"Just because we are one of the smallest Guild Branches in the country", we said, " there's no reason why we can't think big!". We'll have A Day", we said, "We'll have a Harvest Textile Extravaganza and promise that it will be brimming with a wealth of textile art, good company and splendid food, all of which are essential for Embroiderers, and which will be sure to attract crowds of people and raise lots of money for the new centre for embroidery".

Our first big event - we are young as well as small. Ever mindful of the fact that we must control expenses, so that in the event of failure we wouldn't be left in debt, we realised that DIY would figure large in our preparations. The Summer seemed to pass quickly in a flurry of home-produced posters and hand-outs and lists of magazines, shops and groups of like-minded people who would be the target of our publicity. We spent a merry afternoon or two making up Theme Bags from odds and ends donated by members and gleaned from friends. One of the biggest problems was stopping members buying the bags before we actually managed to get them on the stall!

The speakers for the afternoon were well-known local quilters,which would, we knew, attract people from the patchwork and quilting fraternity as well, but we needed demonstrators for the morning. Why, oh why, had we chosen the second Saturday of half-term for the event? We explained to those we asked that we would not be able to pay them but we would give them a good lunch not to mention elevenses etc. and as October approached the list took shape. There would be lace-making, miniature kimonos, cords and tassels, silk purses, felt and unusual techniques with a machine and bubble wrap.

At 8.00 am that Saturday in October we were there. Members, friends, husbands, sons, daughters arrived bearing food they had promised for the buffet, cakes for the cake stall, garden tables and chairs, harvest produce, hand-crafted items, flower arrangements for the tables and, what we needed most, energy and enthusiasm.

We utilised every inch of the Church Schoolrooms. The big hall held the trading tables and the refreshment tables where people could sit and chat as well; the parlour was transformed by the display of members' work; tucked away in the classroom were stalls with hand-made jewellery and soft toys, and the Chapel itself was busy with demonstrators and draped with quilts.

And then it was all over! People had been pleased to have afternoon tea and then gradually began to drift away. Helpers were in a daze - exhausted but elated. There had been so many compliments. "How do we think we had done? We couldn't really have seated more people at lunchtime. How many was it? 65 or 70 or so? Wouldn't it be lovely if we had made some money to send to the Members' fundraising campaign."

The Treasurer did her sums. £500! Wow!! So - we'll have a little rest and then book November 8th 2003 for the next one! Come and join us!

Anne D Robinson
Chairman, Lutterworth Branch