Online University

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3-months Silk Lacet Bouquets ($87.67/month) - USA Shipping

3-months Silk Lacet Bouquets ($90.33/month) - Canada Shipping

3-months Silk Lacet Bouquets ($93.12/month) - Rest of World Shipping

In the 17th century boarding schools, young ladies used finger braided lacet to form flower petals and construct stems and bouquets of flowers to put in their embroidered caskets or give as tokens of affection.  There are many of these in museum and private collections, including a wonderful set at the Ashmolean museum.  Daisies, strawberries and flowers, pansies, and other beautiful flora were all invented complete with serpentine leaves.  

This 3-month course will show the basics of forming petals, leaves and berries and then assembling them into stand alone stems or little bouquets.  They are appropriate for small vases, shadow boxes, boutonnieres, or surprises in drawers of your casket or for internal gardens for your casket.  

The kit will include a variety of silk lacet braids in eleven colors, 12 tubes of soie gobelin silk threads, and small amounts of threads like silk facette, silk purls, and silk laid down trim which are useful for flower centers.  Silk covered wire and cotton forms are included for berries and stems.  Between four to five bouquets similar to the pictures can be made depending on how many flowers you make.   Kits will be shipped by January 1st.  On January 1st, an email will come with access to the course, user and password.

If you have taken the Four Seasons Project or Stitch Along, much of the information will be repetitive; although there will be at least two new flower types.

Next Full Start is Jan 1st, 2025.  Late registrations taken for 2024 version if paid in full

There are only 21 spots available out of 250.

Paying in full is also a ~5% discount from installment plans.  

There are two ways to pay.  Either in full or on a 18-month payment plan using PayPal.  The links in blue below are for payment plans and take you to a PayPal page to complete the order.  Shipping is included, so please choose your correct region.  If your preferred email or shipping address is not the same as entered for PayPal, please email me with the correct info.  Husbands have a tendency to unsubscribe your class emails.

The installment plans have changed to have a total of seven shipments vs 2-3 shipments when paying in full.  That is why there is a discount for paying in full.

18-months USA Shipping ($205.33/month)

18-months Canada Shipping ($210.33/month)

18-months Rest of World Shipping ($215.85/month)

• The course will be an 'all-in-one' course with over 230 packages of silk and metal threads, silk purls, stumpwork glass eyes, stumpwork wire, stumpwork fruit forms, linen fabric, slate frame, casket box and lid inserts, and finishing materials (silk lining, lining papers, gilt edge papers, gilt woven edging ribbons (2 types), hardware, silk ribbon, mirror, glue, etc) for the entire project including 560 pages of instructions that are printed from pdf pages online, 7 stitch animations and 9 hours of detailed finishing videos (21 videos). 

• The course only assumes the most basic of knowledge - threading a needle, doing a basic satin stitch.  Full instructions for couching, needlelace, using the thread types, framing up your linen, tracing pattern, etc. are included.  The stitching is divided about 50% couching down unusual threads, 25% satin stitch/french knots, and 25% needlelace.  The emphasis is on using the unusual threads custom made for the project, learning the needlelace and doing the finishing - things that are new to the typical stitcher.   I have posted a blog with comments about taking the course from previous students for their perspective.

• Casket is: 11.5" wide x 8" deep x 6" high with feet

• It is designed to be worked over a 24-month period.  There are only 24 out of 250 spots for this course left and it is not planned on being run again after the spots are gone as some threads will not be available and the cabinet maker is retiring next year and these are all the boxes I will get.  100 people have already taken the project with several of the caskets finished and looking lovely!  (see a finished student casket here) 

• The course starts on January 1st with user names/passwords for the online materials sent that day.  Shipments of the threads/fabrics will avoid Christmas to reduce the impact of Christmas issues at post offices, theft on porches, and customs back-ups for international students.

• There will be between 2-3 shipments for the course if paid in full.  The installment payment shipments will be 7 shipments.  The linen, slate frame and half the threads will be shipped first.  (For installment payments, this first shipment is divided into 5 boxes vs 1 box).  A second shipment will include the box and more threads.  The third shipment will be the finishing papers, glues, tapes, etc.  Box sizes are different and not all items can be shipped in one box.   The shipments are timed to correspond with payment milestones.

