Double Casket with Four Seasons Design in Stumpwork Project Course

Course Type, Length, and Start Date 

Project

36-months.   When a casket comes available it will be posted. 

Kit Contents

• 422 tubes, boxes, or bags of threads and items like wires, muslin, contact paper, stumpwork forms, etc. 
• 40-count Restoration Linen
• Frames
• Needles
• Double Casket with Brass Hardware 
• Garden insert plate
• Turned wood feet
• Cream handmade finishing papers
• Pink lining velvet and silk
• Cream 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

Course Overview

If you have ever dreamed about using all the unique threads in the Cabinet of Curiosities Historic Colors Collection and others on this site - this is the project for you.  It is the opus of embroidered cabinets with a new technique, thread or challenge to stretch and teach you to become a master embroiderer.  You won't get bored.  This project course has everything needed to work the 18-stumpwork panels for a double casket, including the casket and all finishing materials.  While the double caskets are no long made, periodically a stitcher who has one will offer it back to me from their stash if they decide they will no longer be able to do the project.  I buy it back, inspect and make sure all the parts are operating and complete and then allow someone to purchase it with this course.  I can't predict when this happens, and do maintain a contact list.  If you are interested in being on a wait list, email me at tricia@alum.mit.edu  

• 36 months of instruction
  
• 20+ hours of finishing videos to cover the casket with the finishing papers and adhere the embroideries to the sides.
  
• Casket is: 11.5" wide x 8" deep x 12" high with feet
• Worked in stumpwork on 40-count linen
• There will be between 3-4 shipments for the course.  The linen, frames 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.  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 or box building instructions, or to reprice the class without items you already have.  The answer is no.  Why is the answer no?

Course Flexibility

At Thistle Threads, we understand that life’s commitments can make it difficult to focus on a course every month. That’s why my courses are designed to be self-paced, allowing you to learn at your own rhythm. You can take breaks when needed, and the course material will remain available to you, often serving as a valuable reference for future projects once completed.

Course Access and Delivery

Upon the start date of the course, you’ll receive a username and password to access my teaching site on the Thinkific platform. Logging in will immediately give you access to the first lesson, ready for download. Course materials will primarily be provided in PDF format, but may also include additional resources like stitch diagram animations, videos, or Pinterest board links.

Once the course is completed, you’ll receive access to non-public YouTube playlists, where videos and animations will be available for future reference and continued learning.

Access Timeframe

Course materials must be downloaded within three months of the course's conclusion. During the course, all lessons—including new ones and previously released content—will be accessible. So, if you’re unable to log in during a month, you can always catch up by reviewing any missed lessons at your own pace.

Prerequisites

This course requires a basic understanding of embroidery.  Couching of the unique threads will be a big portion of the course.  I do not expect mastery of stumpwork already, but a willingness to explore will be essential. Full instructions for these stitches, along with specific diagrams for the motifs, will be provided, including animations of the stumpwork stitches being worked.  The biggest issue for students is proper tension of filament silk.  This is something that takes practice and a video of the proper tension techniques is available in the Martha Edlin Mini-Course ($15).  A willingness to try is the best prerequisite.