Fabled Unicorn

Fabled Unicorn is inspired by the series of tapestries depicting “The Hunt of the Unicorn” which are part of the permanent collection at the Cloisters, the medieval branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. When visiting the museum, I studied these woven works of art and was particularly impressed with the millefleurs background which literally means "a thousand flowers" and refers to a background made of many small flowers and plants. It was amazing to see so many recognizable plants, including carnations, irises, thistles and pomegranates, and to realize that millions of stitchers have created these plants over centuries of needlework. I decided to depict the unicorn and surround him with my own flora, taken from the tapestries themselves and ultimately turned my work into a pillow.

Students will learn freezer paper pattern techniques and basting methods to create the accuracy when appliquéing a piece which has many tiny pieces.  Also, appliqué stitches and embellishments will be worked using both wool and cotton threads.

Working with templates, overlay guides, and a variety of basting techniques, students will learn how to use these tools for increased accuracy not only in the appliqué but also in the placement of the vines, plants and stitching.

Students will learn appliqué methods including the tack stitch, layering and needle slanting techniques which create sculptural dimension to the design.

The class is delivered in 4 parts as follows:
• Lesson one: Pre-work and Pattern Making
• Lesson two and three: Appliqué the Unicorn
• Lesson four, five and six: Millefleur Background
• Lesson Seven and eight: Thistle and Creative Millefleur

In addition to these documents, there are files for the placement guide and patterns. Make sure when printing that you use the placement guide full size. You will need to use your printer’s poster/tile option and tape the placement guide together as it is oversized. If you purchase a kit, the full-size pattern will be included as an extra bonus.

Skill level: Intermediate / Advanced
Design area: 15 x 15 inches
Registration cost: $60

Kit cost (sold separately): $140.

All online class materials including downloads will be available for 120 days from the date of purchase.