Criteria for Marvis Cohen Award
The 2028 Marvis Cohen Award will be given in March 2028 as part of the SOME Spring Get-Away. The exhibition of submitted work will be part of our 50th Anniversary Celebration. The more participation the better!
Criteria for Marvis Cohen Award for excellence in design and execution of original needlework:
- Needlework may not be worked from a kit or published design
- Needlework must be SUBSTANTIALLY different from any published design
- Needlework may take any form: wall pieces, sculpture, clothing, jewelry, etc.
- No size restrictions, however, wall pieces must be prepped for hanging
- Submission must be worked primarily with a threaded needle
- Piece must not have been exhibited in previous SOME or other public exhibits
- Collaborative works by SOME members are encouraged
- Open to all SOME Chapter members
Note: NO special theme or element is required in the submissions. Stitcher’s choice!
Fun, Fabulous,
50th Fascinator Challenge!
As part of our SOME Chapter 50th celebration we are inviting our members to participate in our Fascinator Challenge!
Here is your mission, should you choose to accept it.
Create a Fascinator to wear at SOME Chapter events and other EGA events like seminars all year long in celebration of our 50th anniversary. It’s NER’s 50th anniversary too! How serendipitous!
At Boston Stitch Party, Suzanne wore her Teacup Fascinator at the Tea Cozy Exhibit
What is a Fascinator? It is a form of hat that is held onto one’s head by a head band. The history of Fascinators is fascinating! In the mid-1800s a Fascinator was typically a soft knitted or crocheted head scarf that tied under the chin. In the 1940s fabric shortages due to World War II inspired small, decorated hats known as “cocktail hats” or “doll hats”.
In the 1960s a British milliner named Stephen Jones starting using the term Fascinator for the veiling used on hats for beehive hairstyles. From the 1980s to today hat designers have made sculptural, highly decorated headpieces for royals and celebrities. And thus, current day Fascinators were born!
There is also a head-piece called a Hatinator. This functions like a Fascinator but has a hat brim making it more hat-like. Some may prefer to make a Hatinator.
You are invited to create a Fascinator or a Hatinator! Let your creative juices and your muse work together to create a piece that is uniquely your own. Choose your own theme. It does not have to be a 50th theme. It can involve flowers, critters, ribbons, stars, dragonflies, feathers, fireworks, etc. Perhaps you like turtles and want to put a turtle on your Fascinator, or birds, or sea creatures, or pets. You may wish to do a holiday theme, Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, etc. Or you may prefer a season theme; fall, winter, spring, or summer. Or maybe a monogram….. Maybe you’ll get so excited and have so many ideas, you will feel moved to create an additional Fascinator. Who knows?
You can use purchased flowers, feathers, ribbons, netting, baubles, and more to decorate your Fascinator. Perhaps you would like to use your embroidery, beading, weaving, goldwork, knitting or quilting skills to make components to add to your Fascinator. Remember those beaded brooches we made in a class that Teresa taught? Perhaps one of those would make a nice focal point for a Fascinator. I have an pink apple brooch I am thinking I might try to do something with. The style of your Fascinator can also be uniquely your own. Perhaps you prefer a Fascinator that is gorgeous or elegant or maybe one that is fun, funky, silly, or wild! It’s your Fascinator. The sky really is the limit! Finally, if you want a Fascinator but don’t feel inspired to make your own, there are lots of lovely ones on the internet. Amazon has bunches and Etsy does too. Many are less than $20. Some are less than $10.
Who can participate? Even though this challenge is being initiated by SOME Chapter we invite everyone and anyone in EGA land to participate. SOME members will be wearing theirs to the upcoming 2027 NER Seminar, Needles & Blooms, so we do especially invite NER members to jump into the fray. It will be great fun to be at events and have the 0pportunity to admire the many different Fascinators!
SOME Chapter members will have the opportunity to vote on other SOME member’s Fascinators at our 2028 annual meeting. Prizes may be involved!
Go online to find photos and DIY supplies. Google fascinator, Fascinator hats or Hatinators to find a plethora of items. To find components and supplies put in Fascinator hat components or Fascinator DIY supplies. Amazon has lots as does Etsy. Don’t forget that you might find great Fascinator components at local stores; Michaels, Walmart, Hobby Lobby, etc!
Have fun!
From your Fascinator Enthusiast,
Denise Harrington Pratt
Fascinators are Fun!
A Message from our Co-Presidents:
August finds us all busy enjoying Maine’s brief but glorious high summer weather. At the same time SOME members continue exploring and trying new projects as well as creating new opportunities to stitch together.
Chapter members have been busy with the board approving the Spring Getaway for 2028. The committee responsible for the nuts and bolts of the Getaway has secured a location and nailed down many of the costs. They will be reporting on their exciting plans separately.
At the same time the 50th Anniversary committee continues to work on plans to make this upcoming anniversary both fun and meaningful for our members.
These many activities and opportunities serve to highlight how exciting and rewarding a time this is to be involved with our chapter.
The Southern Maine (“SOME”) Chapter of the New England Region (“NER”) of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America (“EGA”) was organized in 1978. While our membership is concentrated in Maine south of Bangor, we welcome the participation of embroiderers and those interested in needlework from across the US, with plural members from as far away as Texas.
EGA’s mission is to inspire passion for the needle arts through education and the celebration of its heritage. SOME Chapter builds on this base by adding fellowship: an opportunity to connect with other stitchers and enjoy the camaraderie that accompanies sharing a common love. In this way, we bring centuries of tradition in stitching circles and quilting bees forward to the 21st century.
SOME Chapter membership offers:
– Bi-monthly chapter meetings with classes and lectures (3rd Tuesdays at 10:00 am)
– Monthly meetings of four area groups (see Area Groups for more information)
– Bi-monthly newsletters
– On-line access to shared resources, including an email mailing list
– Access to a myriad of classes and resources at the regional and national level
If you love to create your own embroideries, try out new techniques, or just admire the work of others, SOME Chapter is for you!
Calendar
For more information on any of these activities, please Contact Us.
October 21, 2026 Smocking Zoom lecture at 6:00 pm. A kit will be offered if you would like to give smocking a try.
October 29 & 30, 2026 – Mary Alice Sinton, Japanese Bead Embroidery in-person two day class. Date
changed from previous newsletter. Location Raymond Fire Station, Raymond, ME
November 17, 2026 – Holiday Potluck, Luncheon and Auction. Topsham Library, Topsham, ME
Embroiderers' Guild of America
Mission Statement: “The mission of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America is to inspire passion for the needle arts through education and the celebration of its heritage.”
Last Updated 9/25/2026