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Business: The Blackberry Patch Stained Glass Studio
Text and photography by Amy J. Putnam
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 After driving her daughter to various summer classes at Fletcher Farm in Ludlow, Vt., Phyllis Gagnon decided she should take some classes as well. The lifelong Claremont resident liked the look of stained glass so she opted for beginner classes in the art form. That first class turned into a burgeoning business. Originally housed in her barn, The Blackberry Patch opened in 1999, and later moved to downtown Claremont in November 2002.
Now, with a teaching degree from Keene State College and nearly 10 years of stained glass crafting under her belt, she teaches classes in her own store and at Fletcher Farm. Gagnon has also expanded her offerings to include mosaic work. Her store is a fully equipped resource for glass, supplies, patterns — and her own working knowledge of just how to make all of those glass cuts.
 The Blackberry Patch’s beginner classes are an affordable and easy introduction to stained glass. For $75, the student takes three classes of 2½ hours each. All supplies needed to complete two projects — one with straight edges and one with curved — are included in the cost. Someone wishing to continue with stained glass can either buy all of the supplies necessary from The Blackberry Patch or just an essential few and continue under Gagnon’s tutelage.
Typically, the students come to Gagnon with one of four goals in mind. Some may wish to make a large piece such as a lamp, some make gifts, some for the simple reason of always wanting to learn something new — and some are looking for a reason to get out of the house.
All stained glass pieces start with a pattern. Many are available online, and The Blackberry Patch has many pattern books available as well. If you want to make it, there’s a good chance Gagnon can put her hands on the right book in seconds. The pattern is used first to trace pieces onto oak tag or card stock, then they are cut out and numbered.
 Next, the glass for the project is selected. Stained glass comes in a variety of textures: Glass, water ripples, dots, wispy, smooth and confetti. Once a sheet of glass is selected — watch for those sharp edges! — pattern pieces are set on the glass to determine how much is needed. Once that first piece is cut, the pieces are traced onto the glass, creating a puzzle. The pieces are essential when picking out the glass, which starts in sheets measuring 2-by-4, to minimize waste.
To cut each individual piece, students use a special glass cutter. This has a small blade that will cut only glass. Cutting is actually an exaggeration of what it does; the cutter makes a score on the glass, creating a small groove. This becomes the weak point on the glass and pliers are used to break apart the pieces. Once cut, the pieces are brought to a grinder with a diamond-coated bit. This serves several purposes. One is to make the sharp edges rough and dull. (No more risk of cutting hands!) The ground surface is also needed for the copper foil (we’ll get to that in a minute). Another purpose is to further refine the shape of the piece to fit the pattern. The original paper pattern, which was traced to form the pieces, is now the bottom of the puzzle. Each cut piece will be laid on top of the pattern sheet to ensure a proper fit.
Once the pieces are all cut and fitting properly on the pattern, each piece is bound with copper foil. As each glass piece is foiled, metal stick pins are used to hold the whole project in place. Because the solder, which permanently binds the whole project together, will not stick to glass, the foil provides the surface needed. Now, the soldering iron comes out to apply the solder. The piece could be considered complete with a silver look from the applied solder, or a final touch of patina could be added to give the seams on the finished project a black or brassy accent.
It sounds fairly simple, and for the number of steps to take through the creation of a finished piece, it is. But if a project has a lot of pieces of glass, or perhaps not a large number but some that are small, it can take some time to get to the finish line.
To inquire about classes or supplies, contact Phyllis Gagnon at The Blackberry Patch in Claremont. Stop in at the store on 43 Pleasant Street or call 542-7639. Store hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Classes take place either during the day or on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
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