Beginning Embroidery:
Techniques Used in the Past:
Part 2

Class Syllabus

The class is structured around the Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences Inc., Instruction Paper with Examination Questions, Embroidery Stitches Part 1, by Mary Brooks Picken. This 1920 work is an excellent primer on embroidery. Alongside the excerpted text from the book we will be presenting some of the modern alternatives that may make the stitching a little easier. For clarity, excerpts from the book will be presented in italics. Embroidery patterns from the 19th Century in our Online Libary will be used in this class.

The first lesson will consist of a discussion of various embroidery styles and methods and how the basic embroidery stitches taught in Part 1 of this series fit within those styles. Although we will be discussing the various styles or types of embroidery (i.e. Black Work, voided background, hardanger, etc.) and how the basic stitches fit in to them, we will not be teaching the styles themselves. The stitches are the building blocks of all forms of embroidery and the focus of this class is the proper execution of the stitches and how they may be used in embroidery projects.

The following three lessons will take the student from the simple easy stitches taught in Part 1 through the more complicated and advanced stitches introduced in Ms. Picken’s work. We’ll take each stitch step-by-step and discuss how it can be applied or used in decorating clothing, house linens, and a myriad of other ways!.

We’ll be following Ms. Picken’s work as our guide through the world of stitches.
Some of the stitches covered in the class will be:

Shadow-stitches

Relief- and Drawn-Work stitches

Couching in it’s various forms

Advanced forms of the basic stitches taught in Part 1

 Nikki's Bio

 Class Description

 Cost for Class: $75

 See Class Schedule for semester dates.

 Duration of class: 4 lessons. Self paced.

Costume Classroom is a division of The Costume Gallery, copyright 1996-2006.

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