Courses

About the Courses 2023

There are many courses this year that require little or no previous knowledge or preparation. Many of the courses come with a kit you buy in advance which gives you everything needed to do the course. This includes felting, rug-hooking, book-binding, Hardanger, Sprang and banner-making. Others need a certain amount of prior learning - the two knitting courses, for example, expect you to know how to do a basic cast-on, a knit stitch and a purl. The Dressed Up Denim expects you to know how to do some basic hand sewing and to provide your denim you want to dress up. The two quilting classes are for fairly experienced quilters and they have a fair bit of prep-work required. Both worth it, though, in my opinion. I would jump at either of these two. It is always exciting to meet a new quilting teacher, as they so often have great tips which are just part of their conversation. And Carolyn comes with high recommendations. Extra user-friendly. In fact, that is a criteria for all of our teachers. We don't rehire anyone who does not feel easy to learn from, no matter how skilled. Above all, we want Creative Threads to be memorable in a good way! So browse and choose. Remember to keep checking with the calendar when you are picking so nothing is in the same time slot as another choice. And know that some courses are in demand and have limited numbers of students. The wood-working course is only allowing 3 students and one of the spots has already been filled!! However, there are lots of different classes, so look for a second choice and get your name on the wait-list if your favourite is already full. See you in October!

Beginner Spindle Spinning

spindles
Let your fingers learn the magic of turning fibre into yarn! In the first part of the class, we will explore fibre types and fibre tools, and will learn the basics of turning sheep wool into yarn. Later, we will ply the singles you have made, so that you can leave the class with some balanced yarn. We’ll explore methods of finishing yarns for knitting, crocheting, or weaving. Skills level needed: No prior spinning experience required. No prior fibre experience required, but some knitting, crocheting, or weaving experience is helpful.
Teacher
Cost of Course
$45
Kit Fee
$12
Course Type
Spinning
Course Time
Friday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
List of materials
Equipment needed: No equipment needed. If a student has a spindle or fibre tools, they are welcome to bring them. Instructor will provide spindles to borrow for class (available to purchase for $15). Kit fee includes a selection of fibres to spin and handouts.

Dress Up Your Denim

boro collar
under side of collar
embellished back of jacket
Description: Use fabric scraps, trims, threads and buttons to embellish a favourite denim item. This class is now full. Wait list only.
Teacher
Cost of Course
$90
Kit Fee
$10
Course Difficulty
Beginner
Course Type
Sewing
Course Time
Friday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
Friday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
List of materials
Supplies:
• Denim item, which could be jean jacket, denim shirt, bag. OR, bring a piece of denim yardage. Embellish it at the workshop and then make something from it.
• *Check your local thrift shop for jean jackets and denim shirts. There’s usually a good, reasonably low-priced selection.
• Scissors, straight pins, a variety of hand-sewing needles.
• Scraps, trims, threads and buttons that you might like to add to your piece.
• Megan will provide a wide selection of bits and bobs for you to use. There is a $10 charge for this, which will be added to your registration fee.

Easy Embroidery: Creating a Needle Keeper or a Sampler with Jean Cockburn

easy embroidery
Stitchers will embroidery a fabric needle keeper or sampler using hand-dyed linen and wool felt (or cotton canvas for those who avoid wool). Participants will learn basic embroidery stitches with the opportunity for more advanced techniques in the afternoon session. The workshop can be taken in two parts. The morning session is an introduction to the project and includes the kit. Confident stitchers might feel that they can proceed on their own at this point. The afternoon session allows stitchers to work on the project with guidance, to learn a few more embroidery stitches, and maybe complete the project. In the afternoon session participants learn how to transfer designs, how to interface linen, how to do advanced stitches, and may consult a variety of books that Jean will bring from her personal library. The kit includes hand-dyed linen, lightweight woven interfacing to back the linen, wool felt or cotton canvas for the needle keeper lining, a needle, a small hoop, a Frixion pen for marking designs, and lots of embroidery threads to choose from (and some to take away to complete the project). Two sessions on one day. Participants can sign up for the morning only, or for the full day. The afternoon session cannot stand alone as participants will have missed the introduction. Introduction in the morning session. Development of skills in the afternoon session. THIS CLASS IS NOW WAIT LIST ONLY!
Teacher
Cost of Course
$45 - $90 (half OR full day
Kit Fee
$25
Course Difficulty
Beginner
Course Type
Sewing
Course Time
Saturday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
Saturday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
List of materials
Participants should bring their own small sharp embroidery scissors labelled with their name, and a thimble if they use one. A variety of thimbles will be available to try out.

Felted Change Purse

felted change purse
A Combination of wet & dry (needle) felting to make a small change purse. Clasp included in kit, and requires a small amount of easy hand sewing to attach.
Cost of Course
$45
Kit Fee
$12
Course Difficulty
Beginner
Course Type
Felt
Course Time
Friday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
List of materials
Included in kit fee

Felted Critters

bunny on a carrot
turtle pincushion
sheep
A very popular half-day class in needle felting to creature a little treasure of your choice.
Cost of Course
$45
Kit Fee
$10
Course Difficulty
Beginner
Course Type
Felt
Course Time
Sunday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
List of materials
Everything needed is included in the kit.

