The Albury-Wodonga branch of the Embroiderers Guild Victoria will celebrate its silver anniversary on Tuesday when past and present members meet from 10am at Lavington’s Mirambeena Community Centre.

In 1992 some women led by Pamela McIntosh, who became the inaugural president and was already a member of the state body, decided to establish a Border chapter.

Longtime branch member Helen Black said the move extended what embroiderers were already doing at that time.

“There’s often been little groups of women, and still are, you know, three or four or five or six friends get together and stitch together,” she said.

“But there hadn’t actually been a formal group.”

Monthly stitching days began at the then-Marianella nursing home (now Mercy Place), the group later moving to the masonic hall and then in 2000 to Mirambeena.

The newly opened centre had space, parking and good lighting for needlework and membership grew to about 50 members, a number maintained ever since.

Mrs Black joined the branch about 23 years ago, having learned embroidery from her mother when young.

“I was working in aged care and I finally got a rostered day off once a month and I thought, ‘I know what I’m going to do with that’,” she said.

“I’ve always liked embroidery, but you need time to do it and I’ve got time now.

“It’s very relaxing, I don’t allow myself to be stressed about it. Quite regularly we have visiting tutors and I was just interested in learning different sorts of stitches.”

Since 1998, the Border branch has held an exhibition of members’ work every three years, with the extra working bees required eventually turning into regular twice-monthly Tuesday meetings.

Workshops and trips to exhibitions have also featured among the activities enjoyed by members.

“Some of them are interested in learning new stuff, some of them just are happy to sit and sew and chat, it’s a very social sort of group,” Mrs Black said.

Several inaugural members remain active in the branch and new members are welcome, regardless of their experience.