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FEBRUARY 2025 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
Congratulations to two NCEATA members, Sue Russell and Anne Dixon on their awards for their entries
into ‘Brooching the Subject 2024’ themed ‘Patterns’, a competition held recently at Timeless Textiles Art
Gallery. Sue won First Prize with ‘Oh la la’, an organically shaped brooch stitched with French knots,
making use of highly technical skills, while the Curator’s Choice went to Anne’s brooch ‘Sudoku Green’
where each square of the puzzle piece used different stitching techniques for each different number.
At our final meeting last year, and Monday group Christmas celebration, Robin Ihnen delighted us with
her Show and Tell of amazing felted wearable art. She deserves our congratulations too, for her award
of First Prize at the Morisset Show with a silk-wool woven fabric which showed her efficient talent at a
Japanese ‘Saori’ technique. Well done all!
NCEATA’s current exhibition at the Charlestown library continues to delight the general public. The
children’s Textile tasters were held on January 21, and the final StitchIn on January 23, where members
were invited to come along and bring something to stitch.
2025 Dates include: Craft Alive from Thursday, 8 May to Saturday, 10 May, at Broadmeadow
Racecourse Hall, 100 Darling St, Broadmeadow. Have a think about the concept ‘Blue By You’ for our
work to be displayed at this event.
We look forward to a fun-filled, social and learning environment at each of our meetings and workshops
in 2025.
Time to get out into the Blue!
Ann Dean Pijpers, President
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JANUARY 2025 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
Sending everyone rest and peace over Christmas and into the new year.
Ann Dean Pijpers, President
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NOVEMBER 2024 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
A new member, Wanda McInnes-Fogg, joined us for Judi’s Disperse Dyeing extended workshop in
September. We hope all this year’s new members enjoy every aspect of our group and extend a big
welcome to you all.
Our workshop presenters in October were Robyn Cohen and Wendy Anderson, so I hope all who signed
up for the workshop are using the hints to complete the small item Robyn helped us begin and thinking
of colours that complement each other for the bag we will work on during 2025. Thank you to the host
Merrie, and both presenters.
Three more general meeting / workshops are listed for this year; Monday, November 4 and Saturday, November 15, when we celebrate with Christmas Parties and Christmas related workshops, and the new extra morning on Monday, December 2.
We are very grateful to Helen Tolhurst, whose daughters dropped in boxes and crates containing
various sized fabrics and loads of embellishments. More than half the stash was on last Saturday’s
Sharing Table and the final crates have been bagged up and delivered, for us to continue to take over
the next few months. Many of us were able to use pieces of fabric for our small items on the day and
gather for both Christmas Party workshops. We look forward to Wilma’s Destash activity next Monday,
November 4 before her Christmas card activity.
Carolyn Clausen announced the 2025 date of Craft Alive as Thursday, 8 – Saturday, 10 May, at
Broadmeadow Racecourse Hall, 100 Darling St, Broadmeadow. And added a fun twist to our Exhibition
Theme of ‘Out of the Blue’, with a focus on ‘Blue By You’ for the Craft Alive display – more information
will appear in newsletters. Again, many of us went back to the Sharing Table to choose colours and
fabrics for what popped into our imaginations!
NCEATA’s current exhibition was installed on October 4, by two extremely capable Curators, Wilma
Simmons and Ann-Maree Kelly in Judi’s absence, with the help of Merrie How and Carolyn
Clausen. Thank you all, and again to Wilma for opening the exhibition. Rhonda Porter took on
Kumihimo Braiding for the Textile Taster mini workshops on Thursday, October 17. Our thanks go to the
other presenters: Carolyn Clausen, Ann Harper, Kate Highland and Ruth Spence. The morning was
such fun and all participants shared our love of working with fibres and producing wonderful items. We
had approximately 8 stitchers at the opening on October 8 and again October 12. The next Stitch-In is
10am – 12pm, Tuesday, November 12 and all members are invited to come along and bring something
to stitch. Again, interested members of the public approach and ask many questions. There will be a
promotional video on lakemac libraries website, Facebook page and You Tube next week.
I am very grateful to those people who put NCEATA bookmarks in the storage shelves for us to use, and
who tidied a few areas in the Storage cupboard. It makes it easy to locate what we need when there is
less clutter!
