I wanted one for seminar but didn’t want it to be large or complicated. So, this is simple & done. Guess who ran out of red half way through!!
I added a Liberty Bell charm (I am pretty sure I heard that these will be handed out to registrants – so, you are getting a sneak peek)! I had no idea there were words on it until I took this picture & blew it up. Thanks to Google & wiki, I found what is inscribed: “PROCLAIM LIBERTY THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND UNTO ALL THE INHABITANTS THEREOF LEV. XXV X. BY ORDER OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE PROVINCE OF PENSYLVANIA FOR THE STATE HOUSE IN PHILADA PASS AND STOW PHILADA MDCCLIII”
Bill & I are quite excited about our vacation our own backyard. He has 2 stitch husbands to golf with & the weather is showing mid 80s (may their golf score be as good) and no rain!!
Welcome to Philadelphia & enjoy!!
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2012
I am organizing the volunteers for the Hospitality Desk this year at Seminar. In case you don’t know, Hospitality Desk volunteers greet people as they enter the area to gain access to the bookstore, shop, and exhibit. We hold people’s bags (not purses) as they shop & browse the exhibit. There will be chairs for volunteers to sit in. It is a fun place to see folks & chat with ANGers from all over!
There will be free candy & perhaps brochures available for attendees. Attendees will drop their name in a box for a chance at the daily drawings. We have at least 17 daily prizes that have been donated and two larger donations….so members should be happy with lots of giveaways. Drawings are held at the end of the day (about 5 pm) for seven days – first Friday through Thursday.
There will be a daily drawing for people who volunteer anywhere at seminar for a $5 coupon off parking at the Marriott. There are about 20 coupons to be given out in the daily drawing.
Lastly, I plan on having a daily drawing for people who work the desk. For every hour worked, you get a chance in the drawing for a small piece stitched by me to commemorate the seminar!
The Hospitality Desk will need volunteers from the first Friday beginning at noon and closing down on the last Friday of Seminar. We need 3-4 people per shift. They are done in 2 hour shifts. And, you may sign up for as many shifts as you would care to work. As of today, the hours that are particularly light on help are:
Friday, August 24; 2-4 pm
Saturday, August 25; 8-10, 10-12, 12-2, 2-4
Monday, August 27; 8-10, 10-12, 12-2, 2-4
Tuesday, August 28; 10-12
Wednesday, August 29; 8-10, 10-12, 2-4
Thursday, August 30; 10-12
Friday, August 31; 8-10, 10-12, 12-1
Please be sure these coordinate with your activities, classes, and/or tours – you can’t do both at the same time. For example, any of the Officers may want to attend the Officer’s meeting on Mon & so should not sign up for the Mon 4-6 pm shift. You may want to attend the Member’s meeting, silent auction, & live auction on Tues. Plan on arriving early to volunteer for a couple of hours, see the exhibit, shop the expo store, bid at the silent auction items (I submitted a liberty bell – pictured below), get lunch/dinner, and then get ready to bid! Or, Expo is Thurs night. Both are popular events.
So, please let me know which days & shifts that you can commit to work. I will fill in slots on a first come first serve basis. All I need from you is a simple email (glav257@yahoo.com) with the day & time slot(s) that are good for you. You do not have to fill out a form and send it back to me. I want to make this as easy as possible for you. Then, you will hear back from me when I confirm your time slots.
Any questions please ask, looking forward to seeing you there, & thanks so much for the contribution of your time, Melita
These must have been from 3 sets (all incomplete and missing boxes). Ok, so I will blame my siblings for losing or misplacing them because it couldn’t have been me!! We may get older but some things never changed – it was them, not me!! All the cards have holes for threads going around the border in addition to the design area.
These are adorable & I like how there are 3 types of interchangeable borders within the set. It appears that I might have been older (box says 4-7 years of age) because there are bows tied with the ends of the threads. And, because you had to line up the picture with the holes on the base card.
Kids today are using computers at 4-7 years of age! What are kids 50 years from now going to be doing at that age?
Anyway, the box & set of cards are complete & in fantastic shape but I am missing one “Tipped Yarn”. In fact, most of my toys were in great shape in original boxes, complete, & unbroken!
