The Embroiderers' Guild of America, Inc., (EGA) is an educational non-profit organization founded in 1958. For the first 12 years following inception, the guild was affiliated with the Embroiderers' Guild in London. Today, there are 13 regions with about 300 chapters in the United States and nearly 17,000 members. EGA offers study and preservation of the heritage and art of embroidery.

The Knoxville Chapter (KnoxEGA) is part of the Tennessee Valley Region and is one of the larger chapters in the country.

Mission Statement

To stimulate appreciation for and celebrate the heritage of embroidery by advancing the highest standards of excellence in its practice through education, exhibition, preservation, collection and research

The national Embroiders' Guild of America is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, and provides an active program of education and study. The national guild provides the following services:

• Maintains an office to handle all business pertaining to the Guild's operation
• Provides a variety of group and individual correspondance courses and offers examinations for teaching certification
• sponsors, arranges, and announces lectures, seminars, exhibitions, field trips, etc.
• Provides eductional resources through its advisory council
• Serves as an informational source for individual needleworkers throughout the United States
• Functions as the parent body of the chapters
• Publishes the quarterly NeedleArts Magazing
• Maintains websites www.egausa.org and www.egatvr.com

Lois Threlkeld, Sarah Beaty, and Nadine Alexander at the 2008 President's Tea

The Knoxville Chapter of the Embroiderers' Guild of America (EGA) was chartered in 1975 and was the first chartered chapter in Tennessee! KnoxEGA is made up of needlework enthusiasts living in the greater Knoxville area. Part of the Tennessee Valley Region, the Knoxville EGA proudly boasts one of the larger memberships in the national guild. Our members comprise a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and skill sets.

One of the unique aspects of the Knoxville EGA is the array of special interest groups that meet regularly to focus on specific categories of needle arts or based on preferences for location and time-of-day. There are 11 interests groups in all. Each one meets at least once monthly in locations scattered throughout the Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Morristown and Tellico Village areas. The meetings generally consist of updates on chapter news, member comments, and one or more projects in the specialty area done for education and fun.

Interest groups

For more information on the groups, click on the link above

• Bead Buddies (Oak Ridge)
• Blount Needles (Blount County)
• Canvas (Knoxville)
• Concord (Knoxville)
• Free Style Day (Knoxville)
• Morristown (Morristown)
• North Knox Day (Knoxville)
• Oak Ridge Day (Oak Ridge)
• Oak Ridge Night (Oak Ridge)
• West Knox Day (Knoxville)
• Where Stitchers Count (Tellico Village, Rarity Bay, and far west Knox County)