Another noteworthy announcement is that Judi Nikoleski will become a NCEATA Life Member so we will
have more to celebrate at the Christmas Parties! We are thinking of those who are dealing with personal
illnesses and in those whose relatives need your help. We hope you find time to sit and stitch and take
solace from this activity.
The Christmas Parties will be on the first Monday of December and third Saturday of November. If your
surname begins with A-H please provide savoury food, and those with I – W, a sweet treat. Thank you
all!
Ann Dean Pijpers, President
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OCTOBER 2024 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
One of our life members will be a nonagenarian by the time this newsletter is published: Congratulations to Shirley Bjornsson, who continues to have fun at work each day and on her days off, plays in her garden, sews to her heart’s content and hosts whoever drops into her interesting abode in the Watagans.
The year is slipping away again and we are hard at work for our next major event. Towards the end of
August the Exhibition team met with Claudia from Lake Macquarie libraries – Launchpad, who offered
our group an extension of the ‘Reflections’ Exhibition to the end of January, 2025. We have also
accepted the request to host another Textile Tasters event on either January 14 or 21; this time it will be for children. If you are presenting a workshop at the library during Textile Tasters in October and / or January and need to update your Working With Children Check, please go online at Service NSW and complete the necessary information. Once all is complete forward me the email you receive with your name, dob, status of wwc check.
Thank you to the 20 exhibitors of 30 artworks for this year’s Reflections Exhibition which is to be held at Charlestown Library, Ridley St, Charlestown from Tuesday, October 8 at 1pm with a Stitch-In event,
where all are welcome to come along and sit, chat and stitch before the opening and afternoon tea at
2pm. I am chasing a large pack of NCEATA bookmarks, please. If you have any bookmarks please let me
know president@nceata.org.
The HAN market was met with wild weather on Sunday, August 25 at Lambton Park. It has been
rescheduled to Sunday, Sept 29. We hope the Spring markets will be brighter in the welcoming sun and
milder weather. Many thanks go to the Market Team and their reliable spouses.
Our workshop presenters during September were Carolyn and Judi. The dyeing techniques made for
many beautiful and interesting results. Thank you to the hosts and presenters.
Please check: Robyn Cohen asked about the person who took the roll of interfacing (stiffening) from a
meeting held earlier this year. She would like to use it for her October 19 workshop kits. If you have the roll, please let Robyn know and she will be able to make arrangements for the amount she needs.
Thank you to Helen Tolhurst whose daughters have packed her stash of fabrics for our and other
groups. I need to find a few pieces for Helen’s brooch making, so will get the rest of the bags to our
table from October 19 onwards. Some of us were able to use her frames from the Sharing Table during
the August meetings, for our exhibition work.
I hope you are planning some fun creative items for your Christmases at home or away.
Ann Dean Pijpers, President
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AUGUST 2024 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
We welcomed Jodi Phipps back into to our group on Saturday, August 17. Some of you may know her
as she is a member from over a decade ago. We also met Lydia who shared her ideas about
felting. Our member numbers sit at around 40 and we have seen so many visitors this year because of
the wonderful efforts by committee members and workshop presenters and hosts.
The changes to our committee positions see new position holders already forging ahead with updates
for our group to embark on more great ideas in a variety of ways. These are documented in the meeting minutes each month.
Loads of learning and fun was had by those who Maija Manou guided through the workshop, Felting
over a Sculptured Object; maybe the results will direct some of our artists in their choice of works for 2025 and 2026 Exhibitions.
The final voting took place last month. 2025: Out of the Blue. 2026: Layers.
Many thanks go to Ann-Maree Kelly, who started the ball rolling with her Monday, July 1 discussion,
which gleaned so many great suggestions, and the Saturday group was able to follow up several weeks
later. Also belated thanks go to hosts and workshop presenters, Wendy Scott with her bright and creative approach to Hand Painted Embellished Bowls, after the July AGM, and Judi Nikoleski stepping us through the stages of a variety of suitable ways to frame our exhibition pieces.
Robyn Cohen has asked me about the person who took the roll of interfacing (stiffening) from a meeting held earlier this year, maybe January or February. Many of us cut off a 2m piece but she would like more for her workshop kits for the October 19. If you have the roll, please let Robyn know and she will be able to make arrangements for the amount she needs.
