On February 10th, Patchwork Community Craft (and our sister shop, Heirloom New England) will celebrate our 1 year anniversary! Thank you for supporting us on this incredible journey by coming to classes, shopping, attending craft nights, following us on social media and telling your friends about our creative hub in Norfolk, MA! I’m over the moon at the support we’ve received from our local community and beyond!
A little scene from Patchwork Community Craft! A minty green slat wall displays sewing themed art and class samples in bright colors. Sunny yellow chairs sit in front of turquoise sewing machines.
To celebrate, we’ve got an incredible roster of classes and events during the month of February! Not only that, if you sign up for your very first class at Patchwork before Feb 29th, you’ll get 20% off with the code FIRST20. This special is for first time students only, so if you’ve been waiting to sign up for a class, now’s the time!
For our community of amazing students who have taken one or more classes this last year, I have a some special treats for you too:
For current & former students ALL FABRIC is $1 a yard in the month of February! Also, if you’ve taken a class with us in the past, enjoy 25% off all new notions & tools. And if you’re a subscriber, come pick out 1-2 yards of fabric on the house!
In this newsletter…
Anniversary Classes & Events ✤ Other February Classes ✤ Tatreez Embroidery ✤ Fiber Art Crossovers ✤ and of course the monthly Studio Playlist!
Anniversary Classes and Events
FEB 1 Needle Felted Voodoo Dolls 7-9pm at Heirloom
FEB 2 Linocut Valentines 7-9pm at Heirloom
FEB 2 Miniatures Club 10-12pm FREE
FEB 8 Community Craft Night: Palentine’s Day! FREE
FEB 9 Muddy River Herbals: herbal cocktails/mocktails 7-9pm at Heirloom
FEB 10 Amigurumi heart workshop 10-12pm at Heirloom
FEB 10 Visible Mending 101: Stitching Together 1-4pm
FEB 10 Paper & Flower Quilling Workshop 1-4pm at Heirloom
FEB 11 Valentine's Monster Cake with your Monsters 2-4pm at Heirloom
FEB 13 Valentine Conversation Heart Cake Class 6-8pm at Heirloom
FEB 15 Abstract Embroidery Workshop 7-9pm at Heirloom
FEB 24 Block Printing on Fabric 10-1pm
Sign up and RSVP for these fun classes and events on Patchwork and Heirloom’s websites!
We’ve also got some great longer classes this February and there’s still room to sign up.
Other February Classes
Just a reminder: there’s still space in the other (non anniversary specific) February classes! Want to be extra cozy this winter and spring and play around with fabric scraps? Sign up for Patchwork Vest (4 Tuesdays at 7pm, starting Feb 6). This class is super fun and you’ll learn the basics of improv quilting. If you’re a beginner, you may also want to make a solid color vest and focus on learning how to sew clothing using a pattern. This is truly a choose your own adventure class and sure to be a lot of fun, so bring your friends. (It is also the subject of my favorite IG reel I ever made for Patchwork ☺)
Equally cozy, and for those who are curious about sewing knits (or maybe making their first ever piece of clothing) is the Stadium Sweatshirt class. You’ll learn the magic of felt applique and create your own perfect crew neck sweashirt! The pattern is included in the price of the class and we have some fun knit fabrics in the reuse center that would work great for this project, including a selection of dreamy tencel rib knits for perfect cuffs and neckbands!
Do you have a growing pile of loved clothing items that need a fix or no longer fit? The Alterations Workshop is a great option. This one day class is a space for you to troubleshoot your alteration projects with my expert advice (as well as plenty of tips and tricks and space to spread out.)
And of course…
If you’re a newbie and interested in learning the basics, check out our monthly Learn To Sew: Throw Pillow Workshop or sign up for a private or semi-private lesson! You can also learn how to use your Serger in Serger Skills or work on a project of your own choosing in Open Sewing Studio.
Tatreez Embroidery
A close up of traditional Palestinian embroidery motifs, similar to cross stitch, in green, white, and light red.
When there are horrible things going on in the world, it can be easy to feel defeated and hopeless. (PS: I support a free Palestine, especially as an American Jew and descendant of holocaust survivors.) Speaking up for causes you believe in by contacting your representatives, boycotting, and protesting are all important, but sometimes we get burnt out and need to recharge. During these times, I turn to crafts… and what better way to celebrate a culture and a people by exploring their traditional handcrafts and celebrating the joy of creativity!
In this spirit, I’ve been researching the world of Tatreez, a traditional form of Palestinian embroidery. The Tatreez Initiative, also known as Tatreez and Tea, is a mother-daughter run arts initiative focused on the textiles from Palestine, Syria and Jordan. If you want to dive into the world of tatreez, they have an amazing collection of kits, books, and fabrics.
Fiber Art Crossovers
A slightly blurry still from one of Lauren Dozier’s quilt cookie videos, featuring a close up of a cookie that looks like an 8 point start quilt block in pink, yellow, blue, red, and undyed cookie color.
In the land of social media, I’ve encountered a lot of cool crossovers…as in, places where fiber & textiles pop up in other mediums. I recently discovered the work of Shell Station Tattoo (IG: @ shell_station_tattoo) who creates incredible embroidery inspired tattoos(IG link).
I love a quilt but sometimes you just want a really tiny quilt, not made out of fabric. So why not create an adorable quilt using embroidery? Tessa Perlow did!
Did you miss the viral tiktok quilt cookies made by Lauren Dozier (IG @ lauren_dozier)? Check out their quilty deliciousness ASAP and maybe try it out if you’re feeling cooped up this winter? I know a few folks that made them and oh boy were they cute (IG link) and also, probably, way too labor intensive.
How about a good ole embroidery and photography mash up? I love this embroidered photo holder from Melissa Galbraith (IG @ mcreativej) If you’re in the Seattle area, you can even take an in person class from Melissa to make them!
This Month’s Studio Playlist
Here’s the playlist from a secret ice castle on the moon, or something else whimsical along those lines. It’s a little ethereal, a little folksy, and a little punk…just like me?
I hope you enjoyed this newsletter! Feel free to share with a friend.