I was able to differentiate sets by subject matter and format. These had various borders.
I had to play with this card. I made several attempts to place the threads symmetrically but I don’t think it’s possible.
Apparently, I did not have the same hangups as when I was a kid – or these were resewed by a sibling! We’ll never know.
You tell these are from 2 different sets.
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2012
For visitors to Philly, including myself and my husband Bill, who are spending some vacation time at the Marriott in Center City, I have collected websites for places we are likely to go to in August (24-31) during the ANG 40th seminar for breakfast/lunch/dinner. I have worked in Center City for 18 years & have tried even a few more places than my husband because of work celebrations.
Most restaurants at Reading Terminal are open 8am-6pm. Down Home Diner is probably open the earliest & longest at 7am-10pm except Sun 9 am-7pm. My husband & I head there for breakfast & then browse the terminal for a few hours occasionally on a Saturday.
Here’s a list of all the merchants & printable map http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/merchants/ You can also get a brochure with a directory/map inside at the information desk in the corner at 12th & Filbert. We have been to some but certainly not all of these food spots – never had anything bad.
And, there are plenty of vendors in curbside trucks. You could then take the food back to the hotel. I don’t eat at them often nor at any near the terminal but I have never had bad food from street vendors either. Rule of thumb: If they have a line, they are going to be good!
In addition to Maggiano’s, an Italian restaurant, The Melting Pot is across the street from the Marriott. Personally, I am anxious to try that place for the fondue-sounds like fun! The Field House, located nearby in the Convention Center, has a nice selection of food at a reasonable price. While they say they are a sports bar, they are also a nice casual restaurant. We tend to eat there after seeing the Flower Show. I have never been to the Marriott restaurant, 13 – Thirteen, named for the original 13 colonies, but it looks like a nice menu and prices are in line with Center City prices. I’ll bet Bill will try the pork chop!
Our favorite place in Chinatown, Sang Kee Peking Duck House, is in the farthest part of Chinatown from Marriott but cabs are plentiful in Center City. Singapore noodle is a little spicy but good. And, the wonton soup is wonderful with small round wispy noodles.
If you LOVE chocolate, Max Brenner’s is an incredible dining experience. Save room for dessert! The food is a tad on the pricey side but delicious. I find the BALT (a for avocado) just enough when sharing an app of the corn croquettes. Or, just go for dessert!
If you are heading to the Rittenhouse area, I like 2 Stephen Starr places. The Continental for either the cheesesteak egg rolls (better than any cheesesteak sandwich in the entire city) or lobster Mac n Cheese – share one order of each with your dining partner! It will plenty of food. And, Dandelion has lunch, afternoon tea (3-5pm), and dinner. The roasted spiced bar nuts are served warm – not sure if they are available at all times as they are only on the tea menu. They should be! Also in the area is the hottest (pun intended) new spot, Underdogs, for hotdog or sausage lovers. They offer a wide variety of toppings making the choice very difficult! So far, I can recommend the Manhattan, Coney Classic, and Michigan. A combo with soda, fries, & sandwich is only $6-8.
Here are links to menus for restaurants that I have mentioned:
http://www.zagat.com/r/down-home-diner-philadelphia/menu
http://www.maggianos.com/en-mobile/pages/menu.aspx?r=001.025.0168
http://m.meltingpot.com/philadelphia/welcome
http://www.fieldhousephilly.com/menus
http://www.marriottmodules.com/restaurant/hotels/hotel-information/travel/phldt-philadelphia-marriott-downtown/13_american_inspired_cuisine/menus
http://www.sangkeechinatown.com/menu/general-menu
http://continentalmidtown.me/menu/
http://thedandelion.me/menu/
http://underdogsphilly.com/
I have only scratched the surface of gastronomic delights that Philly has to offer. So, after sitting all day at classes, walk up an appetite on your way to any one of the wonderful restaurants in Center City!
Getting closer but still over a month away.
See you soon!
I have no financial connection to any location mentioned – unfortunately. I am just a satisfied customer hoping all ANG members have a wonderful visit!
I have been remiss in posting – mainly because I am stitching like crazy on my piece in order to get it framed in time for Seminar in August. But, I decided to take a break & rest my eyes to share these vintage sewing cards with you.
