Through the Needle's Eye
Dimensional Cotton and Wool Appliqué Designs
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Classes and Workshops: Appliqué and Embroidery
We can teach a workshop of any block that you see pictured anywhere on this website. If what you are wanting isn't pictured here, just email us and ask!
Potstickers
Classes by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué designs by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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Potstickers are not just for dinner anymore! We designed these plant ornaments to add some fun to our potted plants, but you could just as easily create any kind of ornament with these sweet patterns. Who doesn't love having a quick and easy project to do? In this class, we will learn the basics of wool appliqué, as well as the simple embroidery stitches needed to complete your potstickers. You will have a choice of different sets for your class project. Are you ready to add some patriotic pizzazz, fall flair, Christmas cheer, or spring fling to your potted plants? They will thank you—and we will have a lot of fun in the process!
One- half day or one-day classes; beginner appliqué skills
Patriotic Potstickers
Fall Fun Potstickers
Christmas Potstickers
Spring Potstickers
Village Wanderings
Classes by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué designs by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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What is more charming than a village of quaint homes bedecked with flower boxes abounding with blooms and picturesque little shops filled with fruits and vegetables, and even a wedding cake! Our Village Wanderings—Homes and Shops are each framed with embroidered ribbon swags. We will learn how to construct each house or store in class, along with all the embroidery stitches needed to create your own set of homes or shops! (Choose Homes or Shops.)
Individual kits for ribbon, embroidery threads, and wool will be available for sale, as well as full kits.
Skills for all four homes or shops are included per class; however, we will focus on stitching just one during the class session.
Two- to three-day classes; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Village Wanderings—Homes
Spring, Winter, Summer, Autumn
Village Wanderings—Shops
Quilt Shop, Market, Bakery, Café
Dimensional Wool Appliqué Classes
Classes by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué designs by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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Mixing fibers to achieve interest and dimension is our favorite design feature We offer a number of options of classes from which you can choose to enjoy the world of dimensional wool appliqué. Each will begin with the basics of wool appliqué, and then we will explore the embroidery used to embellish the block. Special dimensional techniques will be covered, whether it is weaving wool, using wool roving or ribbon, or adding lace or buttons. See photos to specify which class interests you.
One- to two-day classes; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Going to Grandma's
Harvest Basket
Baby, It's Cold Outside!
Hopeful Bluebird
Tea and Blooms
April Showers
Oak Leaves and Acorns
In The Garden Series
Classes by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué designs by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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These designs were created for our wool Block of the Month series, In the Garden. Each workshop will discuss the basics of wool appliqué, embroidery stitches used to embellish the block, and any ribbon techniques included to create the block. The length of the workshops are flexible and can be tailored to meet the needs of the group. A great way to explore mixing media! Email us for more information about a particular class.
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Half-day or one-day classes; beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Dragonfly and Fern
Rose
Robin and Forsythia
Violets
Cardinals and Holly
Cornflowers
Hummingbird and Fuchsia
Hydrangeas
Wheelbarrow of Flowers
Monarch and Butterfly Bush
Garden Gate
Hopeful Flowers
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué designs by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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Spring is a beautiful season, giving us hope that winter has said goodbye for another year. This class will focus on basic wool appliqué and introduce some unique ways to use embroidery stitches to embellish your appliqué. This would be a good introductory course for beginners but still challenging enough with new stitching applications for those with experience.
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One-day or two-day class; beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Crazy Mittens
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué designs by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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A perfect introduction to basic wool appliqué and crazy quilt style embroidery. Five little mittens grace this small panel that can be turned into a table mat, a wall hanging, or and individual ornament or gift tag. We will begin with the basics of wool appliqué and then move onto embellishing them with a few simple crazy quilt embroidery stitches.
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One-day class; beginner appliqué skills
Ribbon Basics
Creating and Embroidering Ribbon Flora
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué designs by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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In this skills-based workshop, we will explore various kinds of ribbon and methods of creating flowers and leaves. Some units will be created off-block, and others will be directly embroidered onto a ground cloth. You will learn to manipulate wired ribbon, seam binding ribbon, hand-dyed bias silk ribbon, and 4mm and 7mm silk ribbon. The same techniques can be used with different materials to yield different looks. Once you learn the techniques, you can experiment, play, and let your creativity soar! You will be stitching a garden in no time.