The HAN marketers will be setting up on Sunday, August 25 at Lambton Park. Make sure you get along
to one of these arts markets this year as the stock is highly creative and of great quality. Thanks go to this group and their supportive family members. I hope it’s a pleasant day for the return to August markets for you all.
Our exhibition has around 30 artworks so please log into the NCEATA website and complete the Final
Form. A cover note with Final form link will go out this week to all those who have entered Expressions of Interest www.nceata.org in the members’ downloads and email it to president@nceata.org This Final Form will be available in hard copy at the next 2 General Meetings on Monday, September 2. It needs to include final description: inspiration, materials, techniques and needs to have your signature so lakemaqlibraries is able to use the images for future promotion. The last day for delivery of Final Forms and artworks is Saturday, September 21, unless you organize otherwise with Curator, Judi.
An interesting question was posed about the coming exhibition: The commission of 25% is charged by
Launchpad lakemaqlibraries and NCEATA committee has decided not to charge a commission since the
entry for each of 2 works is $15 with a third free.
Thank you for all your efforts to ensure this is an awesome show at Charlestown library from October 8 this year – January 6, 2025.
I hope your creativity blooms since we are so close to Spring!
Ann Dean Pijpers, President
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JULY 2024 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
It is a new year for us all after our AGM last Saturday meeting. This was so well attended for such a blustery weekend and I’m grateful to be a part of this amazing group which continues to surprise and spur me to be more than I ever imagined!
Welcome to new members, and a smooth process saw replacements for 3 positions; Librarian, Social
Media and Publicity, and Program Coordinator. Rhonda Porter will guide Anne Dixon in her role as Librarian; Anne and I spoke after the meeting and she already has investigated the shelves so I hope a few more books will be going out the door one way or another. Rhonda has set up ways to catalogue the books and has spent so many hours going blind on and off with that lighting! - in the storage area, keeping track of who has what and when it was borrowed and returned. We are indebted to Rhonda for her long years of dedicated work in the library and those bowing shelves! Of course, she continues as newsletter editor so will still have her hands full! Daniela Glassop has worked tirelessly using her artistic and IT skills as Publicity Officer and Social Media expert, and she will hand over to Wilma Simmons, another wizard in IT. Our gratitude goes to Daniela, who has had so much going on in her family that I’m surprised she was able to get time to keep track of our needs for advertising and design, and create so much in the few years I’ve known her; it was never an effort for Daniela to redesign my work for that much needed ‘ping!’ Daniela will remain
willing to help in some aspects and we have extremely capable Wilma returning to the Committee to
replace her. Finally Ann Harper and Kate Highland have teamed up to take on Program Coordinators, so I need to collate all those pieces of paper and scribbled notes on my desk and will be in touch with many of your for confirmation or No about aspects of the workshop roster and notes for the newsletter because I seem to be driving to glamp in 3 different states of Australia more often these days, with our growing families. I’m sure Ann and Kate will have a fresh approach which we all need every few years and appreciate the opportunity I had in the role because I learned so much!
Thank you to all other position holders for remaining in your roles and I hope the 2024-25 year is calm and creative for you all.
Helen Tolhurst has had so many admissions into hospitals and recovery clinics over the past 5 months
and is today safely installed at Fresh Hope, Greenhills, Meadow building, Room 120 since she escaped
from the John Hunter. We wish Helen well and hope she is on a careful recovery program that will see
her stitch and chat with all her visitors and those she meets there. From our group to all who currently are straddling hurdles in your lives, please know many of us speak of you fondly and remember you for your wonderful personalities and creative touches to your work – it was so good to see Doris back last Saturday after her recent surgery.
Our exhibition has around 25 artworks today so please get your Expression of Interest in; it would be best to use the online form on www.nceata.org in the members’ downloads and email it
to president@nceata.org I will also chase you up about it, and you will notice the Final Form for
Exhibition will be available in hard copy at the next General Meeting on Monday, August 5.
