Preserving History, Inspiring Creativity

Tuesday, November 10, 2026 – 9 am to 4pm

Needle-Turn Appliqué Workshop for Beginners with Rita Verroca: Come join us for a fun-filled day of needle-turn appliqué, perfect for beginners or anyone wanting to learn and practice the basics! Our project will be a beautiful Pennsylvania Dutch Tulip, and along the way you’ll learn all the essential techniques you need to begin your appliqué journey with confidence.

During the class, you will learn how to:

• Mark your background fabric and prepare your appliqué pieces for stitching

• Master the basic needle-turn appliqué stitch

• Stitch a smooth and graceful stem

• Create leaves with beautiful, rounded edges

• Stitch sharp points on leaves

• Navigate inverted valleys and inverted V’s

• Learn and practice the basic techniques that make needle-turn appliqué so enjoyable

No previous appliqué experience is necessary – just bring your enthusiasm and a willingness to learn! Come stitch, learn, discover, and enjoy a relaxed afternoon of creativity and friendship. You’ll leave with new skills, new confidence, and the beginnings of a lovely Pennsylvania Dutch Tulip!

Supply Lists – supplied by student:

Fabric: you can either purchase your own fabric, using the following list, or you can buy the Kit as mentioned in the Supply Fee below.

• One piece of 12″ plain or printed cotton fabric or any other background fabric

• Fabrics in various colors for the tulip and leaves

• Fabrics of your choice for the pieced border

Equipment and/or supplies:

• Applique needles or ‘sharps’ size 10 and/or 11

• Threads to match fabric (good applique threads are DMC, Auriful and Mettler 60 wt.

• Small applique scissors

• Sharp paper scissors to cut laminated patterns and pencil for marking the pieced border pattern

• Thimble

• Silk glass pins

• Personal sewing lamp

• Double-sided tape or glue stick

• Clover water soluble marker to mark background fabric or marking pen of your choice

• Clover eraser pen

This 1-day class will be held in the Meeting Building behind the Tavern Building. There is a supply fee of $15 for the pattern or $35 for Pattern and the Kit of fabrics. For the lunch break, students are welcome to bring their own and have lunch on the Tavern grounds or in the Meeting Building.

Friday, February 26, 2027 – 1 to 4 pm

Join us for this basic introduction to Oxford Punch needle rug hooking. It is simple for beginners and fun to do.  We will create this little sheep using hand-dyed Checkmate Karakul wool rug yarn and a size #10 Regular Oxford punch needle. This small ornament provides the Oxford Punch Needle skills to make any size rug.  This class is limited to 20 students for personalized instruction.

Frames and Oxford Punch Needle (#10) will be available for class use and purchase.  Finishing options will be demonstrated. The kit provided by instructor includes pattern on monk cloth, rug yarn, whipping needle, wooden sheep with bell, and wire with colored buttons to hang the ornament.

**Students will need to bring a pair of embroidery scissors.

Instructor Kathy Donovan raises heritage Karakul sheep for their long, coarse rug fiber. The yarn is spun, and she dyes the colors by hand.  She became a Certified Oxford Company Punch Needle Rug Hooking Instructor in 2014 to teach Oxford Punch Needle. Teaching is her passion, and she introduces students to endless creative rug- hooking and punch-needle opportunities. Email Kathy and find her on the web at:
Kathy@checkmatefarm.com
Checkmate Farm www.checkmatefarm.com
Facebook Checkmate Farm
Instagram checkmate_farm

Saturday, February 27, 2027 – 9 am to 12:30 pm

Are you interested in trying punch-needle rug hooking with a combination of wool rug yarn and wool strips? If so, now is your chance to learn from Kathy Donovan, a Certified Oxford Company Punch Needle Rug Hooking Instructor. In this four-hour class, you will create a festive curly-lamb mat that will be ready to display by the end of the session.  This workshop will focus on the basics of punch needle rug hooking with a Size #10 Regular Oxford Punch Needle. You will use a mix of wool rug yarn and Size 7 cut wool strips to create your mat. Both materials will be punched! No prior experience is necessary; you can arrive with no knowledge and leave with a handcrafted mat and the skills to create larger rugs in the future.

The kit includes hand-dyed 100% wool rug yarn, wool strips, a design on 15″ x 15″ cotton monk’s cloth, and a small wood tray for display. Additional background color options will be available on the day of the class.  Frames and Oxford needles will be available for students to use during class, or you may bring your own.

Instructor Kathy Donovan raises heritage Karakul sheep for their long, coarse rug fiber. The yarn is spun, and she dyes the colors by hand. She became certified in 2014 to teach Oxford Punch Needle. Teaching is her passion, and she introduces students to endless creative rug-hooking and punch-needle opportunities.

What students will learn:

·      What is needed for punch needle

·      Tips for starting punch needle

·      Tips for punching with wool strips

·      Correcting Mat (Snip, Clip, Poke)

·      Finishing Project

**Students Must Bring a pair of embroidery scissors with a point.

The class will be limited to 15 students for individualized instruction. No experience is necessary for this class. Good for beginners!

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 19, 20, and 21, 2027, 9 AM to 4 PM

This three-day class is an introduction to the process of handweaving on a floor loom.  Students will learn how to prepare a warp, wind it onto the loom, thread the loom for a twill pattern and weave a sampler.  Along the way, students will learn the basic vocabulary of looms and weaving.  All materials and equipment will be provided, and no previous weaving experience is required.  Students will be provided with ample support from an experienced instructor assisted by members of the Tavern Spinners and Weavers Guild for individual attention.

This 3-day class is limited to 10 students. It will be held in the Tavern Meeting Building behind the Tavern Café and Artisans Store. If you have a floor loom at home, please let us know what brand it is. There will be a break for lunch each day. Students are welcome to bring their own lunch or have lunch in the Tavern Café.