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One-day class; beginner to intermediate embroidery skills
Elegant Vase
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué designs by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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This elegant vase of flowers is a wonderful introduction to basic wool appliqué and ribbonwork. Your friends will be in awe of your skill when you show them your block, but you can decide whether to tell them how easy creating these exquisite blooms really is. The class will begin with the basics of wool appliqué, as we prepare the vase and leaves. And then we will become florists: using only three new techniques, we can create all these beautiful blooms. You will be amazed how a simple running stitch can be used in different ways to create petals for our pansies and chrysanthemums, and wire-gathering does the trick for our roses. A couple of basic embroidery stitches for stems will add the finishing touches.
And all the while, fun will be the focus!
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One-day class; beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Alsatian Urn
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué designs by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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This lovely urn is based on an antique wardrobe found in the charming town of Riquewihr, Alsace. The colorway is true to the original, but wool, silk, velvet, and other fibers have brought this pattern to life in stitches. This class will cover the basics of wool appliqué, as well as the embroidery and ribbon work used to embellish this block, including instruction for some new ways to manipulate fun fibers, including ruched thread and hand-dyed velvet.
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Two-day class; beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Woodland Reverie
Classes taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué designs by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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Welcome to our woodland journey through the forest with blocks from our new Woodland Reverie quilt! These classes will cover appliqué skills, along with the embroidery, ribbon work, and/or stumpwork used to embellish the block. We will play with exciting new fibers and techniques to help you bring life to these dimensional woodland blocks.
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Two- to three-day classes; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Spring Robin
In this spring scene, a mother robin is gazing at her nest anticipating new life, surrounded by swags of dogwood, grape hyacinth, and pussy willows. Kit includes wired ribbon, hand-dyed silk ribbons and velvet, special threads to create the nest, full-sized pattern, and handout.
Autumn Mushroom Wreath
Our woodland autumn scene brings a butterfly fluttering by colorful mushrooms nestled on a bed of moss, wreathed with oak leaves, dimensional acorns, and posies. Kit includes hand-dyed velvet, felted wool, wired ribbon, special thread for mushroom and acorn caps, silk yarn for the wreath, full-sized pattern and handout.
Butterfly and Trillium
This papercut style appliqué block includes wired ribbon trillium and a dimensional butterfly, framed in silk, that is ready to fly off the block. Kit includes wired ribbon in two colors, decorative threads for trillium, butterfly antenna, full-sized pattern and handout.
Cascading Creek
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In this lovely framed vista, the water is a cascade of silk, enhanced with a posy of ribbon flowers and leaves. Kit includes seam binding ribbon, bias silk ribbon, silk ribbon, wired ribbon, wool roving, full-sized pattern and handout.
Botanical Beauties
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué designs by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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Inspired by vintage botanical prints, these four small blocks—featuring sweet peas, tulips, zinnias, and a lily—are created with a wealth of materials, including wired ribbon, silk ribbon, sari silk, hand-dyed threads, velvet, and more. Instruction can include the border or not, depending on the focus you choose. The required kit includes all ribbon and embroidery threads needed to complete the four blocks, which can be used individually, joined together, or become part of a quilt. OR you can choose just one of the blocks for a one-day class. Find out just how fun and easy it is to make realistic blooms out of ribbon!
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One-day to three-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Lovely Vase
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué designs by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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Ribbon comes to life as beautiful blooms for this lovely vase of flowers, inspired by a Baltimore Album block from the Lovely Lane Museum. We will have fun exploring a variety of materials (ribbons, velvet, wool, gimp, metallic threads, silk) to create a sunflower, violet, honeysuckle, asters, and roses in a lovely Victorian vase—as well as a buzzing bee. We use back-basting appliqué, our preferred method, for most of the foliage, though you can use your method of choice. Embroidery stitches add the finishing touches, including some stumpwork techniques. Required kit includes all ribbon and embroidery threads needed to complete the block.
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Three-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Family Tree House
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Pattern by Elly Sienkiewicz from Baltimore Elegance
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This tree is created using the papercut style of appliqué, home to a pair of appliquéd bluebirds. The block is embellished with embroidery with both ribbon and a variety of threads, creating the nest, eggs, buds, and flowers A full-day class will give more in-depth instruction on basic back-basting appliqué skills, while a half-day class will focus more on the embellishment techniques.
