The Crazy Corner

Crazy Corner with Christen Brown

The Crazy Corner, a master class by Christen Brown, takes the student from a pile of fabric to a finished CQ block in 16 weeks. In each 2 hour lesson you will learn comprehensive information that can be applied not only to crazy piecing, but in other aspects of your creative work.

Due to amount of information covered in each class, the student is required to have the experience and expertise listed in the description under each week’s class listing. Hand embroidery and sewing skills are a must; some ribbonwork and bead embroidery knowledge is also helpful.

If you are new to embroidery may I suggest my book Embroidered and Embellished and my class The Embroidery Corner Series.

Week 1: Organizing Your Components and Color Theory 101 $20.00

Learn how to choose fabrics; combine textures and colors; and how to bring in additional colors with ribbon and lace. Explore the embroidery choices with thread, silk embroidery ribbon and beads. Identify and assign color names and numbers to your fabrics, trims, threads etc.

Week 2: NO-Sew Square $20.00

Create a CQ base that does not require any machine sewing. Some hand-sewing may be needed, but for the most part the fabrics are adhered to a muslin base with a fusible web.

Week 3: Custom Dyeing Laces and Ribbons $30.00

Learn to dye laces, ribbon and threads using ColorHue dyes. I will bring the dyes for you to use during class time. *Please note: this class is a 3 hour class.

Week 4: Baskets and Spider Webs $20.00

Create baskets from lace, ribbon and embroidery stitches. Embroider a variety of spider web shapes. Student must be familiar with hand sewing skills, and these embroidery stitches: blanket, chain, coral, couched, fly, pistil, outline, stem and straight stitches.

Week 5: Fans, Yo-Yo’s and Rosettes $20.00

Create a vintage looking Dresden fan from ribbon and fabric; create a crazy pieced fan and fabric yo-yos; create a ribbon rosette. Student must be familiar with hand sewing skills.

Week 6: Embroidered and Couched Vines $20.00

Create vines using the split stitch, couched stitch, chain stitch and a single crochet stitch (Christen’s own needle stitch). Student must be familiar with the first three embroidery stitches, and single chain crochet before class.

Week 7: Border Rows: Embroidered $20.00

Create a mini square from your leftover fabrics to audition color chart choices on (this will be used later as a pocket on the back of the CQ square. Then learn how to document progress using a diagram of CQ square, and graph paper. Then embroider border row stitches and their variations. Student must be familiar with embroidery stitches before class.

Week 8: Birds Nests, Baubles and Buttons $20.00

Learn to create a woven, tatted or lace bird’s nest that can be filled with pearls or beads. Create ribbon baubles and buttons to stitch into vignettes. Student must be familiar with hand sewing skills.

Week 9: Vignettes of Flowers and Leaves $20.00

Create ribbonwork and silk embroidery ribbon flowers, ribbonwork and embroidered leaves. Student must be familiar with hand sewing skills, and be familiar with silk ribbon embroidery.

Week 10: Decorative Stitches: Embroidered $20.00

Embroider lazy daisy, fly, chain, closed blanket and bullion stitch variations and designs. Student must be familiar with these embroidery stitches before class.

Week 11: Decorative Stitches: Beaded $20.00

Embroider beaded flowers, sequin flowers, beaded leaves and more. Students should have some knowledge of beads and their sizes before class.

Week 12: Detail Stitches: Embroidered and Beaded $20.00

Embroidered French, Colonial and Chinese knots and straight embroidery stitches. Beaded centers and details will also be covered. Student must be familiar with the embroidery stitches before class and have some knowledge of beads and their sizes before class.

Week 13: Bugs and More! $20.00

Create butterflies, bees, spiders, lady bugs and snails with embroidery or ribbonwork techniques. Students must be familiar with the lazy daisy, fly, chain and French knot embroidery stitches, as well as ribbonwork techniques before class.

Week 14: Beaded Extras $20.00

Create tiny beaded extras that can be sewn into a vignette including beaded flowers, leaves, stars and more. Students should have some knowledge of beads and their sizes before class.

Week 15: Vignettes: Buttons, Beads and Charms $20.00

Grouping, displaying, and sewing buttons, beads, charms and more. Bonus extra: learn to create a specialize charm or button using a photograph or special card.

Week 16: Bindings, Finishing Touches $20.00

Lecture: Variety of bindings, stabilizers, and finishing touches.

Student: Personalized suggestions, support and answers for each student.

For a look at past students work, please see Crazy Corner: Students Work.

Class Details:

These classes are listed with the price per visit.

Date and time: This class is not currently on the schedule.

For information on the series, please contact me: thestoreonthecorner@gmail.com

The above class fees reflect the content, the handout and any supplies noted in the description of each specific class. Once the fee of a class is paid for, you will receive a handout in an email, which will need to be printed and brought to class.

Happy Stitching! ~Christen