Available Classes

The decorative hunting horn, brilliant red poinsettia, and green holly touched with gold are all classic symbols of the holiday season. Placed together against the black Congress cloth, they form a spectacular composition of celebration and festivity that is too exquisite to save just for holiday displays. The flower and horn are given depth and dimension with careful placement of the various colors and values of silk and the innovative technique of metallic shading.

Confetti — bits and pieces that combine to form a magnificent total. In this confetti design of many parts, the straight lines of area sections and needlepoint stitches contrast with the soft curves of realistic shading and bargello patterns. Areas of open work showing the color of the Zweigart Over-Dyed Congress cloth contrast with the sparkle of Delica beads and metallic braid. Rose Confetti is a glorious study of contrasts and comparisons.

No sweet fragrance from this rose, just the exquisite, elegant beauty of precious gold metals and magnificent filament silks combined in a glorious composition. A single rose, in either coral or pink, is placed on black Congress cloth, supported by a gold bullion stem. Enhancing the silken petals are gold leaves outlined in gold bullion and painted in class with metallic pigment marker. Backing, and grounding, the flower are three sections of pattern which are bordered by pearl purl couched in a contemporary approach.

On a sultry August afternoon, daylilies line many country roads and share their glory in professional and home cultivated gardens. Because the bloom time is short, just one day, it’s almost as if the flowers burst out with their raw beauty intact. Two of these favorite blossoms, and a bud waiting to emerge, are shown in this delightful design, along with their characteristic foliage. At the lower left and upper right of the spray are partial borders which echo the flower values and incorporate a pulled work pattern.

Santa winks as he points the way to the true Spirit of the Season. His expressive face, flowing beard, and clothing come to life with several shading techniques.

Learn the easy way to create depth and dimension as you use your needle and silks to bring these flowers to life. Winter Whites is a study in realistic shading using both basic and enhancement techniques.

Learn the easy way to create the depth and dimension required as you use your needle to bring these lovely flowers to life. Cambridge is a study in realistic shading techniques, focusing on methods for primary and secondary motifs.

Good Lickin' is an in-depth experience in learning shading techniques. Learn the easy way to create depth and dimension as you use your needle to bring these candies and ribbon to life. Good Lickin' is a study in realistic shading techniques, focusing on methods for primary and secondary motifs. Extensive stitching time will be allotted in class for experimentation with the techniques.

Bring to life a lily flower in full bloom and a developing bud. All while you work with the simple to use silk to do it! Sutton Lily is a innovative approach to a classic style design. A gilded ring, in your choice of silver or gold, is edged on one side with twisted cord couched in a contemporary method and on the other side with pearl purl bullion. Drying time of the Japanese gilding does not permit doing it during this two day class; however the technique will be covered in class.

A gleaming diamond of gold or silver with a triple border of matching metals, forms the perfect background for two butterflies as they revel in the freedom of flight. Their lustrous wings shimmer with the glory of silk and echo the metallic glitter of the diamond. Learn the easy way to create the depth and dimension required as you bring these glorious winged creatures to life. All while you work with the simple to use silks to do it! Flying Free is a innovative approach to the learning of fun and effective shading methods.

Apples, a pumpkin, and ears of colored corn hung by their husks on the wall. These are all symbols of the bounty that comes with the autumn harvest season. The abundance and comfort exemplified by these emblems of well-being are portrayed in warm values of silk and beads.

Three ears of colored corn are depicted with Delica glass beads. The placement of the colored beads gives each ear the appearance of depth and dimension. Learn the easy way to do realistic shading as you stitch ribbons which seem to turn and curve. Three acorns nestle within the folds of the ribbon. This glorious tribute to the abundance of autumn harvest is completed with couched bullion and twisted cord. Exciting, yet simple, shading methods are the focus of this class.

Learn the easy way to form exquisite shading as you stitch with stranded silk — the simple to use silk. Easily create softly glowing flowers and leaves. Bullion and twisted cord enhance the gilded vase. Flowers are your choice of either red values and a gold vase or blue flowers and silver vase. This class is a great way for intermediate level stitchers to learn how to form realism and the appearance of depth. You'll be amazed at what you can do!

The abundance that comes in the autumn with the end of the growing season is portrayed as it cascades from this cornucopia. The background of this bounty is gold gilding applied in a Japanese technique. Drying time does not permit doing the gilding process in class, however it will be described in detail. The fruit and vegetables of the motif are the perfect opportunity to learn numerous shading and color techniques as you stitch with 36 silk colors.

