Needlework Tool Collectors Society of Australia
The 12th BIENNIAL CONFERENCE
21st and 22nd JULY 2012
in Melbourne, Australia
at the Parkview Hotel, St. Kilda Road
NTCSA's Melbourne group is hosting the Society's 25th Anniversary Conference
in July 2012, and the Theme is SILVER !
The weekend conference actually starts on Friday with conference registration,
the opportunity for non-metro attendees to visit some of Melbourne's antique
and general shopping precincts, and a cocktail function in the late afternoon.
Then, coffee and tea are available Saturday and Sunday morning when the
Registration desk opens at 8:00am.
What's on the Programme?
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SPEAKERS
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TOPICS
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Patricia Begg
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Well-known Australian expert on several antiquing areas, talking for us on "18th Century Toys" - those intricate needlework sets made for adult amusement |
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Alison Cole
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17th Century Stumpwork and Related Tools
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Kerry Easton
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Our own very active member of NTCSA, researcher, and populariser of needlework topics, speaking at this conference on "The Jewel of the Cabinet-makers' Art - Three Centuries of Worktables" |
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Jennifer Forest
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Conservator, ACT Historic Places, and author of Jane Austen's Sewing Box. Her talk is titled "Jane Austen's Sewing Box/Georgian Times"
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Helen Fowler
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Member of the Advisory Committee for the Australian Dress Register, talking about the conservation activities and holdings of this group
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Kevin Murray
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This 30-year antiquing veteran is a self-taught expert on English/Irish/Scottish silver, and will be our after-dinner speaker on Saturday evening, re-inforcing our Silver Theme |
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Trevor Robertson
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"The Scissoroo Man" will be talking about his development of scissors and thimbles with an Australian flavour - well sought after as souvenirs and mementos |
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Morna Sturrock
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An institution in the world of Melbourne needlework, Morna is addressing the Conference for the second time, talking about her adventures and achievements in 40 years of organising needlework events and activities |
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Kay Sullivan
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Well known author of the book Needlework Tools and Accessories - A Dutch Tradition, plus frequent articles for Sampler and Needlework Quarterly, speaks on Dutch and European Needlework Tools |
....but Speakers are only a part of the Conference....
FOUNDATION MEMBERS
Lunch on Saturday will be an opportunity to recognise the Society's Foundation Members,
those people in all States who joined during our earliest years. Other structured
opportunities to catch up or meet new people are the Saturday night dinner,
lunch on Sunday, and morning and afternoon teas.
OTHER EVENTS
include raffles, and a popularity contest - all attendees are invited to submit a themed
needlework item of their own creation. The theme for 2012 is a hand-made
needlebook or holder, and voting will be by a gold coin.
We also have the ever-popular Guessing Competition: for this Conference, attendees
will be invited to guess the length of the GIANT BALL OF YARN !
(For anyone who's not in Australia, it's a fun reference to the 'Lose Yourself in Melbourne'
TV ad campaign where visitors follow a giant ball of yarn winding its way through
venues and streets in Melbourne)
On Sunday morning, the Conference hosts a Sales Mall, with antique dealers, specialists
in needlework supplies, and craftswomen and craftsmen offering items for sale spread out
in a spacious and inviting hall. One of the most popular features of the Conference, the
Sales Mall is conducted in a decorous but frenetic fashion before happy buyers retire
to compare treasures and missed opportunities over lunch.
Registration Forms can be downloaded from this site in early 2012, but the full Conference
package can be obtained by contacting
secretary (at) needleworktoolcollectors.org
Attendance at the Conference is open to Members only*, but annual membership is merely $30. Those tempted into membership by the Conference will also enjoy our newsletters
and other offerings for a whole year.
More information will be available soon, and in the meantime you can contact
webmaster (at) needleworktoolcollectors.org
* Insurance regulations state that NTCSA Membership is required for all conference delegates.
If you are not a current NTCSA member, we can send you a Membership Application form.
NTCSA Membership fees (valid to 30 June 2011):
Australia $30; Family Membership $50. Overseas (in $AU) $50
Accommodation:
Special prices are available at the selected Hotel for conference attendees. When making your reservation, please quote Needlework Tools Collectors 2012 Conference.
If you'd like to know more about previous Conferences, you can visit our HISTORY page.
We will update the site with more details as they become available, so please come back again.