• The instructions are released one lesson a month online.  All previous lessons remain open after a new lesson is released.  An email is sent on the 1st each month to remind you to log in.

• You stitch at your own pace.  There is an online forum (NING) which all students past and present in Thistle Threads courses use as a discussion and Q&A forum.  Pictures can be posted.

• Orders paid in full will have access to all lessons and materials shipped earlier, taking into account issues with near-holiday shipping.  Materials are only shipped after students have been given fair warning with an email so they can be on the look-out for boxes and give notice of vacation holds. 

• US shipping is priority mail.  Overseas shipping is first class mail except for the wooden box which will come priority mail. Customs duties are the responsibilities of the student.  I can not ship marked 'gift' or 'educational materials'.

• Please do not email me with requests for box only, patterns-only, box building instructions, or to reprice the class without items you already have.  The answer is no.  Why is the answer no?

If you are interested in taking the course or finding out more, email me at tricia@alum.mit.edu  

This course is running again with 25 spots starting on January 1st, 2025

Late registrations taken for 2024 taken with full payment

For installment payments by Paypal, click the appropriate blue link:

$85.64/month for 9-months USA Shipping

$88.76/month for 9-months Canada Shipping

$90.43/month for 9-months Rest of World Shipping

This 18-month online course is a stand alone course, but complimentary to the Cabinet of Curiosities.  It is intended to be a comprehensive investigation of stumpwork techniques of the 17th century.  It includes:

• 20 sets of detailed instructions for detached needlelace stitches, showing how to work them in multiple thread types
• Animations for each of the stitches to aid in working
• 18-lessons in the application of low and high relief embroidery, needlelace and how to attack the typical motifs found in 17th century stumpwork.  There are highly detailed sets of instructions to demystify filling animals with needlelace in multiple colors, making wired detached pieces, faces, three-dimensional shoes and other complex topics never seen in instructional materials.
• Historical information and photos to support all the lessons showing how these motifs were filled in various creative ways
• A 18-month optional project to make a stumpwork mirror.  The motifs can be worked separately or the entire project by the study by purchasing the materials from the materials list.  Full instructions for the entire project.
• Templates to design stumpwork mirror frames, four fully designed mirror frames and several large designs if the student wanted to go forth and do a complicated project
• Weblinks to supporting visual and historical material

The class kit will include linen and threads to enable the student to practice all the needlelace stitches.  There will be samples of thread types (purls, gimps, facette, rococo, lacet, stumpwork forms, etc) to allow the student to experiment with them before embarking on a project they envision.  The kit will be shipped in 1-2 parts.

The instructional material fills about three 3" binders and it is recommended that the students keep the material filed on their computer or iPad if they prefer.  

Each lesson is released on the 1st of the month with an email to the student to remind them to log into the student teaching portal to download the materials.  Animations can be watched on the portal at any time during the course and used over and over.  Once a lesson is open, it stays open until the end of the class.  A three-month period after the course is given to finish downloading.  A link to an animation playlist hidden on YouTube is given to the students at the end to refer back to in the future for use in working stitches.

This course is running again with 50 spots starting on February 1st, 2025. 

Paying by Installment - click the blue link for PayPal subscription:

18-months at $38.75/month with USA Shipping 

18-months at $40/month with Canada Shipping 

18-months at $41.50/month with Rest of World Shipping

This 18-month course is going to take a very deep dive into the whitework/cutwork found on English band samplers of the 17th century. While we are attracted to the large geometry patterns, often called reticella, there are several other techniques which are characteristic and found on most samplers of the period in concert with these complex bands. Over 1/2 of the course will be devoted to the reticella techniques.

The course is a mix of learning techniques, projects and designing your own whitework band sampler. You are being given enough materials to work one to three small pieces of linen with trial stitches so you can feel confident with techniques and material choices. Then there are two sampler projects, each with one band of reticella to explore a mixed colored counted work band sampler with the cutwork. One is based on a sampler from the Winterthur Museum collection and the second is inspired from a favorite piece of mine in the collection of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. This piece is a unique example of colored silk threads being used for reticella and I think it is a unique project that combines ease of sight because of the colored threads but also technical challenges to hide the color changes and thus it provides a master class in this reticella technique on the whole.

