Have you ever wanted to learn to picture smock?  Tried it and been unhappy with your results?  Well, I’m delighted to announce a cure for what ails you:  Perfect Picture Smocking is SAGA’s newest correspondence course, designed to help you master picture smocking, and I am SAGA’s newest teacher.

This is a five-part correspondence course open to all SAGA members, and the cost is $105USD.  Artisans members earn 10 points when they complete the course.  You can enroll any time, from any where, and you work at your own pace, with a full year to complete all the lessons.

In each lesson, you’ll tackle a skill that will help you master picture smocking, discussing everything from what materials and supplies make for good results, to backsmocking, changing colours, working with a variety of shapes, increasing and decreasing and more.  The full-colour lessons include dozens of close-up photos of each skill, with step-by-step directions, and easy to follow, computer generated graphs to ensure your success.  And of course, I’m never further away than an email or phone call, should you run into problems or have questions.

And don’t think you have to be an expert smocker to enroll.   If you have basic smocking know-how and can execute a few elementary stitches like cable and trellis, you’ll be amazed at what you can do!   Proficient smockers will benefit, too, as I share a boatload of tips and tricks for making perfect stacked cable designs each and every time!   Registering can be done one of two ways: online by clicking here or you can print off the registration form and mail it in to SAGA.

As many of my regular readers know, I’m a huge fan of SAGA’s Distance Education courses, having taken three with great teachers such as Darcy Fechner and Nancy Malitz over the past several years.  I’ve always learned so much and I’m delighted that now I get to pass on my skills and knowledge, too.  So whether you decide to sign up for my new course or decide on one of the other great courses that SAGA offers, I hope that you’ll make 2015 the year you try a new skill and work on building your smocking and embroidery repertoire.   Check out the entire list of SAGA correspondence courses available here.

I look forward to this new teaching adventure with you all!