Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Get Ready for Julie's Winter Workshops and Classes 2021!

Creating the loop closure for the Itty Bitty Boro Book

Sign-ups for my Winter workshops and classes are already starting! Hope you'll consider taking part in one of the following scheduled workshops or a multi-session class at The Art League School. Stretch yourself with a one day hand stitching project or take a leap into a more in-depth course on either dimensional stitching using nature as your muse or creating memory-inspired stitched works using words. All workshops and classes are online (Zoom) and are recorded.

One day workshops (5.5 hours including a half hour break) are $65 and some have a kit option. Class size is limited so if you are interested, please contact me asap. Leave a comment here or email me (threadborn@gmail).

Here is the updated schedule through April. Read the descriptions below for more information:

Workshops

January 9 (1:00-6:30 PM EST) Stitch Mandalas

January 23 (1:00 - 6:30 PM EST) Fabric Stash Cloth Book

February 20 (1:00-6:30 EST) Itty Bitty Boro Book

March 6 (10:00 AM - 3:30 PM EST) Talisman Pouch

NEW WORKSHOP! April 3 (1:00-5:15 PM EDST) Bitty Boro Needlebook ($50)

April 17 (1:00-6:30 PM EDST) Talisman Pouch

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Classes at The Art League School (please click on the highlighted class for information and registration)

Hand Stitching Continued: Dimensional Stitches and Fabric Manipulation: Jan 27, Feb 3, 10, 17, 24 (10:00 AM - 12:30 PM EST) Tuition: $160. Optional Kit: $15

Connecting to Memories: The Stitched Word: Jan 27, Feb 3, 10, 17, 24 (7:00-9:00 PM EST) Tuition: $150. Optional Kit: $15

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STITCH MANDALAS

A selection of Stitch Mandala samplers

Hand stitching can be a meditative practice. Mandala, which means circle in the ancient language of Sanskrit, is a form often used in meditation to center and focus one's attention. In this workshop, students spend the day in meditative stitching, creating a series of Stitch Mandalas. Julie will teach variations of a select number of basic embroidery stitches that can be worked within a circular format with beautiful results. Stitches covered will include variations of: Running, Blanket/Buttonhole, Straight and Couching stitches and needle woven Spider's Webs. Students will create a series of samplers featuring their Stitch Mandalas.


FABRIC STASH CLOTH BOOK
Fabric Stash Cloth Books showing multi-layered covers.

This project was originally inspired by a small swatch book of Japanese fabrics. Different-sized swatches made for interesting combinations of pattern and color. Create your own version showcasing treasures from your own fabric collection or insert cloth pages for future hand stitching and collaging. The book cover features a textural layered variation of reverse applique with the option of adding a Trapunto (stuffed) element. Complete your book with a stab stitch binding. Cover kit available in selected colors for an additional $15 plus shipping.

A sample showing different fabric treasures.



ITTY BITTY BORO BOOK
Stitch Boro-style collages on your itty bitty pages.

Design a small format (3" square), accordion-style cloth book using special fabric scraps from your own collection (or select the kit option). Arrange your scraps on wool felt squares and embellish with Sashiko-style Running stitch patterns for a beautiful and rustic book. Two kit options available: Bare bones: wool felt squares and ribbon $10 plus shipping. Full kit: Bare bones plus assorted fabric scraps, cheesecloth and 2 buttons for closures $20 plus shipping.




TALISMAN POUCH
Assorted Talisman Pouches

Design a beautiful hand-stitched pouch to hold a special object (a beach stone, crystal or other talisman). Combine layers of fabric, cheesecloth, silk sari ribbon, yarns and tulle with hand stitching to create a rich, tactile art object. Add a shell embellishment and a bead closure for finishing touches. Kit available in select colors includes everything (except thread) $20 plus shipping.