The third project is a punta-in-aria length of lace.  A fourth project can be worked, a band sampler of your own design based on all the materials we will be looking at, provided patterns, and the real 16th-17th century pattern books.  In order to do this, the course is taking on the unique challenge that presented the 17th century teacher/embroiderer - the geometry and math of this type of work. When looking at band samplers, we will find that often the pattern didn’t quite fit the chosen width of the sampler the person had chosen to make and that had consequences that had to be filled in or not. It could make for awkward spots in an otherwise stunning piece. I wanted to solve that and answer the questions of how to scale the patterns, how wide to work the bands, over what count and if you were working all these bands with disparate scales of withdrawn threads, how to make them all fit exactly in the boundaries of the sampler without excess room left over in the band.

The course will include detailed photographs of at least five samplers to illustrate techniques. This will be augmented by Pintrest boards to go with the course as both a general reference and specific references in the course text to illustrate points.  

Each technique will be accompanied by many patterns which can be cut and arranged and used directly as patterns for your personal sampler. I will also be giving guidance on how to convert many of the patterns found in the 16th-17th century pattern books to the correct scale so you can use them as well as how to look at a pattern and determine the best stitch choices and progression of working the pattern.

Choices of materials is a big part of this course. You have three linen counts that the course has been designed to use. A 30ct, 40ct, and a 53/55ct linen have been provided with enough of each to be used for two projects - the one I intended and your choice of which for the personal sampler. So the ambitious will have extra linen for other projects of this type or can repurpose it.  Both silk and linen threads will be used for the samplers matching the thread to the original pieces.

The kits will include all three linens mentioned, silk threads, linen threads, needles, and special blue contact paper.

The course requires a basic understanding of counted work including running stitch, satin stitch, cross stitch and a willingness to explore other counted stitches such as alternating backstitch and Montenegrin stitch.  Full instructions for these stitches is included as well as diagrams specific for the motifs to enable a student to turn corners and make diagonals with these initially more challenging counted stitches.  

This course will start again on February 1st, 2025

3-months $171.84/month USA Shipping

3-months $178.05/month Canada Shipping

3-months $186.62/month Rest of World Shipping

This 3-month course has two approximately 5" x 5"  flower basket projects that can either be hung together or used to line the inside doors of a double casket/flat casket with doors.  The projects use silk purls in multiple sizes, scallop trim, gilt 1 1/2 twist, and chardon coupe and bouclette on a 40ct closely woven white linen.   The kit includes all fibers, needles, linen piece and slate frame to work the pieces.  There will be one kit shipment.

NOTE: Slate frames are currently unavailable.  If you already have a slate frame, there is an option without slate frame - but note this can not be done in a hoop or hand.  A large roller frame can work.

Rolling admissions

This is a read-only version of the very popular Cabinet of Curiosities course.  The course is 18-months and over 1000+ pages of information and photos.  Read-only means that the instructions/history sections are downloadable but there are no kits for the course.  New students accepted late.

This course is of interest to anyone who may already be taking a project class to work a embroidered casket (i.e. Harmony with Nature, Five Senses, or Four Seasons).  It contains all the historical background to the period, stories on the cabinets, designs, bottles, inkwells, boxes, casket toys, discussions of beaded baskets and other topics related to the embroidered cabinets.  It also includes over 1000 photos of historic pieces up close.  The course provides extensive context to the embroidered boxes and related objects.  

While the instructions for the small projects that were included in the original running of the course, the kits will not be provided.  Students can gather materials and make any of the projects.  But current supply chain issues makes it difficult for a kit offering with the course.

There are instructions for several mini-projects as well as a trinket box in the instructions and access to all the finishing videos for the different cabinet sizes/configurations.  

