We are the Torrey Pine Needlers, a chapter of the Embroiderers' Guild of America, Inc., and we are located in North County, San DIego, California.
How Did Our Chapter Begin?

In 1987 Mary Holden and Wilma Mac Gillivray were docents at Quail Botanic Gardens (San Diego Botanic Gardens).  Wilma had brought along some embroidery and they began talking about how much they had enjoyed their memberships in various chapters of the Embroiderer’s Guild of America before they moved to San Diego.

There was a chapter in San Diego but the ladies did not want to drive down to San Diego and the meetings were at night.  They decided to found a new chapter in North County.

They contacted National and obtained the Procedure for Chapter Organization.  With the help of a great many women in National and with the advice of Needle Nook in La Jolla, the Torrey Pine Needlers Chapter was chartered at the National Board Meeting on May 19, 1989.
"The Embroiderers' Guild of America (EGA) is a national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the study and preservation of the art of embroidery. Membership is open to anyone interested in needlework, from the beginner to the professional. Members work within local chapters or a member-at-large network to improve their skills and knowledge. Numerous opportunities are available to learn embroidery and needlework techniques, including chapter meetings, workshops, correspondence courses, certification programs, and national and regional seminars. In addition, we offer free projects, a youth program, a quarterly magazine, and national traveling exhibits." - EGA website.
You can visit the Embroiders' Guild of America website at this link - http://www.egausa.org/
The quarterly publication of the EGA, Needle Arts,
is included in your Torrey Pine Needlers' membership.


The group has met in the Club House in Sandy Point Encinitas, La Colonia Community Center (Solana Beach), and usually meets at the Credit Union in Encinitas. Due to Covid, we now meet in a moveable location. Please email us at tpnega1@gmail.com for our location. In all these locations needlewomen have met and stitched a plethora of projects and shared hundreds of different stitches and techniques with each other.

Torrey Pine Chapter is proud of our contribution to the preservation of fine handwork and the innovation of new stitching ideas and techniques.
"Apart from yoga, meditation, reading, it has to be one of the most serene things to do (don't lose your needles though, that can create a severe lack of serenity)." 
                                                                                                                     ~Carole Berman and Jennifer Lazarus, about needlepoint