Hi my name is Tanja Berlin, I have been a professional embroidery teacher and designer for over 10 years.
I started my training in all aspects of embroidery in 1990 at the Royal School of Needlework, where I attended their three year apprenticeship course in all aspects of hand embroidery. I completed the apprenticeship with high honours and then stayed a further two years working on restoration, conservation and commission embroidery pieces in the work room. I also taught day and weekend classes for the apprenticeship course and outside visitors. I also taught classes for the embroiderers guilds in the UK.
For more details on the Royal School of Needlework training and more details on my background visit my Personal History.
In 1995 I took a break from embroidery and spent three years travelling throughout South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the US. I met my now husband on my travels and we ended our journey back in his home city of Calgary in Canada where we are now settled.
For the last 5 years I have built up my own embroidery business, teaching at guilds across the whole Canada, designing embroidery kits for classes and for sale over my internet site that I created myself and maintain daily.
When I first arrived in Canada I realized that most of my embroidery techniques that I teach were unheard off by many stitchers or very little practiced in Canada, I also discovered that the students were enthusiastic to try these new techniques. I have formatted my classes so that I teach the class with the absolute beginner in mind so that every detail of the embroidery is covered, This does not mean that the pace of my class is slow and basic, contrary to that I have kept my classes well informed but at a good pace for experienced embroiderers to get all they need from the classes, but covering all the points for the less experienced.
This is also the approach I take when writing the instruction booklets for my kits, the instructions I provide are not the standard one diagram and a few lines of instructions that you will find with cross-stitch and most other embroidery patterns, but detailed well informed instructions with lots of diagrams and the option to email me at any time if you have any questions. I understand that the techniques I offer are unusual and am willing to help people learn them and not to keep the knowledge of these wonderful techniques secret for myself.
I have become well established in Canada and have taught at numerous guilds and seminars.
Alderney Needlearts Guild (Halifax, Nova Scotia, March 2003): Two days for Modern Jacobean, all designs, Lecture.
Arrowsmith Needlearts Guild (Nanaimo, British Columbia, October 2002): Two days for the Needle Painting Wild Rose and Field Mouse.
Baltimore Constellation Chapter, EGA (Baltimore, Maryland USA, March 2007): Two days for Goldwork Tudor Rose and Marguerite and one day class for Goldwork Sampler Heart Design.
Bermuda Stitchery Guild (Bermuda, May 2006): Two days for Goldwork.
Bridge City Needle Arts Guild (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, November 2002): Four days for the Modern Jacobean, all designs. (November 2004): Two days for the Needle Painting Wild Rose.
Bridge City Needle Arts Guild (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, October 2006): Two days for Blackwork.
Calgary Guild of Needle and Fibre Arts (Calgary, Alberta, February 2002, April 2002): Two days for Goldwork, Honey Suckle, Harebell, Cardinal and Marguerite, and two days for Needle painting, Wild Rose, Blue Flax and Field Mouse.
Edmonton Needlecraft Guild (Edmonton, Alberta 2000 and 2001). One day for Etui Box Construction, One day for Shadow Work, Two days for Goldwork, Two days for Fine White Work.
Embroiderers Association of Canada Inc. Seminar 2001 A stitchers Odyssey (hosted by Calgary Guild of Needle and Fibre Arts, Calgary, Alberta, May 2001): Two days for Goldwork Marguerite and Cardinal and Two days for Needle Painting Moose.
Embroiderers Association of Canada Inc. Seminar 2004 Costal Colours (Embroiderers Guild of Victoria, British Columbia, May 2004): Two days for Two-Sided Blossom Branch and Two days for Needle Painting Iris.
Embroiderers Association of Canada Inc. Seminar 2005 Stitchers' Mosaic, Toronto, Ontario: Goldwork Or Nue Dragonfly and Blackwork Peacock.
Embroiderers Guild of America National Seminar 2004 Heartland Harvest (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA October 2004): Two Days for the Tudor Rose Goldwork Embroidery and Two days for the Red Poll Needle Painting.
Embroiderers Guild of America National Seminar 2006 Gentle Pursuits (Richmond, Virginia, USA October 2006): Two Days for the Blackwork Pheasant and Two, Two Days for the Apple Blossoms Two-Sided Embroidery.
Embroiderers Guild of America Extended Study Program (Louisville, Kentucky USA, March 2006): Four days for the Needle Painting Iris and Field Mouse.
Embroiderers Guild of Victoria (Victoria, British Columbia, 2001 and 2001): Four days for Needle Painting Wild Rose and Field Mouse, One day for Canvas Painting.
High River Embroiderers Guild (High River, Alberta , May 2000): Two days for Needle Painting Wild Rose and Field Mouse.
Monticello Needle Arts Chapter, EGA (Charlottesville, Virginia USA, October 2007): Two days for Needle Painting Red Poll.
New Brunswick Chickadee Chapter (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, April 2006): One day for Needle Painting Maple Leaf.
North Shore Needle Arts (Vancouver, British Columbia, October 2001): One day for Canvas Painting, One day for Modern Jacobean Leaf Motif, One day for Blackwork Chickadee and Fuchsia, One day for Goldwork Honey Suckle.
Okanagan Guild of Needle Arts (Kelowna, British Columbia 2000 and November 2001): Two days for Modern Jacobean and Traditional Jacobean, four designs, Two days for Needle Painting Wild Rose, Lecture.
Okanagan Guild of Needle Arts (Kelowna, British Columbia November 2005): Two days for Blackwork.