The course also contains access to the extensive collection of motifs and pre-designed caskets.  A person can use these to modify a casket in progress or design 17th century themed pictures.  Templates for the outside of the caskets I had produced are part of the course, some handy woodworkers have fabricated boxes with simpler internal parts using these to match.   No instructions on how to fabricate a box are included.

Periodically, a casket is returned to me by a student who has decided not to work it (a change in health is the most common reason).  In those cases, I will post the box here available to be purchased with its finishing materials and course for those who want to design their own.  I also maintain a list of those who have already taken the Cabinet of Curiosities course who are looking for a particular cabinet type and try to match people up (but no guarantees).  

Please email me with further questions:  tricia@alum.mit.edu

I currently have 160 spots left in my licensing agreements for historic photos to run this.

I am recovering from a hand injury and so new 2025 courses are dependent on recovery speed.  

Details Coming Soon.  If you want to get first notice that this class is registering, sign up on the interest page.

A new sampler design using a combination of counted stitches and free embroidery using crinkle silk.  Crinkle silk was an American invention on the East Coast at the end of the Colonial Era to the 1830s.  Made by unraveling or untwisting thread the twist caused the filament silk to kink and this wave in the silk was retained when working long satin stitches.  The technique seems to have started in northern Massachusetts or Boston and traveled around the colonies and early United States as a way to work samplers.  The light play that the use of crinkle silk gives makes it a worthwhile technique to learn how to use to make your samplers more authentic looking.  Learning to work with the untwisted thread will be the focus of the project.

The design is small, about 7" x 10" and features a large flower display at the bottom.  Worked in colors of blue, green, red, yellow and pink with neutral browns it is inspired by many different samplers of the period.

Details Coming Soon!  If you want to get first notice that this class is registering, sign up on the interest page.

I have been imagining this casket for years but didn't have the thread yet.  In the 17th century almost all silk purls had a silver strip wrapped around them so you could still see the color.  The highly textural embroideries with couched or looped frosted silk purls would glitter and sparkle as you walked by.  I have an original piece of this work and it is just breathtaking.  

This floral casket with four classic animals (lion, leopard, stag and unicorn) will be embroidered in a mix of frosted silk purls with accents of just plain silk purls and checks as well as gold threads and spangles.  The matt animals will complement the glittering flowers surrounding them.  

The project will be worked on a short flat casket and will be a complete project, meaning the box and finishing materials will come with it.  I only have 80 caskets to divide between this course and the Four Elements Tent Stitch casket course so interest and material availability will decide how many spots there are (between 30-50).  

Progress will be followed on my YouTube Channel - Thistle Threads with Tricia Wilson Nguyen as the piece progresses.

I am recovering from a hand injury and so new 2025 courses are dependent on recovery speed.  

Details Coming Soon!  If you want to get first notice that this class is registering, sign up on the interest page.

A tent stitch worked casket based on the four elements - fire, water, air and earth with the top design showing a man and woman.  There will be two top designs provided but only one stitched for the sample.  This short flat casket will be worked in tent stitch in silk on a 24-count ground fabric.  The look will be similar to the Five Senses Double Casket as the background and ground will be fully stitched using silk.

The course will be sold as a full project class with casket and finishing materials.  The exact number of spots is unknown as the 80 remaining caskets will be divided between this course and the Frosted Silk Purl Floral Casket based on interest and material availablity.

Follow progress on the casket on the YouTube channel Thistle Threads with Tricia Wilson Nguyen

If you have always wanted an embroidered casket but are not sure of taking on such an enormous project, this kit was designed to allow people to make a sweet little trinket box, modeled off smaller boxes of the 17th century.  The box can fit a number of small needlework accessories like scissors and needles.  The edgings for these kits are now SILVER.

• This kit has everything needed to work a 3" deep x 5" long x 3" high trinket box in tent stitch over one on a 20-count linen.  
• The kit includes the wood trinket box, handmade archival covering papers, silver edging paper, pink silk lining, tin plated escutcheon, silver thread woven tape for the edges, linen, 32 tubes of Soie Paris and 6 tubes of a striped gimp thread.  
• Detailed Instructions for full assembly of the box as well as glue and a brush are included as well as links to a video of the paper covering assembly.  
• Silver acrylic paint for wood feet is not included in the kit, but is available at your local craft stores.

