Why Take the Class?

So I have been getting quite a few emails of late from readers who want to buy a casket without taking the Cabinet of Curiosities course.

The emails always contain a laundry list of the years of textile love, course experience, teachers they have studied under, certifications, master craftsmen courses, etc. of the writer to try to convince me that they don't need to take the course or increase their stash, thank you very much.  The emails usually run to several paragraphs and sometimes contain testimonials from family members on how beautifully they embroider and thus they don't need my instruction.  (I can't help it - hard to write back as it really seems like a comment on my precevied uselessness as a teacher).

The point is totally missed.

The reason I want people who buy the caskets to have taken the class is very simple:  Do you know how to attach the embroidery to the casket?

How do you get the embroidery on? And please don't say
lacing.  That is nowhere near how it was done.

Plain and simple.  Sit with a picture of a casket for awhile and think past the embroidery!  Also think for awhile - have you ever seen one in person?  Taken the drawers in and out?  Operated the secret locks?  What if you were given a bare one and told that the entire thing was covered in multiple layers of papers and fabrics and if you cover the edges the wrong way, the drawers won't go in and out.  What glue was used?  How do I put the glue on my embroidery?  For gosh sake - how do you mix the glue?  GLUE??  Don't you just lace it and pop it into the frame? (No, absolutely wrong, no frame, it's glued to the outside).  Did you know that the embroidery has to be done so it isn't too thick in certain areas or the hardware and tapes won't fit?  What are tapes? Do you have templates to design inside?  Why can't I cover it in computer paper and need that expensive paper on your site? The list goes on and on.

Are you willing to go it alone after spending 2 years on your beautiful embroidery?

That is what the course is about.  Remember - any 12 year old was allowed to embroider one in the 17th century - but they sent the finished embroidery to a finisher to build the casket and apply the embroidery.  Why do you need a laundry list of certifications today to convince me to let you embroider one?  What you need is knowledge of how they went together!  That is the information you can't find anywhere but the course.

The course has materials so it can have projects to allow you to try the finishing technique and risk screwing up a very small project (hopefully I successfully lead you through that project so it isn't screwed up) instead of one costing thousands and taking years to work.

You can spend the money on the casket without the class - but I feel responsible to tell you why you shouldn't hand over so much money to me without the knowledge of how to cover it.

Tricia

Most people have never seen a casket up close.  Anyone know why that drawer has stuff on the edge and
silk threads in front?