Come fly with me and liberate your inner gypsy! 

The richly embellished Gypsy’s Butterfly is a textural carnival of threads, ribbons and beads.  The vibrant colors of purple and red are complimented by the subtle shades of pale yellow and lavender, creating a visual delight full of movement and intrigue.  Each student’s piece will be a unique collage of color and texture featuring an eclectic combination of surface embroidery and traditional canvas stitches. The class model will be a stepping-stone for students pursuing their own creative journey – so break free from the confines of conventional stitching and give flight to your Gypsy’s Butterfly!

Kit includes: Canvas with drawn design, felt, beads, color copy and instruction booklet.  Threads: Thread Gatherer’s Shepherd’s Silk and Silken ribbons, Needle Necessities Overdyed Kreinik braid and Shadowdyed Velour, Caron Wildflowers, Rainbow Gallery Hi-Lights and Grandeur Silk Pearl, Dansk Flower Thread, Gumnut Poppies and Blossoms, Leah’s Overdyed Cotton Floss and Custom Overdyed Chenille.

Students to bring: 10” x 10” stretcher bars, tacks, colored pencils, paper scissors, normal stitching supplies and any threads from your stash that may enhance your piece.  Regular needles are not included in the kit.  Students need to bring #24-20 Tapestry, #24-#18 Chenille, and Beading Needles #10 Short.

Students will be presented with the unfinished stitched butterfly featuring the 3 sample rectangles.  The unfinished version is meant to inspire the students to fill in the design areas with the texture and stitches of their choosing.  The unfinished version allows me to feature several options for fill-in stitches as well as three background stitch choices. 

Students will be taught design and color principles the first morning of class in order to prepare them to make appropriate choices about color and texture placement.  Students will be encouraged to do “their own thing” with frequent one-on-one tutoring.  The final day of class will end with “show and tell” where each student presents a color and texture plan to the class.  The atmosphere of this class is informal and open to the sharing of ideas among students.

Suggested stitches will be taught, including French Knot, Bullion Knot, Spider Web, Eyelet Stitch, Rice Stitch, Buttonhole Stitch, Raised Stem Band, Couching, Herringbone Stitch, Fishbone Stitch, Chain Stitch, Stem Stitch, Mosaic Stitch, and Alternating Continental.  Students will be encouraged to build up and deconstruct traditional stitches to create desired textural elements.

The goal of this class is to give students the freedom to make a personal embroidery statement while using the line drawing and suggested stitch guide as a stepping stone.  For those students more comfortable with a set kit and a planned stitch guide, a schematic will be included in the class lecture.