Finally, I have been a bit miffed when I go into the storage area each time I attend a meeting /
workshop. Items are developing legs and sneaking into the shelves and on the tops of the storage
lockers! This is not on; if you have something to give away, it is to be placed on the Sharing Table
before the meeting and taken if it is still on there after the workshop. Please do not bring broken
kitchen or left over party items and leave them in or on the tops of the cupboards. A couple of years ago, I listened to a podcast where the speakers had done research about people who ‘give away’
broken items they would not give to friends or family . . . not impressive!
Have a great time basking in the sunlight of your creative souls!
Ann Dean Pijpers, President
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JUNE 2024 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
As I type I have the heater on as we had a little reminder today of the cold and wet that can accompany the onset of winter!
Thank you to all who volunteered to help in any way at the recent Craft Alive Event at the Broadmeadow Racecourse, organised by Carolyn Clausen, and to all who publicised and/or attended, demonstrated and/or took members of the public through some wonderful skills and techniques at the more recent Textile Tasters afternoon organised by Wilma Simmons. We had great numbers attending both events so they served as wonderful promotions of NCEATA.
Thank you also to hosts of May meeting/workshops, Merrie and Wendy and to presenter, Roberta as the
purses are useful for so many purposes.
We have a few items to continue working on with the possibility of the HAN Market Guidelines for types of creative, quality items, their pricing, arrangement of delivery either way and length of time they are stored for sales. Also we continue to discuss the Textile Tasters during Lake Macquarie Craft Week in October as we are ready to begin advertising very soon. This day will be held during the Reflections Exhibition.
We are also collecting the Expressions of Interest at each meeting so please complete the form then or download it on the NCEATA website www.nceata.org.
We have been approached by Kay Fitzgerald who organises the Schedule on Newcastle Show
Competitions – Handcraft, which is on March 1-2, 2025. She has invited members to enter the Handcraft Newcastle Show section, which is on its website. She also invited members to help out and her contact number is 0410 241 645 if interested.
Happy stitching!
Ann Dean Pijpers, President
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MAY 2024 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
It seems to have been a while since we last gathered together, with a hectic lead-up to Easter and now school holidays catchups for some. I hope you had time to gather your thoughts, in and around the season of fun and laughter with family and friends.
I look forward to seeing what you have created from the kits leading your ideas and techniques onto a variety of fabric sizes and shapes for the final products for the upcoming Craft Alive Event at the variety of fabric sizes and shapes for the final products for the upcoming Craft Alive Event at the Broadmeadow Racecourse, Darling St, from 9:30am – 4pm, Thursday 9 – Saturday 11 May. Tickets are
available online at www.craftalive.com.au unless you are one who is helping set up, sit, and / or stitch and chat at the stall, or dismantle the NCEATA space. Details will be available at the General Meeting, Monday May 6 from 10am – 1pm at The Grove, Adamstown. Please bring along your piece of artwork to Show and Tell at this meeting. Our thanks go to Carolyn Clausen who is coordinating the set up and subsequent days.
May sees the Monday, 6/5, general workshop on Happy Snappy Scrappy Purses with Roberta Hodgson,
and the Textile Tasters afternoon organised by Wilma Simmons, Sat 18/5. Please come along around
1pm to help set up and talk to visitors and each other during the demonstrations and afternoon
snack. You might like to bring along a plate of a favourite, delectable savoury or sweet treat! Thank you to all who have so generously offered to demonstrate a fibre arts skill and to Wilma Simmons for her idea to launch into this wonderful promotion of NCEATA. Daniela Glassop has put an A4 page of invitations (3 per page) on FaceBook for the Textile Tasters afternoon, for you to email and / or print for family, friends and neighbours, and hand into High School offices, maybe shop counters in your neighbourhood. Great idea, Daniela!
Wilma has also had her design of promotion postcards printed and we have been handing those into art resource outlets. Please spread the word as many people may just need a friendly reminder for inclusion into an open, sharing and welcoming group, while others may want to pursue techniques or skills that may have lapsed in the course of a busy lifetime.
As life comes and goes, we have decided to have a small stash of Occasion cards for our future use for such events as Congratulations, Thank you and Sympathy. Wilma has put up her hand to design the first of these so if you know of an event NCEATA needs to recognise, please let any of us know.
Maija Manou had her handmade books given as a thank you to presenters at a recent Rotary conference
for District 96100. Each one an artwork, was gratefully received along with a pen with a hand turned
wooden barrel. Congratulations to Maija. Inspiring!