NEW WORKSHOP!
BITTY BORO NEEDLEBOOK

Create a sweet Bitty Needlebook to hold your favorite needles. This one can easily slip in with your stitching projects. Decorate with Sashiko-style stitch patterns, bind with beads and add a decorative closure. This is a new workshop that folks have been urging me to teach every since I started making them to sell. They are just lovely to hold in your hand! Kit includes all materials (except thread). $15 plus shipping.




I look forward to stitching with you in 2021!-- Julie



Saturday, November 21, 2020

Hand Stitching Continued Summer 2020: Stuffed and Dimensional Forms

 

Barbara B.: Stuffed forms and cording

This is the final post about the three-session Summer 2020 Hand Stitching Continued class. The focus of this class session was stuffing techniques, including cording and Trapunto. I'm also including here some additional work that was completed and posted after the class was over. I just love watching the ongoing explorations of my very talented students! I will be teaching a five-session version of Hand Stitching Continued through The Art League School starting on January 27. We will cover additional dimensional stitches and a playful ("game") approach to additional fabric manipulation techniques. Click on the highlighted class title for a link to the class.

Here is a small sampler I did of some of stuffing techniques...different approaches to stuffing shapes and adding details.


Barbara B. really took off with stuffed shapes, still working within her circle theme. These plus other samplers were eventually trimmed and attached to a larger fabric piece to create a quilt (see below).

Barbara B.: Trapunto and cording.

Barbara B.: Covered felt shapes

Barbara B.: Distorted and stuffed shapes

Barbara B.: Stuffed paper shape

Barbara B.: Stitch samplers featuring techniques from the class.

Barbara B.: Quilt in process

Jill B. designed this aerial landscape ingeniously using cording and Trapunto!

Jill B.: Aerial landscape photo (muse)

Jill B.: Sketch

Jill B.: Aerial landscape using cording and Trapunto with stitching.

Myania M. continued to develop dimensional forms in fabric and paper inspired by her wasp's nest muse.
Myania M.: Wasp's nest (muse)

Myania M.: Journal exercises

Myania M.: Journal exercises


Myania M.: Experiments in felt and cloth

Myania M.: More experiments

Myania M.: Wasp's nest in paper and stitch.

Carolyn L. continued with dimensional experiments.

Carolyn L.: Fabric manipulation and Couching using Fly stitch

Carolyn L.: Trapunto with couching

Thank you to all my very talented students!

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Hand Stitching Continued Summer 2020: Manipulating Fabric with Stitch

 

Judy P.: Beachcombing. A lush challenge piece featuring ruching and Stem stitch net.

This second post about the online Summer 2020 Hand Stitching Continued class, focuses on techniques using Running and Ladder stitches to distort fabric to create dimensional shapes and surfaces. It's surprising what can be created with these two stitches! I demonstrated a number of approaches and students followed along making samples during class time. 

Barbara B.: Sampler

Carolyn L.: Sampler

Carolyn L.: Sampler

Myania M.: Sampler

Myania M.: Sampler

Myania M.: Ruching Sampler

Roberta A.: Sampler

After experimenting, students then had the opportunity to design challenge pieces with these techniques. Nature again was their muse.

Carolyn L. interpreted tree bark using some of these techniques.


Carolyn L.: Journal Prompt

Carolyn L.: Choosing materials

Carolyn L.: Tree bark

Barbara B. continued to explore circular forms.



Jill B. created a beautiful sampler of techniques and then figured out how to design a Hosta leaf!

Jill B.: Sampler of techniques.

Jill B.: Hosta leaf muse
Jill B.: Journal prompt

Jill B.: Journal prompt

Jill B.: Using class techniques to create her leaf.

Jill B.: Completed Host leaf

Jill B.: Hidden "surprise" under Hosta leaf!

Roberta A. effectively combined techniques from the first two classes to create her Beachcombing piece.

Myania M. continued experiments and considered how these might reference and represent her wasp's nest muse.


For more information about the Winter session of the Hand Stitching Continued class that I'm teaching through The Art League School (starts on January 27). Please go here. If you have questions, please leave a comment.