Do you like to explore? Are you tempted by the sight of a winding road, or perhaps a shaded creek? I do, and spent some time when I was a child rambling around with my friends, getting muddy and dirty, collecting tadpoles and interesting rocks, just doing what children do.

Passages is a journey of exploration, of colors, textures and stitches. We are partnering with Shining Needle Society for this new class! We’re offering this project in three color ways, Antique Rose, Fall Forest and Salsa.

Do your tastes lead you to the warm colors of the forest? Then you’ll love the Fall Forest color way, with ambers  and moss greens, surrounded by cool teals. Or perhaps you’re drawn to more traditional colors – Antique Rose is for you, with rose, navy and olives. Do you like things spicy? Check out Salsa, hot colors of red, orange and yellow. You’re sure to find something appealing, or would prefer the option to create your own unique color way.

What will you learn in our Passages class?

• Twisty stitches and variations of twisty stitches, along with some versatile stitch patterns for backgrounds
• Understand the development of the twisty stitches so you don’t have to refer to the diagrams constantly
• Learn how to start and stop lengths of threads with pin stitches and loop starts

Passages is about 7″ x 7″ on 18 ct. canvas, 126 x 126 stitch count. The Fall Forest and Antique Rose color ways are on eggshell canvas, and the Salsa project is on butter yellow canvas. Some of the twisty stitches motifs are repeated to reinforce learning, and the class is structured to minimize the counting, making it a very approachable design.

Kit contents:

• 13″ x 13″ canvas with taped edges for the selected color way
• DMC and/or Presencia #8 pearl cotton
• DMC and/or Presencia cotton floss
• Kreinik #8 Braids
• Rainbow Gallery Neon Rays, Panache and Silk Lame’ Braids
• Caron Collection Watercolours
• Size 22 and 18 tapestry needles
• Printed instructions, more than 180 pages of detailed step by step diagrams
• Large printed graph and picture of the chosen color way

If you’ve not participated in an online class before, we make it easy! We’ll have weekly Zoom sessions for 6 weeks, and the sessions are recorded so you can review them later if the weekly session isn’t convenient for you. Access to stitch video demonstrations in a private showcase allow you to view the stitch demonstrations as many times as you need, both during the class and later. A dedicated groups.io classroom facilitates our weekly sessions, for sharing the weekly lessons, diagrams and your progress pictures. The first Zoom session introduces all the resources and how to access them, so don’t worry if you’ve not done this before!

Class Options:

• Full Kit – Canvas, all threads, needles, printed instructions – $210
• Instructions with canvas – printed instructions and choice of Eggshell (for Fall Forest and Antique Rose) or Butter (for Salsa) – $155
• Instructions only – printed instructions, includes thread tables for all three color ways – $135
• Audit – no materials will be sent, for those who have previously taken Passages – $60

All options include access to the video stitch demonstrations, Zoom sessions and groups.io classroom. Zoom sessions are recorded and added to a private showcase for class members only. The Zoom sessions are a bonus for class participants and additional to the printed instructions; sessions will be on Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m. Central.

Important class dates:

Now through March 3, 2025 – Registration open

March 3-31 – materials ordered, and kits will be shipped as soon as materials are received, hopefully by March 31

April 21-May 207 – Class sessions (6 weeks, one lesson per week), Zoom sessions on Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m. Central

May 27 – Class officially ends but the classroom will remain open for posting photos, questions and follow-up

Questions about Passages: debbie@debbeesdesigns.com

Questions about Shining Needle Society: kategaunt@aol.com or kategaunt@me.com

I hope you’ll join us for Passages!