Following up from our previous post, the final two classes of three, Beads! Glorious Beads! and Embroidery: Basics & Beyond, both taught by Francie Broadie, show the continuation of fiber fun from the first week of August.
Some beads stand alone, but in the beadwork class it was all about creating one or more beaded beads each day. Using multiple stitches, students experimented and explored different designs and shapes. A dodecahedron made with beads? Of course!
Swapping beading needles and threads for embroidery needles and floss, Francie then welcomed a new group of students to a two-day class in embroidery. It’s been a number of years since we’ve offered a class dedicated to this particular subject. Adding a modern feel with today’s choices of printed background fabrics, colors and motifs make this “not your grandmother’s embroidery”. (Even though we cherish our grandmother’s embroidery!)
We had to go “way back” to find the last class focused on exclusively stitched-thread embroidery. In 2003, Shirley Ver Hage offered both a Beginning and Intermediate Hardanger Embroidery class. Prior to that, it was “way, way back” to the very beginning, when in the first year of classes (1979), a creative stitchery class was one of five subjects taught. Here’s part of Walter Schutz’s description for that class, “If you have ever admired beautiful imaginative stitchery and perhaps even envied the person who made it, here is your chance to learn all of the basics so that you too can create similar pieces.” The list of what to bring for class included “the book ‘One Hundred Embroidery Stitches’ by Coats & Clark, cost 50 cents, available in most Five & Dime stores.” We’re so glad to have brought embroidery back to our future!
Good things come from the tiniest of beads and the thinnest of needles and threads. Good things also come from re-visiting and modernizing traditional favorites!
Love the new classes! And my treasured memories of “old classes” that I shared with my older sister. Alas, we can no longer do classes together like we used to (although she recently attended one with her daughters!!).
Have you considered doing some zoom classes? I have taken probably 100 or more on many different subjects in the last couple years. Obviously, many Sievers classes would not translate well to zoom — but with your collective creativity, this might become a new income stream and delight many peeps. If we can’t have all of the Sievers experience, even a piece would help!
Hi Linda,
So good to hear from you! We remember the times you came with Cheryl and it was great to see her and Cathy and to meet Lisa.
We’ve been asked about Zoom classes and floated the idea with the instructors. Not many are set up or suited for that, but we do have one teacher, Nancy Akerly, who teaches box and bookmaking through Zoom classes on her website, libertygrovepaperarts.com.
Thanks for staying in touch and take care,
Carolyn
I agree with Linda. Sievers provides so many wonderful opportunities to create and learn but some of us are not able to attend in person due to long or expensive travel situations. It would be great to join classes through zoom. Not all classes are suitable for this technology but why not try a few classes for some that are?
Hi Chris,
Thanks for chiming in on Linda’s comment about Zoom classes. We’ve been asked about Zoom classes and floated the idea with the instructors. Not many are set up or suited for that, but we do have one teacher, Nancy Akerly, who teaches box and bookmaking through Zoom classes on her website, libertygrovepaperarts.com.
It’s certainly a topic worth pursuing and if it were ever to originate at Sievers, we would probably have to wait until broadband internet is here…our internet speeds are so slow. They estimate it could be 4-5 years before the entire Island is hooked up.
Looking forward to seeing you! Carolyn
Love the beading and embroidery you shared. I would LOVE to take a hardanger class. I made a hardanger sampler years ago. It is my favorite sampler even though I barely knew what I was doing. It would be wonderful to be educated in hardanger.
Hi Cheena,
Wouldn’t Hardanger be great as a class…again? Perfect for the Scandinavian heritage here. We’ll put it on the list of classes students have expressed interest in. Thanks! Carolyn