Gauze Banner Workshop

multiple banners
Wendy will demonstrate how to design and create ephemeral gauze banners in the hands-on sessions. Each participant will create an original banner made of cotton gauze and richly-coloured hand dyed cotton voile fabric. Participants will be supported to their unique ideas in their banner. Banners in photo were created by the children & youth of Hornby Island Community School. Friday evening is included in the class but also open to the public, a slide show and talk about the banner creation process. Ideas will be generated on Saturday afternoon and realized on Sunday.
Teacher
Cost of Course
$135
Kit Fee
$35
Course Type
Sewing
Course Time
Friday evening, 7:30 pm
Saturday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
Sunday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
List of materials
Each student is asked bring the following equipment:
• 2 large pieces of medium weight cotton fabric to use as press cloths (16”x 20” or larger)
• Sharp fabric scissors suitable for cutting a variety of shapes such as curves, sharp corners, etc.
• Glass-head straight pins
• Needle and thread for basting
• 2B pencil and eraser
• Sketch book or paper for drawing and developing ideas

Hardanger

Hardanger #1
hardanger #2
Hardanger is a beautiful form of embroidery that is really quite simple and very beginner friendly. It is traditionally white thread on white linen. You will need a good pair of embroidery scissors and a hoop. You will be making a 9.5 inch square doily. I will have the threads and fabric needed for each doily.
Teacher
Cost of Course
$90
Kit Fee
$20
Course Type
Sewing
Course Time
Sunday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
Sunday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
List of materials
A good pair of embroidery scissors & a hoop to fit a 9 1/2 inch square. Material & thread included in kit fee

Hooked Bumblebee

bumblebee
Are you concerned about the amount of used clothing going into the landfill? Learn to create beautiful rugs that will bring years of enjoyment using recycled T-shirts.  In this class, students will learn: a. how to cut t-shirts into useable strips, b. how to choose colors that make your rugs “pop”, and c. the basics of rug hooking including pulling loops, hooking a corner, a circle and points; and d. how to finish the rug THIS COURSE IS NOW FULL - WAIT LIST ONLY
Teacher
Cost of Course
$90
Kit Fee
$50
Course Type
Braiding
Course Time
Sunday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
Sunday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
List of materials
Students will be provided with a kit that includes a 12” x 12” fish and waves
design on backing suitable for hooking with T-shirts, a rug hook, and a
selection of t-shirt fabric.
Supplies required: large and small scissors, a small ruler, and a large hoop
(may be found at a thrift shop or purchased from Sheila for $45.00 plus
tax). A rotary fabric cutter and cutting mat is helpful but not necessary.
Students are welcome to bring used t-shirts they wish to incorporate into
their rug.

Jazzed Up Jellyroll

Jazzed Up Jellyroll
Jazzed up Jelly Roll - (1 day class with homework) If you have ever done a jelly roll race but did not like the outcome or are just looking for an amazing use for your your jelly roll then this project may be for you. We will first make a jelly roll race top. You can stop there if you love it or you can continue on and “Jazz It Up”!
Teacher
Cost of Course
$90
Course Difficulty
Beginner
Course Type
Quilting
Course Time
Friday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
Friday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
List of materials
Supply List

1 jelly roll - or 2 mini jelly rolls (40 pieces total)
Or
40 - 2½” x 40” - 44” of at least 2 different colours
Or
1600” long by 2½” wide coordinating scrap fabrics joined together

Border and Binding Fabric - 1½meters

Coordinating thread with at least 2 full bobbins

Tools
The usual sewing equipment:
Sewing machine, thread, scissors, etc.,
A good pair of scissors
Long Ruler
Rotory Cutter and Mat

Mobiles with Cynthia Minden

mobile by Cynthia
You will learn several basketry skills: basic wickerwork to construct small upside down forms in which bells and other objects can be suspended and random weave basketry to construct small open forms. We’ll experiment with weaving different shapes and there are so many creative possibilities and the mobiles can be as simple or complex as you wish! You’ll learn about balance and aesthetic arrangement of the objects. The mobiles can be hung from branches, crossed sticks, small lampshades (fabric removed) or wire. We’ll spend the first day making shapes and little baskets and the following morning assembling everything we’ve made and collected. One spot has become available in this class.
Teacher
Cost of Course
$135
Kit Fee
$25
Course Difficulty
Beginner
Course Type
Basketry
Course Time
Friday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
Friday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
Saturday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
List of materials
What you need to bring (important):
• scissors,
• hand held pruning shears (sharp!)
• a small soaking tub or bucket
• any interesting objects that you would like to attach to your mobile (we’ll see what works!)
• any interesting sticks or forms from which to hang your mobile (optional)
• String, dental floss, and/or thin wire

Materials I will supply:
• basket making materials (hand-dyed rattan)
• bells
• a collection of found objects
• string, wire,
• a few old lampshades
• Sticks/ branches

