ANNOUNCEMENT - - NEW ONLINE CLASS

I am so pleased to be offering my next online class with Shining Needle Society.  Registration begins October 15, and ends on November 15.  Class will begin on January 1, through January 31, for the stitching portion.  We will then have our finishing class from March 1-15.  There are no dues for Shining Needle Society and membership is open to interested stitchers of all levels.  To apply to join SNS, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SNS_Home_Room/.  You will then receive announcements of my class as well as future classes.  If you need help in joining SNS, email Kate Gaunt at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Tend Thy Sheep by Merry Cox

A shepherdess tending her flock under an arbor of grapes is stitched on 30-count hand dyed green linen with silks and floss.  The finished band measures one inch wide using a variety of stitches including Closed Herringbone, Cross Stitch ‘over 1’, Tent Stitch ‘over 1’, Four Sided Stitch, Satin Stitch, Button Hole Wheels, Upright Cross and Nun Stitch.

Merry will take you step-by-step through lining the box and how to attach the finished band inside the beautiful small oval colonial glove box which measures 6 ½” x 3 ½”.  To complete the set is a needlebook and small pincushion which is mounted inside the box with hand dyed silk ribbon.

Kit includes all stitching materials, lining fabric for the box and all finishing materials plus the lovely handmade oval glove box.  (Extra Options are the cherry ruler and thread holder.)

PREVIOUS CLASS

Swan Lake Mending Bag

Copyright From Merry's Heart, Designs by Merry Cox

A wonderful, small mending bag, handmade of fabrics from the late 1800’s inspired Merry to create her version called Swan Lake (all in red-work).

The rectangular drawstring bag, which is 3” x 5” at the bottom, is made of red toile cotton fabric. Linen sides snap up at the top of each side. When one side is unsnapped, it drops down to reveal a sampler needle book and the other side unsnaps to reveal a small pocket with swans.

For the needlework on one side, Merry has designed a countryside scene featuring a woman holding a parasol; a tree and swans on a lake and for the other side, a red-work sampler.

The smalls consist of red handled scissors with a fob, a thread winder and ruler case, a pinkeep and a button bag.

Kit includes 32-count linen, Weeks thread, red toile fabric, red handled scissors, swan scrimshaw thread winder with space for five different threads, a swan scrimshaw ruler, silk ribbon, antique shoe button, vintage linen for needle book pages and all finishing materials. Stitches include Stem Stitch/Outline Stitch; Herringbone Stitch; Backstitch; Nun Stitch and Tent Stitch ‘over 1’ and Cross Stitch ‘over 1’.

PREVIOUS CLASS

This charming patriotic sewing case measures 4” x 2 ¾” when closed and features a girl holding the flag, an alphabet, tree, birds, flower band and a verse Merry wrote.  Most of the design is stitched ‘over 1’ using overdyed cotton and silk threads.  Inside is a place to store scissors, a needle threader, needles and a bodkin.