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Led by needlework artist Shirley Sacks, participants will create a colorful pincushion while learning this unique Pennsylvania German embroidery technique.
In the late 19th century, thrifty homemakers would use salvaged yarn from knitted garments and scraps of wool to create multicolored stars or flowerlike designs. The wool was stitched around a tin template to create a pincushion or decorative pillow. Some women made enough patches to create tablecloths, rugs and bed coverings. The instructor will provide the star template, wool backing, two needles and needlepoint tapestry yarn along with the history and instruction for the pincushion. The materials fee for the workshop is $12 along with the class fee of $55 ($50 members). Shirley will also bring antique examples of this textile art and tin template designs from her personal collection. Participants are asked to bring a 6 inch hoop, a sharp pair of embroidery scissors and paper to trace template designs that they are interested in recreating.
Instructor Shirley Sacks has been a juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen since 1976 and ran a needlework shop, The Crewel World, from 1970 through 2009. Her work was selected for the 2014 Early American Life Directory of Traditional American Crafts.
Class size is limited and preregistration is required. Class fee is $55 ($50 member) plus the materials fee of $12.