Region Mini Classes 2025

This class focuses on introducing new stitchers to the wonderful world of embroidery and helping them find their place among groups. Kristi Mize owns the popular shop, Fantastic Needlepoint in Midland, Texas and specializes in helping new stitchers learn the art of needlepoint, while building a community of needleworkers. She will walk you through her technique and success with beginners. Class kit includes a sample beginner’s kit and instructions.

Technique: Brainstorming Workshop
Proficiency: All Levels
Kit Cost: $25
Kit Contents: Beginner’s kit (scissors, 3 skeins of thread, instruction pamphlet, canvas, and needle), EGA 2025 lunchbox tote
Student Provides: A strong desire to recruit beginner stitchers and interested non-stitchers and to introduce them to the world of embroidery and stitching communities.

Kristi’s love for all things needle and thread began in early childhood when she attended 4-H classes and continued into adulthood leading to her career as a Family & Consumer Sciences teacher. She opened Fantastic Needlepoint in Midland, Texas in November 2023 where she combines her passion for needlepoint and love of teaching to encourage all stitchers, new and experienced, to embrace stitching as a community, not just a hobby.

Learn several different techniques to make an even count peyote Needlework Faire Scissor Fob. What a great memorabilia fob to take home after a fun seminar! Class is limited to 25 participants.

Technique: Flat even count peyote beadwork
Design Area: 3” x 1” (including fringe)
Proficiency: Basic
Kit Cost: $10
Kit Contents: Complete instructions, all Delica beads and accent beads necessary to complete one scissor fob, thread, #10 beading needle
Student Provides: Scissors for cutting thread, usual beading supplies, beading mat, method to keep track of where you are in the pattern (magnet board), battery powered lighting and magnification, if needed.

Cindy was coaxed into teaching beadwork in 2013 by other EGA enthusiasts. Since then she has enjoyed teaching at EGA seminars, through Shining Needle classes, and at other EGA groups across the USA as well as private groups.

Take a simple heart outline, fill it with fun embroidery stitches, and end up with a lovely, primitive pin cushion or hoop art piece! Learn nine (9) surface embroidery stitches while filling your heart with whimsical motifs. Easy finishing instructions are included.

Technique: Surface embroidery
Proficiency level: Basic
Kit Cost: $25
Design Area: 3-1/2”x3-1/2”
Kit Contents: Complete instructions (including finishing guide), fabric for embroidered heart, pearl #8 thread, #4 crewel needle, 4 small heart buttons
Student Provides: Scissors for cutting thread, finishing materials (quilting cotton, batting Lightweight interfacing, if desired, sewing thread), battery powered lighting and magnification, if needed.

Karen, immediate past president of EGA, enjoys dabbling in a variety of needlework techniques. While she does not consider herself to be an experienced teacher, she has loved sharing this simple introduction to embroidery with stitchers of all levels.

Inspired by a Cathy Habermann class project, this perforated paper needle book includes a magnet (underneath the spools), wool felt spine, and needle pages. Several design options will be included with full finishing instructions to complete the patriotic needle book. In class, students will focus on the finishing techniques used to assemble a needle book with the 2025 Seminar logo.

Technique: Finishing
Design Area: 3” x 2”
Proficiency: Intermediate
Kit Cost: $15
Kit Contents: Perforated paper, DMC® Coloris thread, DMC floss threads, Petite Silk Lame thread, Weeks Dye Works™, Benzie wool felt, wired patriotic ribbon, magnet, and batting
Student Provides: Scissors for cutting thread, battery powered light and magnification, if needed.

Heather, current workshop chair for the Greater Dallas Chapter EGA, enjoys all forms of counted needlework and learning new ways to finish items. Previously, she has lead programs for both the Dallas and Fort Worth chapters.

This darling stocking uses three stitches and two thread types on a coordinating 18 count colored mono canvas. The intermediate stitcher will enjoy the challenge of the diagonal cashmere stitch of the stocking body, while beginner stitchers will have the option of using an easy bargello stitch. The subtle shading is accomplished by controlled use of the overdyed Watercolours® while the attached sequins and beads add additional bling and sparkle. Finishing instructions are included and will be reviewed in class.

Technique: Counted canvas
Design Area: Approx. 4” x 6”
Proficiency: Beginner to advanced
Kit Cost: $35
Color Choices: Green – stitched on a dark green canvas; red – stitched on a red canvas; blue violet – stitched on a blue canvas.
Kit Contents: 8” x 8” canvas, 14 pages of full color instructions, full skein of Watercolours®, full cards of Flair, sequins, beads, #20 needle
Student Provides: Usual stitching supplies, 8” x 8” stretcher bars (with tacks or staples), hard lead pencil or needlepoint marker to trace design on the canvas. Optional supplies: frame weight or stand, battery powered lighting, magnification, a white cloth to drape in your lap if stitching on the dark green or red canvas.

