The Mermaid in Her Grotto class

I am in Williamsburg taking a 3 day stumpwork class - a perfect Christmas gift from my wonderful husband. The class is part of a long running seminar, A Gathering of Embroiderers. I've heard fellow EGA members discuss the class but never remembered to look it up. This year it was mentioned on the Thistle Threads blog, and this particular stumpwork project was shown, so I just had to take the class.

It has been a wonderful experience, at least on my first day. The hotel is wonderful, all the people are great, and Jeannine Koons, the organizer, and her husband and son who help her are the nicest people and really make the event a pleasure.

Tricia Wilson Nugyen is the instructor and the historical background and detective work is as interesting and fun as the actual stitching and using the new/old threads she has brought for this kit. We all had so much fun unpacking supplies this morning. I could have spent all day just looking through all the threads and supplies. But it got better because I was able to stitch.

This photo doesn't look like much, but it was fun. This is the rocky grotto that will hold a mermaid and fish. In the bottom center is a sheet of mica - yes the rock! It will give shimmer to the water. We had to learn to split the layers to get it thin enough to stitch through. The lower left rock is just padding so far. Moving clockwise, there is a small rock of drizzle stitch in Soie de Paris, then a Soie Perlee French knot rock, then a French knot rock using some hand made, by Tricia, silk gimp. And finally some padded satin coral.

On top of the threads and stitching, there is a boutique with amazing supplies for sale. So I bought a few things to enhance the grotto. I'll point some of them out when the appear.

Now I really must get stitching to fill in some of the rocks. Some industrious class members have one or two rocks done.