The Naples Public Library and its Centennial Celebration is hosting a “Needlework Exhibit” on Saturday, May 19 at the library from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The exhibit is being shown by the Southern Maine Chapter (SOME) of The Embroiderer’s Guild of America.

The Embroiderer’s Guild was formed to foster the art of needlework and associated arts. The southern Maine chapter was charted in 1978 and has six active area groups throughout the state, all working hard to stimulate interest in the needle arts in their communities. The chapter is also very involved in many diverse outreach programs to benefit babies, children and seniors through the creation of clothing, blankets, gifts and needlework pieces to grace habitat homes, libraries and senior centers.

This exhibit will include a wide variety of needlework form, hardanger, counted thread, needlepoint, surface embroidery, penny rug to white work and rug hooking. Pictures for the wall, bell-pulls, padded boxes, a needlepoint satchel, tea cozie, rug, Christmas designs and samplers will be included in the presentation. There will be ladies demonstrating some of their skills throughout the day and to answer questions. You will be amazed at the talent, design ability, and the creativeness of some of your very own neighbors.

The Loara Standish Sampler is the oldest known signed sampler in America. There will be a “reproduction” of this on display. The long and narrow piece, which dates to the late 1630s is owned by America’s oldest public museum, Plymouth Hall in Plymouth, Mass. Loara was the daughter of Myles Standish and his second wife, Barbara. There is no known record of her birth, historians date it around 1630, and she died before her father’s death in 1656, so she was very young when she stitched her sampler. The stitch used in the first band is now called the Standish Stitch, so named by the woman who graphed Loara’s sampler for commercial use. A little bit of colonial history to whet your appetite!

The Naples Library will continue the celebration of their Centennial during the following months. They are planning a musical evening at Deertrees Theater in Harrison for June. Then they will host an Historical Walking Tour of Naples with the Naples Historical Society in July. The grand finale will be in August with an old fashioned barbeque, complete with music, fun, and games, on the Naples Village Green.

For more information about the Needlework Exhibit or other upcoming events, call the Naples Public Library at 693-6841, or stop in Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesdays 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Information may also be obtained on the Web site: www.naples.lib.me.us.