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Half-day or one-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Rake Ruched Rose Wreath
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Pattern by Elly Sienkiewicz from Baltimore Elegance
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This wreath is created using the papercut style of appliqué, embellished with folded ribbon rosebuds, rake ruched roses, and dimensional leaves. The center of the wreath is filled with lovely embroidered silk ribbon flowers, including ribbon stitch and lazy daisy flowers and leaves, gathered knotted ribbon flowers, colonial knots, and spider web roses. A full-day class will give more in-depth instruction on basic back-basting appliqué skills, while a half-day class will focus more on the embellishment techniques.
Half-day or one-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Lyre Wreath in Bloom
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Pattern by Elly Sienkiewicz from Baltimore Elegance
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Our lovely little blue bird hovers within this beribboned wreath. Back-basting appliqué is used to create the leaves, and silk cording forms the vine. The rose, rosebuds, calyxes, and some leaves are created with French ombré wired ribbon. Stuffed velvet and silk knots form the flower center, and basic embroidery brings our bird to life. A full-day class will give more in-depth instruction on basic back-basting appliqué skills and exploring alternate methods for stitching the block, while a half-day class will focus on the embellishment techniques.
Half-day or one-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Ruched Hyacinths
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Pattern by Elly Sienkiewicz from Baltimore Elegance
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The "papercut" style of appliqué is made easy using the back-basting method, creating the foliage for the block. We will create the hyacinths by ruching French ombré wired ribbon, and the buds are made with silk ribbon colonial knots and embroidery. A folded fabric technique is used for the calyxes. A full-day class will give more in-depth instruction on basic back-basting appliqué skills, while a half-day class will focus more on the embellishment techniques.
Half-day or one-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Flower Basket
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Pattern by Elly Sienkiewicz from Spoken Without a Word
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This woven appliquéd basket is embellished with flora created by a variety of fibers. In this workshop, we will learn flower arranging with French ombré wired ribbon, hand-dyed silk ribbon and thread, velvet, ultrasuede, and beads. A two-day class will include basic back-basting appliqué skills, including the woven basket technique. A one-day class will focus on the embellishments and leave the appliqué to the stitcher. Required kit includes everything needed to complete the block except background and basket fabric.
One- or two-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Zierblumen (Bouquet of Flowers)
Class by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué design by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
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Ribbon comes to life as beautiful blooms in this lovely bouquet. We were inspired by an antique chromolithograph print from Germany entitled “Zierblumen,” dated 1894. In this class, we will learn a variety of techniques for transforming ribbon into roses, carnations, fuchsia, pansies, geraniums, and forget-me-nots. We will use back-basting appliqué for most of the foliage, though we will create some leaves using ultrasuede and wired ribbon. Basic embroidery stitches will add the finishing touches. Required kit includes all fabric, ribbon, and embroidery threads needed to complete the block, except your background fabric.
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Three-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Oiseau et Panier (Bird and Basket)
Class by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué design by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
Travel with us to France, as we make this unique, dimensional block, inspired by an antique French fabric panel. We will build the basket with bias strips and learn how to give it dimension with silk cording. Then we will fill it with blooms using many different techniques, with a variety of ribbons and fabrics. You will learn embroidery stitches to enhance your appliqué and to give your bird his luxurious tail! The required kit is complete with all the fabric, ribbon, embroidery threads, trims, beads, and background you will need.
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Three-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
The Secret Garden
Class by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué design by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 classic, The Secret Garden, is the inspiration for this block. As we follow the robin—and stitch one too!—we will create our own secret gardens (sans weeds), using a variety of techniques and fibers. Back-basting appliqué will build the garden walls; embroidery and ribbon work will fill it with blooms; a creative use of sari silk will give our gnarled wisteria trunk dimension; and gathered ribbon flowers will frame it all. Inking techniques will be taught for the block’s finishing touches.
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Three-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Floral Wreath
Class by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué design by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
A walk through the garden is the perfect inspiration for this lovely wreath of flowers. Lilies, pansies, clematis, roses, and jasmine welcome warm thoughts of springtime. Silk ribbon and embroidery add dimension, making these blooms come to life. In this class, we will explore a number of techniques, including back-basting appliqué, gathered ribbon flowers, ribbon boat leaves, and the ribbon stitch. You’ll learn the embroidery stitches—using a variety of fibers—that will add realism to your flora. Inking techniques will be demonstrated for those who wish to inscribe the center of the finished wreath.
