Cross-Stitch Retreat Sews Connections in LeRoy

Stitching isn’t just needlework. It’s a bit of art, good fun, and a nice way to relax – and also the makings of a good church fundraiser.

Twenty-five people gathered Saturday at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for the annual cross-stitch retreat. The funds raised are benefitting the church in its role of serving the wider community in general. “Everybody is gathering to do cross-stitch and we are doing Christmas ornaments,” said Leslie DeLooze, who helped organize the event. “One of those ornaments is based on St. Mark’s old building, which was built in 1826 and is no longer there.”

The original church was located on Cragie Street and was replaced in 1870 by the congregations current church on 1 East Main Street. Those attending traveled from a wide area including Albany, Elmira, Hamburg, & Christian Island, Ontario. “It is such a fun hobby,” DeLooze said, “It’s a real stress reliver and then you end up with something beautiful when you finish. People have enjoyed coming together and doing this. People have come from afar.”

Delooze had designed the three ornaments for the event and participants also brought their own work. Completed examples were on display as the event reached the afternoon. The event also featured Christmas trivia and a side visit to view the “Threaded Stories: Utility, Beauty and Expressions in Textiles” exhibit at the nearby LeRoy House.

“People who cross-stitch look for events like this because they enjoy spending the day on a favorite hobby, meeting other stitchers, and working on the projects that are introduced during the day, ” DeLooze said. The event lasted through late afternoon.

The Daily News, Batavia