Olds Fibre Pot Pourri (Olds, Alberta, May - June 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007): Two days for Blackwork Chickadee and Fuchsia, Two days for Needle Painting Wild Rose, Two days for Needle Painting Red Poll Bird, Two days for Modern Jacobean, three designs. Lecture, Two Days for the Blackwork Butterfly. Two Days for the Iris Needle Painting
Regina Stitchery Guild (Regina, Saskatchewan, 2001): Two days for Modern Jacobean, four designs, Two days for Needle Painting Wild Rose.
Stitchery Guild of Bedford (Bedford, Nova Scotia, April 2006): Two days for the Needle Painting Red Poll and Iris.
St. John's Guild of Embroiderers (St. John's, Newfoundland, March 2003): Two Days for Blackwork Chickadee or Fuchsia, Four Days for Needle Painting Red Poll (Two classes), Lecture.
St. John's Guild of Embroiderers (St. John's, Newfoundland, April 2006): Two days for Modern Jacobean and two days for Goldwork Or Nue Dragonfly.
Sudbury Quilting & Stitchery Guild (Sudbury, Ontario, May 2003): Four days for Modern Jacobean, three designs (Two classes).
The Marigold Guild of Needle Arts (Alderney, Nova Scotia, April 2006): Two days for the Needle Painting Red Poll.
The Purple Needle Embroidery Shop (Calgary, Alberta, Evening and day classes through out 1999, 2000 and 2001): Needle Painting own designs, Painted Canvas, Blackwork Etui Box, Goldwork Tudor Rose, Hapsburg Lace, Canvas Work, Fine White work, Shadow work, Lecture
Town Clock Stitchery Guild (Nova Scotia, April 2006): Two days for Blackwork.
Vancouver Guild of Embroiderers (Vancouver, British Columbia, February 2001): One day for Goldwork Harebell, One day for Shadow Work Angelfish, Squirrelfish and Surgeon, Lecture.
Winnipeg Embroiderers Guild (Winnipeg, Manitoba, October 2001, November 2002), Two days for Needle Painting Wild Rose, Two days for Blackwork Chickadee and Fuchsia, Two days for Modern Jacobean, four designs, Two days for Goldwork Tudor Rose, Lecture.
I am scheduled to teach at the following guilds.
New England Region (EGA), Region Day October 4th 2008: Held in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, USA
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One day workshop for the Maple Leaf Painting Embroidery Saturday 4th of October 2008 |
Connecticut River Valley Chapter of EGA
Two day workshop for Needle Painting Embroidery on Friday 3rd of October and Sunday 5th of October 2008.
The student can work the Wild Rose or the Burrowing Owl embroidery.
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Peterboroughs Embroiderers Guild, Ontario, Canada
Two day workshop on Saturday 1st of November and Sunday 2nd of November 2008
Subject not decided yet.
Simcoe County Embroidery Guild, Ontario, Canada
Two day workshop for Needle Painting Embroidery on Monday 3rd of November and Tuesday 4th of November 2008
The student can work the Wild Rose or one of the Pansies.
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Toronto Guild of Stitchery, Ontario, Canada
Two day workshop for Needle Painting Embroidery on Friday 7th of November and Saturday 8th of November 2008
The student can work the Red Fox or the Red Poll
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Norfolk's Own Needle Arts Guild, Ontario, Canada
Two day workshop for Modern Jacobean Embroidery on Sunday 9th of November and Monday 10th of November 2008
The student can work one of the Modern Jacobean Designs
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Quinte Needlearts Guild, Ontario, Canada
Two day workshop for Modern Jacobean Embroidery on Wednesday 12th of November and Thursday 13th of November 2008
The student can work one of the Modern Jacobean Designs
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Ottawa Valley Guild of Stitchery, Ontario, Canada
Two day workshop for 2-Sided Embroidery and Blackwork Embroidery on Saturday 15th of November and Sunday 16th of November 2008
Designs not decided yet.
Heartland Region Spring 2009 Seminar (EGA) "Springtime in the Valley" - Held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa USA.
Two day workshop for Goldwork Embroidery on Thursday 23rd of April and Friday 24th of April 2009.
The student can choose one of the following goldwork designs:
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Heartland Region Spring 2009 Seminar (EGA) "Springtime in the Valley" - Held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa USA.
Two day workshop for Needle Painting Embroidery on Saturday 25th of April and Sunday 26th of April 2009.
The student can work the Wild Rose or the Red Poll embroidery.
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National Embroiderer's Association of Canada Seminar 2009, 1000 Islands, 1000 Stitches held in Kingston, Ontario, Canada: Registration forms available on the EAC website.
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Two day workshop for the Blackwork Pheasants Wednesday 20th of May and Thursday 21st of May 2009 |
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Two day workshop for the Goldwork Tulip Saturday 23rd of May and Sunday 24th of May 2009 |
If you have any questions about the upcoming classes please Contact Me!
To see details about the classes I offer, please visit my Classes Page
To see pictures of students working in my class and details on how I run the class, Click Here!
Private Classes: For the topics of embroidery that can be learnt and costs of a private class go to my Private Classes Page!
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I have had four articles in the Embroiderer's Association of Canada quarterly magazine 'Embroidery Canada' featuring the instructions for my Goldwork sampler. Please see picture below And the first two articles was also featured in the Inspirations Embroidery Magazine by Country Bumpkin Publications. The Goldwork Sampler instructions are now featured on my website and are free, I also carry the metal threads for the sampler.
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I have had a Blackwork Butterfly design featured in the Inspirations Embroidery Magazine by Country Bumpkin Publications. You can now purchase the threads, instructions or complete kit from my Blackwork Kits page.
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I have five needle painting designs featured in the A-Z of Thread Painting by Country Bumpkins Publications. You can see the five designs on the following page of my website and purchase the book. I recommend trying one of my beginners needle painting kits if you have not tried the technique before as my designs in the book are for advanced embroiderers.
Personal History | Classes Information | Contact me | Home Page!
