This class is designed for beginners and for those who have done some stained glass work and want to learn another method or simply refresh and expand their skills.

Your first project will employ the lead came method. Rather than designing your own pattern, Jill will have a selection of patterns from which you can choose for your project. There is room for creative expression in choosing the colors and textures of glass. For the second project, you’ll use the copper foil method to make either a suncatcher, a fan light or a night-light.  The lead came method is the traditional method most people think of for stained glass. The panel that you’ll make is built with channeled pieces of lead running between each piece of glass.

In the second part of the class, you’ll learn how to make a flat project for which the edges of the pieces of glass are wrapped in thin strips of copper foil, then soldered all along the foil lines and joints. 

You will also learn about glass, including how glass sheets are made and guidelines for choosing types and colors of glass for your projects. The materials fee covers all the glass and other materials you’ll need for your projects. Jill will contact students prior to class.

Jill Wicke’s enthusiasm for stained glass was inspired by a love for Frank Lloyd Wright designs. She took some classes and fell in love with the medium in 1980. Very quickly, a hobby turned into selling pieces through craft fairs and commissioned work. Jill has worked with a local architect on abstract designs for several churches, and has designed patterns to match clients’ rooms, from altar cloths to a scene from a picture of a favorite place in Hawaii. Her custom work includes panels, kaleidoscopes, boxes, lampshades, cabinet doors, windows, and doors. Jill began teaching stained glass in 1987.

Level: Beginner