From the moment the site opens at 5 pm on May 4th until it closes at 11 am on Sunday, May 6th, it’ll be all embroidery, all the time!

Friday evening will feature a Show-and-Tell of finished projects from one of last year’s classes.  Afterward, spend the evening making new friends while you stitch.  (The first two events had attendees from five kingdoms!)

Saturday morning begins with a Keynote Address by Viscountess Leyla al-Manadiliyya, a Laurel from the Kingdom of Northshield whose specialty is Middle Eastern research, arts, and culture.  Her presentation, “Holbein goes to Egypt,” will take you on a journey through time, across cultures, and between continents.

Two hours of short classes, on a wide variety of topics for all levels, will follow the Keynote Address.  Topics include:

• An Introduction to Celtic Embroidery
• Blackwork, Beyond The Basics
• Felted Knitted Bags and Pouches
• Finding Inspiration
• Medieval Gold Work
• Spanish Drawnwork and Other Unique Spanish Needlework
• Thread Play

After a delicious lunch, stitchers will spend the afternoon attending their pre-selected “kit class.”  This year’s “kit classes” include:

• Assisi Work: leap into the void! (Students will create an end-bordered linen towel in red, green or blue.)
• German Ornate Sleeve (Students will learn hand applique, pearling, beading to create a one-of-a-kind sleeve with a unique design based upon their own heraldry, interests and preferences.)
• Pattern Darning (Students will embroider a 10” x 10” kerchief based on Egyptian finds.)
• Russian Gold Work Embroidery (Students will decorate a small cloth bag with Russian-style embroidery using pearls, beads, padding and waste-of-time cording.)

These three-hour classes provide students, under the tutelage of skilled instructors, the time needed to learn and practice the skills needed to complete the “kit” project.  To allow ample time to work one-on-one with students, instructors set a limit of students — from six to 15, depending on the topic.  The kits range in price from $15 to $30 and include all of the materials for the project.

(NOTE:  The only way to guarantee a space in a “kit class” is to pre-pay for the class you wish to take.  To allow instructors sufficient time to order supplies and then prepare the kits, payment for “kit classes” must be received on or before March 31.)

Our celebrated afternoon tea provides the perfect opportunity to rest tired fingers and eyes and chat with friends and colleagues, while the interlude between tea and supper allows time to check out the work in the Embroidery Display, peruse the Reference Library, or bid on items in the Silent Auction.

An Embroidered Fashions Show on Saturday evening offers an opportunity to hear about and admire each other’s beautiful handiwork.

For those who haven’t had their fill of stitching yet, after breakfast on Sunday morning, the class “Bayeaux Basics” will cover the history and stitches Bayeaux tapestry.  Students will receive a handout, preprinted linen, hoop, and enough wool to complete a figure from the Bayeaux tapestry.

For this weekend-long event, the Adult Event Registration is $40. (Adult Member Discount Event Registration is $35.)  This includes lodging in a heated cabin as well as breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and supper on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday.  (NOTE: Bunk spaces will be filled on a first-paid, first-served basis; please reserve early if you need special sleeping accommodations, such as a bottom bunk or access to electricity.)

Much more information – including detailed descriptions of each class and photographs of the instructor’s work in that style – can be found on the event website.

Those wishing additional information are welcome to contact the autocrat, Mistress Alicia Langland.