Classes & Workshops

Low-Tech Screen Printing

Unlock the mysteries of screen printing by learning low-tech processes to print anything from t-shirts to fabric yardage. We'll build our own screens and print with them using various stencil methods: screen filler, drawing fluid, wax texture rubbings, shelf paper, and more.

Saturday & Sunday, July 11 & 12
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Asheville Area Arts Council
Instructor: Jen Swearington
Fee: $185 + materials

Inspired by Nature: Art Quilts

Learn to abstract ideas and allow what you see and feel to
inspire your design. Working with fusible web on fabric, learn basic fusing techniques, free-hand cutting and improvisational assemblage. Free-motion machine embroidery and other surface design techniques will be demonstrated and discussed. 

Saturday, July 25
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Handmade in America
Instructor: Norma Bradley
Fee: $90 + materials

Cloth Books

Bring scraps of fabric or old clothing you just can't part with and create a unique cloth book! In this workshop you'll learn how to make a cloth book cover, fold paper for the pages, and sew the spine. Expect to create 1 or 2 finished books.

Saturday & Sunday, August 15 & 16
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Folk Art Center
Instructor: Margaret Couch Cogswell
Fee: $185 + materials

Decorative Surface Design on Cloth & Paper

Using textile paints and a variety of surface design techniques, such as painting, stamping, mono-printing, and drawing, you'll create one-of-a-kind decorative designs on paper and fabric. This class is both an introduction to new techniques and a continuation for those who already have a basic knowledge of Surface Design.*

* "For repeat students bring cloth that has color, pattern even images or pieces you are working on—we'll use the inks in a painterly manner this time. The techniques and materials that we'll use in this class are what I use to resolve, refine and also to hide, cover and fix things that are not what I want. Bring pieces that you're working on or want to explore further..."

Saturday & Sunday, August 29 & 30
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Asheville Area Arts Council
Instructor: Heather Allen-Swarttouw
Fee: $185 + materials

Hands-On Shibori

Using simple tools —your hands, yarn, needle and thread—you'll create gorgeous surface designs on pre-hemmed silk scarves. Complete 4 different multi-colored scarves in this fun, gratifying, and fast-paced dyeing class.

Saturday, September 5
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Asheville Area Arts Council
Instructor: Jen Sweariington
Fee: $90 + materials

2-D Felting Foundations

Designed for the beginner, this course will provide a foundation of the materials and processes for 2-D felting. Newly acquired skills will be implemented to create a finely crafted felt scarf and inspire exploration for future felting endeavors and experienced courses.

Saturday, September 12
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Asheville Art Museum Education Studio
Instructor: Lisa Klakulak
Fee: $115 + materials

Felt/Fabric Fusion

Also known as Nuno or Laminate Felting, Fused Felting names the process of coercing individual hair filaments through pre-constructed fabrics, whether, woven, knit or crocheted, to create an amazing variety of surface textures. Participants will learn to control this process to achieve desired effects by gaining material knowledge as well as a physical skill set.

Saturday & Sunday, September 19 & 20
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Asheville Art Museum Education Studio
Instructor: Lisa Klakulak
Fee: $200 + materials

Photographic Screen Printing

Imagine screen printing the drawings right out of your sketchbook! Learn how to set up your own homemade light exposure unit and build photo-sensitive silk screens to print finely detailed imagery and text onto anything from t-shirts to fabric yardage. Newcomers and low-tech screen printers are all welcome.

Saturday & Sunday, October 10 & 11
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Asheville Area Arts Council
Instructor: Jen Swearington
Fee: $185 + materials (Jen's Low-Tech Screen Printing students get 10% off workshop fee, call to register)

Embroidery Sampler Book

Learn a wide variety of embroidery stitches and explore alternatives to the standard favorites. On white and black or navy cloth, you'll embroider small samples of your own design and begin to develop a personal stitch vocabulary. These cloth "pages" will then be bound into an Embroidery Sampler Book to use for future reference and ideas.

Saturday & Sunday, October 24 & 25
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Folk Art Center
Instructor: Heather Allen-Swarttouw
Fee: $185 + materials

Collage: From Paper to Cloth

Experiment with translating paper collage images into a cloth wall hanging. On the first day of this workshop you'll create several small paper collages using simple techniques. On the second day you'll transform one of your paper collages into a cloth wall hanging. Emphasis will be placed on freedom of movement between media.

Saturday & Sunday, November 14 & 15
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Folk Art Center
Instructor: Margaret Couch Cogswell
Fee: $185 + materials

Creative Repurposing

In this workshop you'll learn to creatively repurpose old wool sweaters into wearable art! By cutting and piecing the salvaged scraps into new shapes, you'll construct an asymetric layered vest using hand stitches and decorative, functional embellishment. Expect to leave the class with your own one-of-a-kind garment!

Saturday & Sunday, November 21 & 22
Hours: 10 am - 4 pm
Location: Folk Art Center
Instructor: Trish Marshall
Fee: $175

Creative Fabric Cards

Working with a wide variety of one-of-a-kind handmade fabrics, you'll learn how to collage and layer them to make wonderful unique cards. Use embroidery to add accents to your designs. With the simple techniques used in this class, and your left over fabrics, you'll be able to make postcards and card sets for holiday gifts, use them for special occasions, or frame them!

Saturday, December 5
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Folk Art Center
Instructor: Heather Allen-Swarttouw
Fee: $90 + materials

Introduction to Felted Imagery

Develop 2-D felted imagery through a study of color, line definition, shape, and the suggestion of form. In this workshop you'll learn to create recognizable & realistic imagery by embedding commercial and hand-made partial felt shapes into a background fleece. You'll explore mosaic style image making by referencing photographic and hand drawn imagery. Embellishment with free-motion embroidery, needle felting and hand stitching will be used to provide intricate details within the images.

Saturday & Sunday , December 12 & 13
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Asheville Art Museum Education Studio
Instructor: Lisa Klakulak
Fee: $200 + materials