A new class offering

For the last few years I have assiduously avoided designing new classes. I'm sure it's the control freak in me. Teaching the same class over and over makes it super easy to pace the class, tweak the pattern, and generally all around offer a well organized class.

I've recently realized that a static class offering may be preventing some of the requests for return visits from going through. Plus, the wash away sheets have opened so many fun doors for applique that I just can't stop myself from experimenting.

This week I've been working on the samples for a new bobbin work/hand embroidery embellishment class. After designing a project that is small enough to allow us to get lots done in class, but includes enough features to cover the topic, it was time to get to work.



We're finally having summer here, so I pressed the applique templates to the fabric, grabbed my iced tea and headed out to the screen porch for a little quality time with my scissors and The Winds of War on my iPod.

Here's where I tell you something you already know. Pouring your iced tea on your ready-to-baste applique is counterproductive. Sometimes my capacity for denial is legend.

Me: Quick, let's dry it with the iron, it will be okay. Shoulder Devil: It will set the stain.

Me: I'll let it air dry and then wash the project once it's done. Shoulder Devil: Yeah, right. Like you'll ever actually wash the project.

Me: Not all tea stains, it'll be okay, really! Shoulder Devil: That would be why those primitive folks use tea to distress their fabrics.

Me: Crap. I'm going to go knit. Shoulder Devil: That's what I've been telling you all along.

Of course it stained. So, after some medicinal knitting and a good night's sleep, I dove back in and started over.

In no time at all the parts were all glue basted for the hand embroidery sample.

 



And then the parts were ready for the bobbin worked sample. It really doesn't take much time at all once you stop fussing about it. In fact, I find the glue basting to be most relaxing.

Here's a close up of the bobbin worked petals. I've used pearl cotton in the bobbin, a yellow thread in the needle. With the feed dogs up, I've lengthened the stitch just a smidge and embellished each petal before the flowers were glued and then stitched together.

Here are the blue flowers, minus the tea stains and plus hand embroidery. The little quilts finish at just fourteen inches, just the right size for a workshop project.



And here's the bobbin worked sample. I'll be adding this workshop to my website soon.