Filed under: Embroidery Guild of America, Going Places: Hands-On Design and Color Class with Laura Smith, Seminar 2026-Orlando
It’s been a couple of years since I attended an EGA Seminar. But, the 3-day class with Laura Smith Going Places: Hands-On Design and Color was something I didn’t want to miss.
Here’s our kit with lots of unusual items including Lutradur. We also have access to Laura’s Class Treasure Chest.
We’re getting a lot on design principles and hands on painting today.
I took this photo during the Anheiser-Busch tour in St. Louis. Thanks to Laura and my classmates, I discovered the flower is a bromeliad plant. This is what I will attempt to recreate!
Here’s my practice painting to get used to the 2 weights of Lutradur. We got white, yellow, red, and blue which enables us to mix any color we want. The paints are Jacquard Dye-na-Flow, that despite the name, is an acrylic paint not a dye. My key takeaway was the Lutradur sucks up the paint. You’ve got to mix up enough to start with because you probably won’t get the same color blend.
After the afternoon break, I painted my background on the heavy weight Lutradur. Most of this will get covered. Apparently, it’s easy to stitch through. I painted an 8.5 x 11 piece but am not likely to use it all. My issue came from stitching two colors to close together. They bleed on this material. Had I let one area dry before painting next to it, it may have been less evident. But, Laura helped me blot it from spreading too much. And, stitching will cover it. I have more Lutradur and could try again. Or, maybe painting over some of this. I’ll consult with Laura tomorrow.
