This is a Birgit Tolman original design. This beautiful will be released in the near future at The Wishing Thorn.Birgit Tolman of The Wishing Thorn joins us this week. The show is sponsored by the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. Birgit has lived a life of art, creativity, teaching, and needlework. She diverted for a year to work designing and cutting gravestones, then decided she was better off focusing on needle and thread. Today, her Wishing Thorn business focuses on designing original samplers and reproducing antiques. Birgit is at home doing either. Her large collection of antiques includes two that her grandmother created. In our conversation we learn about her business journey, how she approaches design and reproduction, and get to see her next original design. Be sure to visit her website to explore all of her offerings and, while you’re online, head over to egausa.org to become a member of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America.–Gary
Visit the EGA website at egausa.org and consider joining.You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, Podbay, Podbean, and many other podcast sources. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses.
We hope you enjoy the show. We’re always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.
To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.
Join us for the first Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend, March 21 to 23, 2025.
Fiber Talk is having a retreat. The Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend will be held March 21 to 23, 2025 in St. Louis. We’re planning three days of stitching and classes (no extra fees for classes). Register and book your hotel room today. Hotel rooms at the event price are limited. We hope you’ll join us for a spring stitching getaway. Gary, Beth, Cindy, Jenifer, Kelly, and Robin
Here are the details:
Dates: Friday through Sunday, March 21 to 23, 2025
Location: Embassy Suites Two Convention Center Plaza Saint Charles, MO Just west of Lambert Intl Airport (STL)
Scenic and historic Saint Charles is home to 19th Century architecture, brick-paved streets, and a variety of restaurants and retail shops within three miles of the hotel.
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Fiber Talk’s Needle Arts Weekend is three days of stitching, a series of classes on Saturday, and daily “help tables.” The event welcomes all stitching techniques. Attendees will enjoy: • Stitching noon to 11:00 p.m. Friday (Hotel check-in is 3 p.m.) • Stitching 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday • Stitching 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sunday (Hotel check-out is 11 a.m.)
Saturday classes are included in the registration (no extra fees). Register early; choose any; we will try to accommodate everyone. *Indicate the class code on your registration email.*
Learn What Your Color Wheel Can Do—Robin Rossignol Learn basic terms and definitions. See examples of the different color combinations. Practice using a color wheel and color a quilt pattern using the different color combinations. Code: Color
Different Threads do the Same Job—Robin Rossignol Learn how to think about your threads based on size and composition. This is helpful when a thread has been discontinued. See examples of the different types of threads and receive a list of equivalent threads. Code: Threads
Make Overdyed Threads Work for You—Cindy Baldwin Overdyed threads are the gateway to changing colors. Learn how to take advantage of overdyed threads, particularly with counted-canvas projects. Code: Dye
Don’t Fear Specialty Stitches—Beth Ellicott Your response to specialty stitches should not be, “I could never do that.” In fact, most specialty stitches are quite simple when approached logically. Expand your stitch repertoire and add interest to your projects. Code: Stitches
What’s in Your Stitching Toolbox?—Gary Parr There are many tools, several not designed specifically for stitching, that can make your needlework life easier. Learn what tools you should have in your toolbox and how to use them effectively. Code: Tools
From Yo Yo to Needlebook—Kelly Lea Teske Learn how to make Yo Yo’s and use them to make a simple needlebook. All materials provided. Code: YoYo
There will also be two Assistance Tables in the main stitching room. • One table will always be staffed so you can ask for help or tips with your project. • The Jenifer Table will be open from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. You’ll experience making a Temari ball and/or try slow stitching. You don’t need to sign up to participate.
*** Registration ***
To register for the Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend, send an email to [email protected]. Include in the email: –Your name –Complete address –Phone number –Email address –Class code/codes for which you are registering.
In response, you’ll receive: –An invoice for the $300 registration fee that includes an acknowledgement of your registration (To pay by check, see below.) –A link to make your hotel reservation. The hotel rate is $179/night, plus applicable taxes. Reservations are made directly with the hotel using the hotel link you’re given or phoning and identifying the Fiber Talk event, 1-800-EMBASSY (362-2779. Please book early; the room block is limited.
Please note: The $300 registration fee is non-refundable. If you find you are unable to attend and someone on the waiting list can take your place, we’ll refund $250 once we receive the entry fee from your replacement.
Your registration includes: • Stitching with old and new friends all weekend! • Your choice of Saturday classes • A Welcome Bag • Stitching room with classroom next door, separated by rest rooms, <em>i.e.</em>, minimal walking • Hotel hot breakfast buffet Saturday and Sunday morning • Fiber Talk Welcome Reception, Friday, 3:30 to 5 p.m., in the Fiber Talk area, lower lobby level • [Hotel Manager lobby reception Friday and Saturday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. with two free drinks] • Free parking outside our meeting area so you can easily go to lunch or dinner • Saturday afternoon snack break.
Please bring cordless lights/magnifiers. The hotel does not allow extension cords or power strips as they are a tripping hazard.