Shawn loves seeing the effect that color has on a design. She has tried multiple needlework techniques, but always returns to her first love, canvas. An EGA member for almost 35 years, she has held multiple positions at the chapter, region, and national levels of EGA.

Join Melinda as she presents her lecture dressed in garb suitable for a noble lady of the late 1500s to early 1600s. Her outfit will consist of an embroidered shift, red wool kirtle (typically worn over a chemise or smock, which acted as a slip), a jacket modeled on an historical embroidered jacket, an embroidered sweet bag, and an embroidered coif and forehead cloth. The lecture will be an overview of the types of embroidery used on clothing with the focus on 16th to early 17th century England. As an example, surviving linen caps were worked in polychrome silk embroidery, metal thread raised embroidery, whitework, or blackwork, all with or without metal thread embellishments.

Technique: Lecture
Proficiency: All
Lecture Cost: $40
Student Provides: A desire to learn more about English Renaissance clothing and embroidery and to see Melinda in an authentic costume

Melinda is an independent researcher specializing in historical design and embroidery. She teaches needlework locally and nationally and has authored group correspondence courses for EGA. Melinda was a software engineer in the aerospace industry for nearly four decades, retiring in Sept. 2013.

Personalize this handy mesh project bag with a festive cross stitch design! Create a beautiful stitched zipper bag that will be useful for years to come.

Technique: Cross stitch
Design Area: 15-3/4”x10-1/2” (size of bag)
Proficiency: Basic
Kit Cost: $40
Kit Contents: Instructions, perle cottons, mesh project bag
Student Provides: Scissors for cutting thread, battery powered lighting and magnification, if needed.

Kathy clearly remembers her first contact with stitching: sewing cards with numbered holes and red shoelaces for connecting them. Today she enjoys a variety of needlework techniques and has expanded her skills through classes at EGA seminars and her Greater Dallas chapter. Kathy has conducted programs and workshops for her chapter and has held a variety of chapter offices.

A Rainbow Gallery heart from the Sally’s Heart Ornaments, Forever in My Heart is a 3 ½ inch heart stitched on 18 count canvas using Neon Rays and Crystal Braid in two decorative stitches. The heart will be outlined on the canvas.

Technique: Counted canvas
Design Size: 3-1/2” heart
Proficiency: All
Kit Cost: $20
Kit Contents: Canvas mounted on stretcher bars, all threads, instructions, diagrams, photo, needle
Student Provides: Usual stitching supplies, battery powered lighting and magnification, if needed.

In addition to having taught needlepoint for 50 years, Gayle is the owner of Fancy Stitches in Cleburne, TX. She offers needlepoint classes for stitchers of all skill levels and is an enthusiastic consultant on threads and stitch guides. Her shop is a popular field trip destination for stitchers across the North Texas area. Despite what one woman told her husband, her shop specializes in needlepoint canvases and threads, not clothing.

English Paper Piecing (EPP) is all the rage today. This cute pin pillow project is a great introduction to EPP and the favorite hexagon shaped template, known as a “hexie.” In this class, you will learn about glue basting hexies to form a pattern, which will then be appliqued to the ground fabric to make the pillow. Learning EPP will open up a world of possibilities for you!

Technique: English Paper Piecing
Design Size: Approx. 6”
Proficiency: All
Kit Cost: $15
Kit Contents: Quilting cotton (backing and front ground fabric), variety of patterned fabric for the hexies, hexagon paper pieces, glue pen, scissor charm, sewing thread
Student Supplies: Usual stitching tools, sharp needle, straight pins, battery powered light and magnification, if needed.

Known for her beautiful samplers and smocking, Cindy is an award-winning needlewoman whose talents stretch across a variety of stitching mediums. She has taught numerous classes for local guilds and SCR, which focused on smocking, silk gauze, counted on linen, surface embroidery, and beading.

Get into the spirit of the Seminar theme and create your own Renaissance stitching accoutrements! Explore buttonhole stitch and its uses while creating a frame weight adorned with banners, flowers or shields. You will also stitch a watchtower for holding tools, a scissors case, and a needle book. All tools will be on felt. Class size is limited to 30 participants.

Technique: Surface embroidery
Design Area: Varies
Proficiency: All
Kit Cost: $45
Kit Contents: Felt, needle, threads for two rectangular frame weights, needle book, scissor case, and watchtower. Watchtower tools include a laying tool, scissors, and thread counter with beaded fobs.
Student Provides: Usual stitching tools, battery powered lighting and magnification, if needed.