Good morning, my friends! I hope today’s article – and the needlework give-away that goes along with it – finds you well!
One thing I’ve noticed through your emails and conversations through different Needle ‘n Thread social media channels is that many of us who have needlework projects to fall back on are not too sad about being isolated or “sheltering in place” at the moment. Our creative outlets are going a long way to bring us some peace of soul. And that’s a good thing!
On the positive side, this is a good time to pursue creativity, to take advantage of down time to learn a new skill, to spend time completing works in progress, and even to organize! I’ve heard from folks who are finding a new lease on their creative lives, thanks to the time they’ve had to sort through their craft supplies and to otherwise organize their homes. Every cloud has a silver lining!
For those of you wanting to learn a new skill in the comfort of your home and at your own pace, I thought I’d point out Tanja Berlin’s new online class. It’s a needlepainting class that focuses on creating a miniature landscape, in which you’ll learn the skills of needlepainting and of bringing a landscape to life with needle and thread. I’m also going to give away two spots in the class and the kits to go with them! Yay!
Whenever new stitchers write to me to ask for a recommendation for embroidery kits that will help them learn a particular needlework technique, one of the designers I always point them to is Tanja Berlin. Her kits are top notch – they have everything you need to complete the design – and her instructions are fantastically thorough.
Tanja’s online classes have the added dimension of an interactive forum, where you can post pictures, ask advice, and communicate with other embroiderers in the virtual classroom. They’re a good way to connect with other stitchers while working through the project, to share and encourage each other along the way while learning a new skill.
You can register and read all about Tanja’s miniature landscape needlepainting class here. You’ll find all the details about the class, what you’ll learn, what’s in the kit, and how the class operates. Take a look!
The class officially begins online on Friday, May 1st.
Tanja offered two class spots and kits for me to give away here on Needle ‘n Thread, so I took her up on the offer!
Give-Away Guidelines
If you’d like to join in today’s give-away, just follow these guidelines:
1. Leave a comment below on today’s article on Needle ‘n Thread. This link will take you straight to the comment form, if you’re not sure how to get there. Please make sure you use a valid email address in the email line on the form. If you do not have your own website, leave the “website” line of the comment form blank. Please do not leave personal contact information in the larger comment box.
2. In your comment, answer the following question:
What’s your “dream” needlework project these days? Do you have a project that you dream about doing some day, or that perhaps is already underway? Tell us about it, why you like it, what it means to you!
3. Leave your comment by next Monday, March 30, 5:00 am CDT (Kansas, USA time), and I’ll announce the winners that morning, plus I’ll drop them an email. Tanja will mail the kits directly to the winners.
If you’d like to sign up directly for the class right now before it fills up, you’ll find the registration information here.
Coming Up on Needle ‘n Thread
For folks who are looking for the ready-to-stitch towel sets I released last Friday, we’re preparing more today and tomorrow. I’m sorry I ran out so quickly! And for those who have asked, yes, I’ll be stocking the Autumn and Christmas towels a little later, too. Right now, I have a helper working with me – I don’t know how long that will last under the circumstances – and we are doing our best to get those together, so that you have something fun and relaxing to stitch!
My heart is almost finished.
(That sounds really weird.)
I’ll show it to you later this week!
And there are a few other little goodies in the pipeline – I’m experimenting on a few things, and I’m starting a new project this week. I’ll tell you all about both as they unfold – assuming I don’t make a jolly mess of them.
Hang in there, everyone!