TO PAY BY MAIL: –Register by email with your personal information, class selections, and note that you are paying by check. We will acknowledge your registration by email and your check when it’s received. –Mail your check, payable to Fiber Talk, within 10 days to:
Fiber Talk P.O. Box 954 Manchester, MO 63011
Please join us for a fun, stitching-filled weekend!
Join us for the first Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend, March 21 to 23, 2025.Holst Meets Webb design by Lorene SaltIt’s Wednesday and Cindy and Gary have gathered to have a conversation about needlework. This week we talk about the Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend (March 21 to 23, 2025, registration is open now), the EGA Sampler University and 2025 National Seminar, the Jackie du Plessis “Rise Above the Waters” design available at Sassy Jacks Stitchery, the emergence of AI-generated needlework images and how to detect them, and what advice we’d give to someone who wants to learn needlepoint. Turns out it’s not as easy as you’d think. Sunday’s guests are Mark and Nadine Roger of Creative Experiences–Cindy and Gary
Sampler University is a new offering for members and non-members at the 2025 EGA National Seminar.
You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, Podbay, Podbean, and many other podcast sources. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses.
We hope you enjoy the show. We’re always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.
To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.
The Phoenix Rising class, by Wendy Innes, was first to fill up, but Seminar organizers encourage you to get on the wait list. A lot can change between now and the Seminar.Class registration for the 2025 EGA Needlework Faire and Sampler University opens at noon Eastern, Sept. 10.
Our topic this week is the 2025 EGA National Seminar, our guest is Seminar chair Joy Cobb, and the show is sponsored by Sassy Jacks Stitchery at sassyjacksstitchery.com. Needlework Faire, the 2025 EGA National Seminar will be held Nov. 12 to 16 in Dallas. The Renaissance Faire theme is designed to encompass the variety of designs and techniques you would find at a needlework fair. That concept also plays out in the wide variety of activities that are available to attendees. In our conversation we talk about the virtual classes, taught by Hazel Blomkamp and Helen McCook in September and October; ten mini classes offered the night before the Seminar; a large number of Seminar classes offered throughout the week for needleworkers of all techniques and skill levels; and the new Sampler University. The University is a two-day event within the event that gives members and non-members an opportunity to stitch a beautiful reproduction sampler and to stitch and make a sampler sewing roll. We also discuss stitching round tables, tours, pop-up shops, and area sites to see and shops to visit. After you listen to the show, visit egausa.org for more details and to register.–Gary
This week’s sponsor is Sassy Jacks Stitchery at sassyjacksstitchery.com.
You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, Podbay, Podbean, and many other podcast sources. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses.
We hope you enjoy the show. We’re always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.
To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.
“Help” is a design inspired by a homeless person Ronnie saw in a local park. Proceeds from this design go to his local homeless shelter.Headlight is one of Ronnie’s more-recent designs.We last talked with Ronnie Rowe in May 2019. Much has happened since then and it was great to learn how his design work has evolved, how he goes about creating his unique designs, and to see what’s coming up. Sassy Jacks Stitchery is sponsoring this week’s show. Ronnie first made his mark in the cross stitch world with his timeless “pen-and-ink” designs. Today, he’s introducing more color and more detail to further enhance his captivating designs. One of his newest designs is “Help,” a scene based on a homeless person Ronnie observed in his community. All profits from that design will be donated to the local homeless mission. Ronnie’s first contribution of profits will be on Nov. 1. Please consider supporting this worthy cause. Enjoy our conversation with Ronnie Rowe and visit his website to see his catalog of unique cross-stitch designs.–Gary
Support our sponsor, Sassy Jacks Stitchery at sassyjacksstitchery.com.You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, Podbay, Podbean, and many other podcast sources. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses.
We hope you enjoy our conversation with Ronnie Rowe. We’re always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.
To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.
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Needlepoint designer Jeannette Tombaugh of Mountain Peaks Studio is our guest this week. The show is sponsored by Cyberpointers and Sassy Jacks Stitchery. Jeanette is a versatile, talented creator of counted-canvas and painted-canvas needlepoint designs, along with stitch guides for painted canvases. She is also the resident canvas expert at A Stitching Shop in Denver. […]
It’s the first Wednesday in December and time for another Midweek Chat. This week’s topics include our year-end schedule (join us Christmas Day at 2:00 p.m. Eastern), the Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend, great deals on sampler and “sampler-adjacent” charts at Sassy Jacks, Cindy’s new trestles from TF Woodcraft, and the cost of kitting projects […]
Birgit Tolman of The Wishing Thorn joins us this week. The show is sponsored by the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. Birgit has lived a life of art, creativity, teaching, and needlework. She diverted for a year to work designing and cutting gravestones, then decided she was better off focusing on needle and thread. Today, her […]
The middle of the week is on schedule and that prompted Jenifer and Gary to gather and discuss some stitching things. Our topics include caskets, the Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend retreat (sign up at wetalkfiber.com/weekend), the Jackie du Plessis ornament available at Sassy Jacks, more things Jenifer learned during her week with Sue Spargo, […]
This week we have a special Fiber Talk show, sponsored by Sassy Jacks Stitchery. For some time Beth has been wanting to do a show about caskets. It took a bit of effort but we think we came up with the right format and are more than confident Beth found the right guests. This week’s […]
