Saturday June 11
1 to 4pm
NIAD Art Center Studios
A no-sew workshop is an activity that uses fabric and other found objects to create art or useful items that would traditionally be made on a sewing machine or sewn by hand stitching. It is a very accessible approach to using fabric in art and every day making. The overall idea for this workshop is to use found fabric scraps (upcycling) so that folks have the opportunity to ‘paint’ with fabric onto a mini canvas, or iron fusible-backed fabric onto an everyday cotton tote. All materials will be provided to participants and the activity can be completed in as little as 10-15 minutes. Participants can take home their creations and hang on their wall (canvas) or use daily (tote). For this workshop, I would encourage participants to visit the exhibition in the gallery and be inspired by the ideas and themes within the works on display in Beyond the Yankee Doodle. Then they can come to the workshop table and make something from that inspiration.
This workshop is great for all ages (some may need assistance from an adult to use scissors and the clothing iron). There are no needles involved and the mod podge, fabric glue, and fusible backing creates a permanent end result on the canvas or tote bag. The mod podge and fabric glue might need a bit more time to dry, but I’m sure folks won’t be too worried about that. They can leave them to dry on the workshop table until they are ready to leave NIAD.
About the workshop facilitator
Michelle Jones – she/her
Curator, Educator, Fiber Artist, and Collections Care Manager
As a Collections Care and Studio Manager for a busy and progressive art conservation studio in San Francisco, Michelle’s current role incorporates a little bit of everything, such as mentoring pre-program conservation interns, project management for large-scale corporate and non-profit disaster and emergency projects involving art collections in the Bay Area, site visits to conduct investigations for potential environmental hazards, and cleaning and rehousing a lot of fantastic art. Michelle completed her BA in Studio Art Practice and Art History and her MA in Museum Studies at San Francisco State University. Her art practice began with traditional black and white photography and processing and progressed into a growing passion for quilting and fiber arts. Her Master’s thesis focuses on the importance of interdisciplinary object-based learning in art and museum spaces, emphasizing the use of haptic, tactile, and collaborative exploration. She enjoys working with college and university students and sharing collaborative and meaningful connections to collections and unexpected fields of study. Michelle also has a degree in International Marketing and Economics, which unexpectedly comes in handy in the art world. Michelle has been a supporter of NIAD and its sister organizations CE and CG for more than five years and loves to share the artwork of NIAD artists with her art world network.