here we go again!
welcome to *the ARTFUL garment* (2.0).
we had SO MUCH FUN last year, we’re doing it again! all of the photos in this post, with the exception of the title pic above, are from students in the 2025 class.
if you follow me, you know that i have many textile loves. sewing (both hand and machine), crochet, embroidery, printing and painting, applique, knitting, mending, spinning, quilting… and nothing makes me happier than combining and layering these techniques to make garments that are textured, intriguing, mysterious, conversational, captivating and tell a story or send a message from the maker/wearer to the bystander. i love the long format, with lots of space in between, and forming a community with my students. i feel like my whole life has been leading up to this.
much like my year-long Hack Club class, this is a casual, year-long, “club” style class. by that i mean, rather than a traditional teacher/student relationship, we will all be interactive co-conspirators, exploring and learning together. i will present the ideas with demonstrations and samples, but still with a *beginner’s mind* approach; some of the techniques i may have been doing for decades (but always learning and evolving my approach) but others are much newer to me, and still in a very exploratory stage. i’ll invite sharing and even short presentations from participants as i’m sure we all have areas of experience! we will also look to artists, books and other resources for inspiration and information.
class description
in *the ARTFUL garment*, we will explore together ways to add visual interest, surface dimension, and deeper meaning to the clothing you make. we all know that making clothes is already a radical, empowering, and sustainable act. this year of study will take that to the next level, by adding a layer of creative expression into the mix. the specific techniques we will delve into are: embroidery, applique, block printing, crochet edges + inserts, creative pockets, needle weaving, pintucks/pleats/ruffles, scraps + patchwork, smocking, and fabric printing + painting. all can be done by hand, some can also be done by machine.
we will meet monthly on a saturday for ten months, as our main class sessions. there will also be a “tuesday check-in”, approximately halfway in between. this year-long format will allow us to focus on one technique each month, and take a deep dive into it. we will utilize the concept of a “fabric sketchbook” to play and experiment in a low-stakes way. this doesn’t necessarily mean it will take the form of a book, but i will explain more at the first class.
there will also be bonus topics like inspiring artists, sketching, video resources, and topical books. i’ll be working along with you all on my own projects, incorporating the monthly lessons. i want this to be a FUN, dynamic, interactive group experience!
skill level required: with one exception, all of the lessons have no prerequisite knowledge or experience. we will begin the explorations of each technique at its foundation, and build our skills. those who have some experience in certain areas can share tips, and push themselves to advance skills further, or try a new approach, while those who are new can enjoy the process of being a beginner. the one technique that WILL call for a bit of experience is the crochet lesson, but i am placing that one later in the year, and we will lay some foundation steps, building up to it as the year progresses.
there will be one live 2-hour main class session (noon-2pm EST) per month (on zoom) in which i demonstrate the techniques, and ideally you work along with me (or just watch, and then work along with the recording later). these will be on saturdays, 12-2pm EST, usually the last saturday of the month, but sometimes earlier as my travel schedule (and holidays) interfere with a few. the march class will be on april 4, and the september class will be on october 3. the complete list of dates is below, please add them to your calendar.
in between those saturday sessions, there will be one live 1.5-hour “tuesday check-in” on zoom, on tuesday evenings from 6-7:30pm EST. these are even more casual, and very much about what YOU all bring to the table, so that means sharing progress, topics for discussion, questions/advice/feedback, inspiration and resource sharing, and whatever else may arise. these are also where i will share some of the additional inspirations like muses, books and technique videos. we may end early, if there aren’t many topics or sharing, but you are always welcome to come for just part of it.
all sessions, both the saturdays and the tuesdays, will be recorded and available for viewing until at least the end of the year. i do prefer that you come to the live class and participate as much as possible! i love a lively, engaged class, with lots of questions and discussion! but of course i understand that conflicts will arise.
some of the saturdays (indicated below) will have an optional “work session” after class, from 3-5pm EST, in which we will co-work on projects together, over zoom with sound turned off.
there will also be a Slack group for 24/7 sharing of progress, pictures, support, chatting, questions, successes and fails etc. this is really where much of the beautiful community-building takes place!
schedule
saturday sessions, live on zoom, 12-2pm EST:
#1 – february 28 – embroidery
#2 – april 4* – applique (optional work session after)
#3 – april 25 – block printing + painting
#4 – may 30* – creative pockets (optional work session after)
#5 – june 27 – scraps and patchwork (optional work session after)
#6 – july 18 – pintucks/pleats/ruffles
#7– august 22* – weaving + darning (optional work session after)
#8– october 3* – crochet edges + inserts
#9 – october 24* – smocking
#10 – november 21 – bonus technique (?) and/or year-end show + tell and wrap up
*optional work session after from 3-5pm EST
tuesday evening check-ins, live on zoom 6-7:30pm EST:
3/10, 4/21, 5/12, 6/16, 7/7, 8/18, 9/8, 10/13, 11/10
supplies
most of what we need, you probably already have. it’s hard for me to specify exactly the supplies you’ll need, because there are so many possibilities for what kind of projects and how many you will be making. i don’t want to tell you to go out and buy a long list of new supplies. we will focus on trying to use what we have as much as possible, and/or acquiring second-hand materials.
you will need an ample supply of inexpensive, non-precious fabrics to play, practice and experiment on (our “fabric sketchbooks”). you might also be making muslins, wearable muslins, or experimental garments. any of this could be the fabric called muslin, thrifted sheets (or the ones in the back of your linen closet that you never use because you don’t have that size of bed) or tablecloths, sale fabrics, thrifted XL T-shirts (for knit projects), etc.
in general, for most sessions you will need (and likely already have) the usual list of supplies: needles, threads, pins, seam ripper and whatever tools you like. in addition, the following are things you will need/might want, that possibly you don’t have and might want to start keeping an eye out at your local freecycle/thrift store/buy-nothing group/guild swap etc:
- — scrap fabrics (we could also do a scrap swap)
- — fabric paints/silkscreen inks/acrylic paints + brushes
- — sponges, Speedy Carve, odd things around your house that might work to print with
- — bits of sock yarn, crochet thread, perle cotton and some smaller/steel crochet hooks
i will provide a specific list for each session at the previous session, so that you can be prepared.
registration
the price for the whole year (10 classes) will be $320. our first session is february 28, so please get in touch ASAP if you’d like to join the fun! my goal is to have about 30 participants. and i am offering a special price for those who are also participating in Hack Club 2026: only $260 to add-on *the ARTFUL garment* for a year of amazing handmade wardrobe wonders! i have designed the two classes to dovetail nicely.
not required, but highly recommended for supplementary material, is a subscription to Creativebug. i have 20+ video classes there (so for example, if you need to learn to crochet in time for our crochet session in october, you could learn with my video crochet classes). i’d love it if you use my affiliate link to subscribe, which earns me a small commission. it’s extremely affordable (about $7 per month gets you access to ALL classes and teachers, and you can download one class each month to keep forever. and there are often specials, like right now (January 2026) you can get a year at just $2/month! and also many libraries offer it. PLUS, use the code CALPATCH to get a 60-day free trial! for our class i will be referencing video content from other artists like jody alexander, rebecca ringquist, heidi parkes and others.
spots will be first-come (i.e. paid!), first-served. i do prefer payment by check in the mail (so old fashioned, i know! but it eliminates fees) but i can also send you a square invoice, or you can use zelle, venmo or paypal.
hopefully i’ve covered all the basic info?
email me (cal at calpatch dot com) to reserve your spot, or if you have questions!
