Creating Stitching Adventures
Since 2002!

MYSTIC, CT
October 26-27, 2012
Friday - Saturday

Haunted Huswif
Class Kit

Designed by Dawn Fisher of
Morning Glory Needleworks

(Only Retreat Attendees May Order These Class Kits)

This project can be made into either a Haunted Huswif or a Spooky Sampler!  The Huswife itself represents the story of the Storm Hag who haunts Lake Erie. The Storm Hag is shown on the front of the Huswife with her entourage of eerie sea creatures. The chant she uses to lure sailors to their doom is featured on the back of the Huswife:

From haunted light houses to haunted ships to haunted lakes, each piece of the Haunted Huswif represents spooky stories that you will hear! There is even a spooky tale with… gulp… FROGS!!! Dawn will tell all retreat attendees the story of the Storm Hag!

The Storm Hag, with her fishy friends, is printed on fabric and attached to the linen using a decorative ribbon and bead technique. The back of the Huswife is stitched using over-dyed floss and bejeweled with beads. The waves across the top are formed using Mosaic stitch. Waving Chain stitched seaweed grows from a bed of Satin stitched sand. The Storm Hag’s chant is stitched over one thread with lovely multicolor over-dyed floss. Beads are used across the scene for jeweled accents.

The inside of the Huswife has a pocket for storing your favorite scissors which will be tied in place with ribbons adorned with brightly colored skulls - yikes! The scissor pocket will be created using over-dyed felted wool festooned with Chain stitched seaweed ornamented with beads then attached with Blanket stitch edging. The needle page, created with matching over-dyed felted wool, is also decorated with Chain stitched seaweed ornamented with beads and attached with Blanket stitch. But… what is hiding under the flap?? Could it be the “bones of sailor lads”??? More spookiness!!!

The pincushion features haunted lighthouses and a ship – all of which were charted to resemble the real thing.  Dawn will tell the spooky stories about these hauntings to those who attend the mini-session at the retreat.

The lighthouses are worked in a variety of Mosaic stitches to represent bricks. To resemble the texture of wood, the ship is worked in Longarm cross stitch. For a textured effect, the ground and sea are also worked in various forms of Mosaic stitch. The pincushion is backed with over-dyed felted wool and filled with crushed walnut shells (or is it…sailor bones??) to keep your needles clean and sharp. The edges of the pincushion are finished using the decorative ribbon and bead edging to match the Huswife.

Have you ever heard of being haunted by frogs?? You’ll hear the story at the Spooky Retreat! The delightful frog is printed on wonderful froggy green fabric and backed with black fabric covered in colorful skulls. To complement the Huswife and the pincushion, the scissor fob is also edged with the decorative ribbon and bead edging.

Don’t be a fraidy cat - all of the finishing techniques used in this project are super simple and completely described in the instructions! To calm your fears, Dawn will go over the finishing of each piece.

Kit contents: Two pieces of 30 count Dove over-dyed linen from Weeks Dye Works (12” X 15” and 9” X 7”), two pieces of over-dyed wool in Mustard and Deep Sea from Weeks Dye Works, eight shades of Weeks Dye Works over-dyed floss, four colors of Mill Hill beads, River Silks over-dyed silk ribbon, spooky skull beads, crushed walnut shells, needles, color picture, charts, and everything needed to complete all pieces included detailed easy to follow finishing instructions.

Stitches used include Satin, counted & free hand Chain stitch, Square Mosaic, Blanket Edging, Oblong Mosaic, Checker Mosaic, Smyrna cross stitch, Longarm Cross, Alternating Mosaic, and a three dimensional ribbon and bead edging.  Dawn’s excellent written instructions will guide you through each technique, and she will be available to answer your questions during the retreat.

If you plan to work on this project at the retreat, you might want to bring some straight pins, a laying tool or large needle and a measuring tape or ruler.  Linen sizes are 12” X 15” and 9” X 7”.

Here is a picture of the project does as a Spooky Sampler!