When a casket comes available it will be posted.  Email me to be put on wait list

This kit will include:

• 165 tubes Soie Paris
  
• 20-count Montrose Linen
  
• Slate frame
• Needles
• Double Casket with Brass Hardware (Tin is shown and no longer available)
• Turned wood feet (shown in pictures vs. video)
• Cream and Purple handmade finishing papers
• Pink lining velvet and silk
• Purple edging papers with gold stampings
• Gold woven edging tapes for interior and exterior of casket
• Italian beeswax rubbed marbled paper
• Antiqued mirror
• Old fashioned tacks and silk ribbon 
• Finishing tools (brush, relay, micro spatula, scraping card)
• Wheat paste
• Brass inkwell and pounce pot
• Bottles with brass tops

The online instruction will include:

• 18 graphs for the panels
  
• 20+ hours of finishing videos to cover the casket with the finishing papers and adhere the embroideries to the sides.
  

If you like the look of this casket and it is outside your budget, There are some small trinket boxes with tent stitching as the project - this is sold as a kit and there are about 50 of them left.  The trinket boxes are 3" x 5" x 2.5" in size and can hold scissors and some threads next to your stitching table.

• Casket is: 11.5" wide x 8" deep x 12" high with feet

• Worked in tent stitch over 20-count linen

• It is designed to be worked over a 24-month period.  It is not planned on being run again as the cabinet maker is retiring next year and these are all the boxes I will get.  

• There will be between 3-4 shipments for the course.  The linen, slate frame and the threads will be shipped first.  The second shipment will be the finishing papers, glues, tapes, etc. A third shipment will include the box   Box sizes are different and not all items can be shipped in one box.   The shipments are timed to correspond with payment milestones.

• The instructions are released one lesson a month online.  All previous lessons remain open after a new lesson is released.  An email is sent on the 1st each month to remind you to log in.

• You stitch at your own pace.  There is an online forum (NING) which all students past and present in Thistle Threads courses use as a discussion and Q&A forum.  Pictures can be posted.

• Orders paid in full will have access to all lessons and materials shipped earlier, taking into account issues with near-holiday shipping and the casket making schedule.  Materials are only shipped after students have been given fair warning with an email so they can be on the look-out for boxes and give notice of vacation holds. 

• US shipping is priority mail.  Overseas shipping is first class mail except for the wooden box which will come priority mail. Customs duties are the responsibilities of the student.  I can not ship marked 'gift' or 'educational materials'.  * If you live in a country with iffy postal system (South Africa, some of Asia, and South America) there will be a surcharge for delivery with courier and I am happy to look into this with you, email me.

• Please do not email me with requests for box only, patterns-only, box building instructions, or to reprice the class without items you already have.  The answer is no.  Why is the answer no?

• There are 64 double caskets that have been set aside for new students who learned late about the Cabinet of Curiosities because my cabinet maker is retiring in 2020, I would not be able to supply a casket later.  Currently those 54 are being reserved for the Four Seasons Stumpwork Casket. There will absolutely not be any more double caskets beyond this as we have used up the locks we manufactured as well.  It was an amazing and fleeting project.
  

If you are interested in taking the course or finding out more, email me at tricia@alum.mit.edu  

Because my cabinet maker is retiring in 2020, this course is being offered as a bundle because I would not be able to supply a casket later:

- a Double Casket

- all finishing materials needed to assemble the casket

- threads to complete the Four Seasons design (see B&W diagram) for the casket in stumpwork as well as the lid insert and the inner doors (see silk purl floral baskets).  Pictures of 12 finished panels are shown.

- mirror, inkwells, and bottles

All you need is to provide the labor to make your dream casket.  This is the last opportunity for a double casket.  My cabinet maker has committed to the last numbers of pieces he is making and our last hardware has been cast and locks made and delivered.  

NOTE:  The video is of a different casket and not the one for this course - it is only an example of what a finished casket looks like.  The black and white drawing is the design for the course.  It will be embroidered in stumpwork.