Winter is a time of restful waiting, the expectation of renewal and regrowth to come. To contrast with, or perhaps to enhance, the pristine beauty of the season, we turn to the intense color of flaming poinsettias. Two of these brilliant flowers and their foliage are placed against Japanese silver gilding. Drying time does not permit doing the gilding process in class, however it will be discussed in detail. Framing the floral arrangement is a border composed of serpentine hemstitching, corner areas of woven Norwich stitch, and an ancient line stitch.

Spring arrives with the promise of renewal, growth, and bounty of the evolving seasons. The hint of things to come is portrayed in this image of sunny yellow daffodils which look real enough to pick. The background of the flowers is silver leaf applied in a Japanese technique. Framing the center motif is a drawn thread border.

Evidence of the glorious splendor which blooms under the summer sun, these three blossoms nestle in luxuriant foliage. The bouquet is backed by gold gilding applied to the canvas with a Japanese technique. Drying time does not permit doing the gilding process in class, however it will discussed in detail. Stitcher will select either primrose pink or Dresden blue silks for the flowers. Framing the design is a border of silk and metallic in variations of an ancient braiding stitch combined with bullion couched in a contemporary method.

Curves and swirls interpreted by three different silks and five metals are placed on a diamond shaped canvas covered with custom painted blue or coral gauze. The soft undulation effect which is created by painted gauze over congress cloth contrasts with the sweeping lines of the design. It is not necessary to count gauze threads.

There is so much more to the technique of shading on canvas than just mixing thread colors in a given stitch. Knowledge and use of these methods can help improve almost every piece of needlework. Even if the composition is worked in one value of one color, knowing how and where to use texture to create shading will enhance the focal point. Learning these skills is simple, well within the abilities of intermediate stitchers, and most of all, fun. This is an important class for those ready to improve their level of expertise.

A bit of metal glitz can do so much to enhance a needlepoint project. Unfortunately, those same metals, if not used correctly, can make the piece look tacky and overdone. This class helps you learn how to use those wonderful metal threads so that they do the most to make your piece look its very best. This is an important class for stitchers who wish to expand their embroidery skills.

The queen of all threads for needlepoint is ... silk! How does that little worm do it? That, and so much more, will be discussed in this notebook/project class. The key to knowing how to use the different silks on canvas understanding the various types of silks available. Once you know how to stitch with each of the several categories, then you can stitch with any silk thread at all! A whole glorious world awaits you!

Couching appears so deceptively simple. To couch is to attach a thread to the ground material with another thread, usually a finer one. Couching can smooth the naturally jagged line which results from working on the grid of the canvas, can define an area, can emphasize a section of the design. Well-done couching can improve a canvas piece. But poorly done couching can spoil a whole composition and result in wasted stitching time and money spent for threads.

There is so much more to the technique of shading on canvas than just mixing thread colors in a given stitch. Knowledge and use of these methods can help improve almost every piece of needlework. Even if the composition is worked in one value of one color, knowing how and where to use texture to create shading will enhance the focal point. Learning these skills is simple, well within the abilities of intermediate stitchers, and most of all, fun. This is an important class for those ready to improve their level of expertise.

Stitching with silk threads on canvas requires some special considerations. Proper methods for their use is the subject of this notebook class. The stitched samples created and provided written material form an exceptional personal reference. Students will work with silk floss, both stranded and flat, and several cordonnets. Techniques such as Bokhara couching, Roumanian couching, Burden stitch and variations, laid work, trellis with without a flat silk foundation will be stitched. Since silk is especially suitable for shading, several forms will be studied. These include pointillism, optical mixing, realistic shading, counted, block, satin, tapestry and ombre shading methods.

The proper use of metal threads can bring a design together in cohesive harmony. Incorrect use can cause a project to be amateurish and lacking in appeal. This class helps students learn how to work with these special materials so that they are displayed to greatest advantage and the design is enhanced.

Teaching brings pleasures and the wonderful satisfaction of sharing your love of needlework, but also some predicaments. This class addresses both extremes. Although focusing on the positive, the class will cover the various aspects of teaching at the local, regional, and national level. By being aware of obstacles and potential pit falls, in advance, frequently undesirable situations can be avoided.

While creating Hark! Hear the Bells stitchers have the opportunity to try numerous methods and techniques without committing to a large amount of time to any of them. There are areas of: realistic shading the easy way with stranded silk (the simple to use silk!), directional shading, textural shading, or nué, an or nué variation, bullion work over padding, bullion seeding, burden technique, applying twisted cords. Students may choose from three given blackwork patterns for the background, or will be encouraged to develop their own pattern. Basic color theory as it applies to depth perception and shading will be discussed.