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Two-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Petite Floral Wreath
Class by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original appliqué design by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
A walk through the garden is the perfect inspiration for this smaller wreath of flowers. Pansies, clematis, roses, and baby's-breath welcome warm thoughts of springtime. Silk ribbon and embroidery add dimension, making these blooms come to life. In this class, we will explore a number of techniques, including back-basting appliqué, gathered ribbon flowers, and the ribbon stitch. You’ll learn the embroidery stitches—using a variety of fibers—that will add realism to your flora. Inking techniques will be demonstrated for those who wish to inscribe the center of the finished wreath.
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One-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Marcia's Flowers
Class by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original wool appliqué design by Through the Needle’s Eye, LLC
This wool appliqué pattern was created to top a wooden box, but it could be used as a pillow, a block in a wall hanging, a book cover, or a sewing kit cover . . . wherever your imagination takes you! Complete pattern with templates and embroidery stitch guide included.
One-day class, focusing on embroidery skills—requires appliqué to be done before workshop (could be fused); or, a two-day class, with the first day focusing on appliqué, and Day 2 on embroidery embellishments.
Rose of Sharon
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Pattern by Elly Sienkiewicz from Spoken Without a Word
Elly thinks this lovely wreath may be one of Baltimore’s oldest blocks, but we will be learning many contemporary skills: padded wired ribbon buds, ultrasuede calyxes, bias silk ribbon stem/wreath, layered ribbon roses, embroidered stems, and unique silk ribbon leaves. Required kit includes all materials needed to stitch the block except your background fabric—over 15 yards of French-wired and hand-dyed silk ribbon, coordinating flosses.
One- or two-day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Eight-Pointed Star With Sprigs of Berries
Class taught by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Pattern by Elly Sienkiewicz from Spoken Without a Word
This lovely appliqué block offers the perfect forum for learning back-basting techniques for appliqué. We will explore the use of different materials: silk bias ribbon for making the stems, ultra suede for the berries, and a fascinating embroidery stitch as an option for the berries. Basic embroidery stitches will be used for the finer stems as well. Inking the tendrils will be the final touch.
One- or two- day class; advanced beginner to intermediate appliqué skills
Pretty Petals: An Introduction to Appliqué
Class by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original Pattern by Through the Needle's Eye, LLC
Learn the basic techniques to become comfortable with the art of needle-turn appliqué while stitching this lovely flower and buds. The simple design will teach you the back-basting method of preparing your appliqué pieces; stitching curves, inside and outside points, and stems; and reverse appliqué. We may even play with a dimensional folded bud, which is so much easier than you might think! You can make this block into a pillow, a wall hanging, or add it to a quilt.
One-day class, beginner appliqué skills
An Introduction to Ribbon Embroidery
Class by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Original Pattern by Through the Needle's Eye, LLC
Ribbon embellishment can make your appliqué and needlework come to life. We will create three types of flowers and leaves with different kinds of ribbon: 7mm silk ribbon, Hanah bias silk ribbon, and French wired ombré ribbon. Some simple knots create the flower centers. When you arm yourself with a few simple ribbon techniques, you will be amazed by the distance that your imagination can carry you. You may find yourself creating lovely gardens—with no weeds!
Half-day class, beginner appliqué skills
Lectures
The Stories in Our Quilts
Lecture by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
What do quilts and stories have to do with each other? Everything, actually! Have you ever had a piece of needlework passed down through your family and wondered who made it, how they made it, and/or why? These are the stories of our families—part of our history. So often these gems are tucked away in a chest or put on a closet shelf. But there is a wealth of information within those stitches, if only we knew their stories. Our quilts give us opportunities to tell our stories. Enjoy an hour of storytelling as we share some of our favorite quilts (old and new) and the tales they tell.
The Texture Lecture
Lecture by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
Adding texture to our quilts adds a wonderful, new dimension to them whether they are appliquéd or pieced. In this lecture, we will share the many different ways to add texture through embroidery, fibers, and embellishment. We invite you to join us as we explore techniques to bring your quilts to life with texture.
Trunk Show
Lecture by Kara Mason and/or Teri Young
We are thrilled to be able to share our stitching journey with you in our newest lecture offering, our Trunk Show. From Baltimore Appliqué to crazy quilts to wool appliqué, our love for texture and dimension is evident through our embroidered embellishments, ribbon work, and appliqué.
Can we tell you more? Please ask! We would love to hear from you!