State Directors

Amy Gilley began learning needlework from her sister’s projects in Home Economics and took the class also to learn more about needlework. She learned rug hooking, needlepoint, Swedish huck weaving, and moved on to counted cross stitch in the mid-1980’s.

Since then, Amy has taken individual classes from the Embroiderers' Guild of America, the Royal School of Needlework both in the US and in England at Hampton Court Palace, and from talented instructors such as Diane Hermann, Kate Barlow, Celeste Chalasani, Catherine Theron, and Thea Dueck, learning various embroidery stitches, goldwork, stumpwork, bullion knots, bargello, Jacobean Crewelwork, applique, beading, and more.

Amy joined the EGA as a Member-at-Large in 2010, joined the Constellation Chapter in Baltimore in 2024, and the Delaware Valley Historic Sampler Guild in 2016. She has been the Hand Embroidery Chair at the Montgomery County Fair, Montgomery County, Maryland for over 20 years.

Now that she will be retiring as a civilian for the Department of the Navy in May 2025, Amy is thrilled to have more time for needlework and is excited that this Delaware tapestry is related to defending America’s waterways (even though Major Fisher was in the Army. Go NAVY! ;D). What a great transition into retirement!