They are actually how we found them in my mother’s attic. And, they may well be my first “needlepoint”without the needle! The “threads” are mainly colored shoe laces. My sister (& brother?) may have worn out the original threads. The cards themselves are in good condition but the “threads” have seen better days. I love how some still had the threads in place. Abstract placement lend to the appeal!
There are a few hits when I google Whitman Publishing Company sewing cards. Do you remember these? And, you can still find sets of new sewing cards on Amazon for children 36 months and up! Wonderful!!
My husband, Bill, & I attended the 49th Annual Woodlawn Needlework Exhibition on Sunday, June 3 & it is our 3rd annual trek to the event. There were over 600 pieces again! It runs through June 10 this year (late because of restoration work done on the windows). So, you can still go – it is really worth the trip. Next year is the 50th Annual & they are already excited about it!
There was less beadwork canvas pieces this year but there was still all the variety of techniques including canvas work, counted thread, blackwork, hardanger, drawn thread, cross-stitch, embroidery (crewel, cut-work, japanese, goldwork, silk ribbon, stumpwork, surface), fine hand sewing, miniature, needle-made lace, quilted accessory, sampler, & smocking.
In the first room, I saw my sister’s lovely angel as cross-stitched by Barbara & learned about the designer from Ellice, ANG Board member & docent – what a thrill!
The three-dimensional embroidery pieces were stunning – I have done some of that and really appreciate the effort that goes into those. One (#134) had 12 different flower motifs with some ribbon embroidery in it as well. The Welcome piece (#137), that Karen had to stitch a second time because the first had been stolen, earned the Eleanor Curtis Lewis award. Another was a ladies face with flowing hair in all different stitches (can’t be sure of the #).
I also really appreciate the work that went into the blackwork pieces after stitching the small sections of the Ort Box & I was fascinated with the yellow and green pineapple that had different blackwork patterns for each section (#149). The sampler section had a wonderful variety but what popped out for me was the red and white ying yang piece (#258) that had red stitching of lettering allowing white background to show through & the other half was a mirror image but with red stitches covering all but the lettering to show them as white.
Catherine Jordan’s counted work was fantastic (#41 and 42), one won the Director’s award, and is featured on the cover.
But, her small framed surface embroidery (#43) – stitched in 5 or 6 layers and placed together was simple amazing because of the unique concept. There was a hole in the center of all the sections through which you could see the tree twisted threads of the trunks all of which were attached at ground level and again up top at the leaves. It won a second place ribbon.
I think I saw a Nancy Cucci beaded piece (#593). There were 2 of Jean Hilton’s ‘Scott Lee’ (#12 & #40) done in 2 different colors creating a different look to the work.
The patchwork bear (#26) was a tribute to 911 and looked like the one at 2010’s seminar. Joyce made a lovable brown dog with a black nose (sorry, I do not know the breed of # 189) and used actual hairs from the real dog as whiskers. And, it won a Judge’s Choice award & 2nd place.
We saw three generations of stitchers display pieces and met the mother and daughter (I can’t find my notes on them to credit them by # or first name). The 13-year-old girl told us she’d been stitching since she was 3 and has won awards before this one which was an interesting original geometric piece.
My People’s Choice vote went to Betty Jo, a Golden ager, whose original pine cone design (#370) was so simple yet stunning. Small round gold sequins made up the pine cone and the long threads lay on the surface for the needles. And, the eye-catching reflective background placed under the canvas caught your eye from a distance. Congrats on your Honorable Mention award!
This year we didn’t have such a big breakfast that we were able to sit & eat the lemon tart before heading home. We also got some of Martha Washington’s ginger cookies made by Nellie’s Needlers. I also picked up a bookmark for Bill. For the house and to go with the Frank Lloyd Wright table runner, I got a trivet stitched by Nellie’s Needlers.
Hopefully, I’ll win the quilt they are selling chances for – they all pitched in as a group to make it. Beautiful.
Lastly, I learned I must get the Green Book from the Royal School of Needlework! But, I’m going to need some more info on that because it doesn’t come up as ‘Green Book’ in my searches. Anyone able to clarify?
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