Studio Arts: Fiber Arts Classes

Learn the basics of hand-stitched quilt-making—including piecing, applique, and finishing techniques—as you work on a small-scale piece that can be used as a doll quilt or a wall hanging.

The thobe, a handmade embroidered dress, has symbolized Palestinian textile artistry since the 11th century. Wafa Ghnaim leads a fascinating exploration of the heritage of Palestinian embroidery and examines how generations of women have preserved and modernized these traditions in diasporic communities. Then in a workshop, Ghnaim guides participants in creating a bookmark with a stitched thobe design on 12-count Aida cloth.

Add the touch of your own hands to clothing as you apply basic hand-embroidery stitches to create modern designs to enhance knits, felted wools, and ready-made garments, including infant onesies.

Textile historian Elizabeth Lay examines a trio of 19th-century British women whose exceptional skills elevated embroidery to fine-art status. Afterward, fabric artist Lauren Kingsland leads a studio project in which participants create their own Arts and Crafts–inspired embroidered needle case.

In a hands-on workshop, quilt-maker Lauren Kingsland shares new way to use T-shirts and other garments of sentimental value: Transform them into usable quilts to give as gifts or to preserve cherished memories.