I hope to see as many of you as possible at the next meetings as this year is hurtling by!
Till then, reflections of you will occur in your fibre artwork!
Ann Dean Pijpers, President
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APRIL 2024 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
During my reflection of the past month, I realise it has been a whirlwind of events and activities for many. I hope you are keeping in mind our Exhibition and the concept is conjuring engaging images and a variety of techniques for your exhibition pieces. Many thanks to those who have completed theirs and are handing them in to Curator, Judi, for advertising images.
We had many interested people approach us at the City Hall Seniors Week Expo on Monday, 11
March.
And we will be present at the Craft Alive Event from 10-11 May at the Broadmeadow Racecourse
for more opportunities to display techniques and finished products.
The HAN Market occurs this coming weekend on Sunday, March 24, and we hope the weather is kind to
the Market Team and we have extra sales as it will be a great opportunity to stock up on Easter gifts for friends and family.
Have fun stitching!
Ann Dean Pijpers, President
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MARCH 2024 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
We are already speeding towards the third month of the year … with Easter fast approaching, and
another holiday weekend.
Seniors Week occurs from 11 – 18 March. We are taking up the offer to set up a Display Table at the
Mini Expo near the Comedy Event at City Hall on March 11, from 10am – 1pm so will be there with bookmarks and some samples of what we work on during general and extraordinary workshops for the
general public to peruse. Thank you to those who have offered to help us with the display and for being around during the day. Come along and find out what is on offer for Seniors and bring your family and friends.
This year Craft Alive is from 9 – 11 May at the Broadmeadow Racecourse. Carolyn Clausen is preparing
the paperwork for NCEATA to attend, and we will have a display table, again to show samples of
completed works which we work on during our workshops. We will also have The Map Project on
display as it shows so many techniques we use.
NCEATA is attending HAN Markets on 3 dates: March, August and November and will add precise
details as the year progresses. We will not attend the Speers Point Market this year.
Reflections Exhibition will be held from October – January and the team will have more details and
dates as meetings are held. The Saturday group had a quick brainstorm on the theme and Monday May
6 will give an opportunity to Show and Tell each member’s progress on the theme.
Update to Workshop Roster for Saturdays and Mondays each month sees an extra general meeting on
the first Monday in December, which begins this year on Monday, December 2, 2024 and it will be a
Christmas Party with Stitch and Chat, from 10am – 1pm.
Thank you to Sandra Cooke for stepping in to replace Doris Gordon, last Saturday, and taking us on a
tour of using the letters in our names creatively. Updates to the roster will be listed as the year
progresses.
Hope you enjoy stitching wherever you find yourselves,
Ann Dean Pijpers, President
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FEBRUARY 2024 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
I hope you all had all the necessary catchups with family and friends over the festive season, and that the year of the Dragon is kind to you.
There has been so much public interest in all the artworks and many wrote positive comments during the
exhibition ‘On the Edge’ at the Belmont Library. Thank you to those who picked up where they were and
completed works. There were 27 pieces from 16 members. The artist statements showed many varied
perspectives on the theme. It was relaxing to sit and stitch at the Activation Event before the Opening,
and we are grateful to all artists who provided the afternoon tea treats for attendees. Artists will need to collect any unsold works on Monday, January 29, 2024 from 10 - 11am from the library.
The Exhibition Team decided against running the workshops as so many changes occurred late throughout the organising process into the day before installation, and we are grateful to Ann Harper,
Judi Nikoleski, Wendy Scott, Robyn Cohen, Kate Highland and Merrie How who offered to run and help
during the workshops, and especially to Carolyn Clausen, who coordinated everything. Daniela Glassop
also spent so much time, effort and energy ensuring images were clear and precise to highlight the best
in the artworks. Thank you to all on the Exhibition Team.
We have had email contact from Marianne Roberts announcing the 2024 Australian Quilt Show
Challenge, 2024, where there are 7 categories and 9 special awards. The deadline for online entry
applications is February 21, 2024 and is now open https://craftevents.com.au.
I hope you have enjoyed the change of pace over the holiday period and you were able to relax and ease
into the New Year with renewed creative energy.
Ann Dean Pijpers, President
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