Evening Group embroiderers enjoy doing for others – and ‘the socializing’ that comes with stitching.

Those who speak with needle and thread hold a gift.

Some have already opened it and share with others.

Some are still waiting to discover it.

But they all take that trite metaphor of life’s tapestry and turn it into reality with each careful selection of color and each purposeful stitch.

“There’s no such thing as too simple, and there’s no limit,” said Marilyn Sames of Greene, a member of the Lewiston-Auburn Evening Group of the Southern Maine Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. They call themselves “SOME” chapter.

“We’re all too happy to help people learn,” said Sames. “You can start from the ground up. It’s really about the socializing.”

The world of embroidery varies with each stitcher’s personality. Techniques range from simple cross-stitch to intricate, three-dimensional stump work. Shades stretch the palette from white satin on white linen to shimmering metallic gold and red on a backdrop of black silk. The inspiration for each project draws from personal nostalgia to community service.

Joanne Pennington of Brunswick finishes a band sampler started by a friend who suffers from Lou Gherig’s disease. Carol Wood of Gray travels to Boston for days at a time to study the complex art of traditional Japanese embroidery. Marie LaVerdiere of Hebron hones her craft a little at a time as she enjoys the company of other embroiderers. When Susan Allison of Greene travels, she seeks out the native craft of decorative sewing that exists worldwide.

The national guild defines embroidery as any craft using needle and thread.

“It’s partly a way of finding entertainment,” said Allison. “It’s a way to relate to other women, and it’s also producing something beautiful for our homes.”

As members of a guild, embroiderers take advantage of a network of exhibits, conferences, courses, catalogues, and projects. Jan Sprague calls her RV home because she travels from her roots in the Pacific Northwest to Arizona for winters to Maine for summers. As a plural guild member, Sprague said she finds an embroidery group wherever she lands and feels comfortable with those who share her passion.

Jill Snyder of Minot remembers learning simple needlepoint at about age 7 with her mother. Simple projects such as pillowcases and bibs evolved into a world of artistic expression for Snyder, who is often invited to show her pieces in fiber-arts and multimedia exhibits.

“For me, it’s more than a hobby,” said Snyder. “It’s how I process life. These people are my connection, my social life.”

While Allison and Snyder explain the finer points of hardanger and bargello stitching, several novices at a recent gathering of the Lewiston-Auburn Evening Group recalled the thrill of learning the frog stitch. That’s what embroiderers call the technique of correcting a mistake – they rip it.”

Beyond personal satisfaction and gratification, guild members also use their craft to help others. They have, for example, completed samplers for new Habitats for Humanity homes, a quilted collection of work for Clover Manor and projects for breast cancer awareness. The national guild requires that each chapter engage in community outreach to keep in good standing, according to its Web site, www.egausa.org.

For the past year, the local group has been meeting at Craft Mania in Auburn, and Bridgette Whiting of Auburn voiced her appreciation. “We’ve had some challenges finding a good spot,” said Whiting. “It’s not easy to find a place that has plenty of room and good lighting.”

The Lewiston-Auburn group has been meeting once a month in the evenings since 1981 to accommodate members who work full time. Each group belongs to a chapter, and chapters comprise regions. The EGA includes 13 regions in the United States and Canada. The national guild began in 1958 as a splinter group of the century-old Embroiderers’ Guild of London.

Anyone interested in joining an embroidery group should check out the New England Region Web site, www.newenglandregionega.org. Anyone interested in joining the Lewiston-Auburn Evening Group can contact Susan Allison at 946-5342.

POSSIBLE BREAKOUT INFO:

The following are embroidery terms paraphrased from the Complete Encyclopedia of Stitchery by Mildred Graves Ryan:

assisi – the actual design is left unstitched while the entire background is filled with cross-stitch

bargello – long stitches that form peaks with bands of color

blackwork – traditionally black thread that creates the outline of geometric designs

canvas work – using open, evenly woven mesh material and stitches of various length and slant to cover the canvas

couching – a series of tiny stitches is used to hold one or more threads in position

counted cross-stitch – producing a design by counting threads to place each subsequent stitch

cross-stitch – covering a premarked pattern with cross-stitches

crewel – stitches worked in wool yarns (sometimes called Jacobean embroidery)

cutwork – parts of the design are cut away to give tiny stitches a raised effect

drawn thread – threads are removed from the material to produce a lacy foundation to work the stitches

hardanger – combines satin stitches, drawn thread and cutwork

needlepoint – putting stitches on openwork mesh canvas to completely cover it

needleweaving – threads are pulled from the fabric and then replaced by weaved design over and under the remaining threads

petit point – needlepoint worked in fine yarn on very small, single thread canvas

smocking – small stitches to anchor fabric that is gathered into folds

stump work – designs are embroidered to produce a three-dimensional design on layers of fabric stuffed with padding

white work – white threads on white fabric