Ōpōtiki Embroiderers Guild is staging an exhibition of work at the Art Society Hall this week, with one of its foundation members the guest exhibitor.

Audrey Sears has been a member since the organisation began more than 40 years ago.

As a child, Sears learned to stitch what was then called “fancy work”.

When she was old enough she would make clothes with her mother. It wasn’t until much later, when she was in her 40s, that she really got into embroidery.

She learned most of her embroidery skills from instructions in books and from patterns.

The techniques she most enjoys are cross stitch and lace making.

She has enjoyed stitching Hardanger, which has a lacey look.

The work she is most proud of is a lace, bobbin work interlaced with gold thread. The piece was designed for The NZ Lace Society by Yopie Hartland and was offered as a class.

Sears couldn’t attend, so with only a photo and instructions to go by she pieced it together with great difficulty, an achievement she is justifiably proud of.

Sears came from Rotorua to Ōpōtiki in 1975. She was a foundation member of the Ōpōtiki guild, which started 41 years ago in 1985.

She responded to an advertisement placed in the paper by Joyce Jerem asking for people interested in embroidery to meet. It was decided to set up weekly gatherings in the Rose Garden Cottage.

There were about half a dozen members to start with. The group slowly expanded. At that point they were an outpost of the Whakatāne guild.

The group continued to expand and needed somewhere bigger to meet. Sears was president of the guild in 1990/1991. By that stage they had moved to the Masonic hall, where they are still today.

In 2024, Sears was made a life member of the Ōpōtiki Embroiderers Guild.

She has a vast collection of fine embroidery and lace works. When asked what she would like to happen to her collection, she replied, “I’d like my collection of work to be appreciated by someone in the future but not many people appreciate fine needlework these days.”

The exhibition opened yesterday and will run until Saturday.

It has been funded by Creative Communities NZ, Ōpōtiki district.