Next Steps in Knitting: Cables and Charts

blue cable
grey cables
How do you make those intricate twists and turns of crossed stitches? The projects look complicated but you will see how simple they can be. We will cover what a cable is, the steps you need to make cables in your knitting, the tools you might need, and importantly, how to fix cable mistakes! We will work from a printed pattern to make either a headband or a mug cozy and will therefore learn how to read knitting charts and interpret cable symbols on knitting charts. Skill level needed: Students must be comfortable with casting on stitches, knitting and purling.
Teacher
Cost of Course
$45
Kit Fee
Kit fee: $6 includes cable needles and pattern handouts.
Course Difficulty
Intermediate
Course Type
Knitting
Course Time
Sunday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
List of materials
Equipment needed:
Yarn: approximately 50g of lighter coloured, worsted to aran weight yarn, preferably not cotton/hemp/linen.
Knitting needles (9-10" straight or 24-32" circular) for knitting flat, appropriate gauge for your yarn (most likely 4.5 to 5.5mm)

Spiral Bargello

Colourful bargello
lighter bargello
Spiral Bargello - Spiral Table Runner Project Description (1 day class with prep homework) Learn how to make an unusual and unique table runner. This curvy project combines the Bargello technique with a figure 8 design. If you have ever wanted to make a quilt that has no corners, this is for you. Before this class starts, students will be given some prep work so that we can get jump right in to the cutting, layout and assembly. A cardboard wedge cutting guide will be supplied along with easy to follow instructions.
Teacher
Cost of Course
$90
Course Difficulty
Beginner
Course Type
Quilting
Course Time
Saturday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
Saturday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
List of materials
Supply List

Fabric:
12 colours - 1/4 yard each
Center - 2 x 3” squares that co-ordinate
Binding - 1/2 yard
Backing - 7/8 to 1 yard
Batting - 28” x 42”

Tools:
The usual sewing equipment:
Sewing machine, thread, scissors, etc.,
Pins & Labels or Masking Tape
Rotory Cutter & Mat and Ruler
Iron & Ironing Board
Freezer paper
15 degree template - cardboard template provided

Optional - Bargello Colour Wheel Streamlined Template by Cheryl Phillips

Star Book

star book
This amazing book will delight any viewer. The Star book uses ties to hold it closed, but opens up completely to a spectacular star shape when folded back on itself. Multiple layers and colours give this book unlimited opportunities for decoration. All book materials are included in the cost of the class (additional kits will be available for purchase at the class).
Teacher
Cost of Course
$90
Kit Fee
$18
Course Type
Hand-building with fibres
Course Time
Saturday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
Saturday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
List of materials
Students should bring :
Ruler with metal edge - at least 12"
Exacto-type craft knife with extra blades
Self-healing cutting mat or other table guard
pencil for notetaking and marking
scissors
bone folder* - or embossing tool or plastic crochet hook
gluestick such as Pritt or UHU
Scrap paper to use as guard sheets
and if you have them
book cradle*
a bookbinding awl* (not your Daddy's awl - unless he's a bookbinder!)
Double sided tape

Stranded Colour Work in Knits

fair isle border
fair isle snowflakes
Stranded Knitting Workshop Hats and cowls knit in the round are great small projects to gain experience with the wonders of stranded colourwork – you’ll love watching the patterns develop. This technique is sometimes referred to as "fair isle knitting". I will provide patterns for a cowl and a hat - you choose which to work on. In our 6 hour class, you'll get a good start on your project. You'll gain experience following a knitting chart and interpreting repeats. We'll explore options for holding your yarns and for catching longer floats. We'll talk about how to choose colours for projects and how to avoid having colours run when you wash your finished items. Skills required: cast on, knit, purl, maintain even tension, work in the round, basic pattern reading skills.
Teacher
Cost of Course
$90
Kit Fee
$5 includes instructor's stash yarns and handouts.
Course Difficulty
Intermediate
Course Type
Knitting
Course Time
Saturday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
Saturday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
List of materials
about 300m total of worsted weight to aran weight yarn; you'll want at least 100m of one colour and then leftover bits of contrasting colours is great for the rest. We can share colours as a class, too. Gauge ~18-20 sts/ 4" in stockinette. Yarn suggestions: Custom Woolen Mills 2ply, Galway Worsted, Cascade 220.
Knitting needle: 5 mm 16″/40cm circular needle or size to get gauge (for the hat, you’ll also need double pointed needles).
Stitch marker, small scissors.
Magnetic board (if you have one, but don't need to buy. I'll bring post-it notes which serve the same function...)
Any questions about materials please contact Sarah at sarsbarknits@gmail.com.

Woodworking. Making practical wooden objects

Wood working projects
This class will take place in the instructor's own woodworking shop and using his tools. There is a choice of making one of three items: a garden trug, a step stool or a cutting board. The class is limited to three students and the shop will be available for the entire three day weekend for the course. Project selection is required in advance. THIS CLASS IS NOW FULL. WAIT LIST ONLY.
Teacher
Cost of Course
$270
Kit Fee
$30
Course Difficulty
Beginner
Course Type
Hand-building with fibres
Course Time
Friday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
Friday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
Saturday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
Saturday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
Sunday morning, 9 am to 12 pm
Sunday afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm
List of materials
Kit fee covers all required materials