These 2 – 5 day classes are just the ticket to introduce new ideas, build on old ones, and learn new fiber art skills in a supportive and rigorous learning environment!

Our Guest Teaching Artists are highly regarded artist educators in the field of textiles and fiber for their artistic achievements and excellence as educators. Textile Center welcomes creatives of all levels to try something new or push the boundaries of what you already know by participating in an immersive experience with an expert in the field.

Lesley Darling

Thinking Through Color: Natural Dyes on Wool
November 5 – 8, 2026

Register here!

Textile Center was thrilled to welcome back Abduljabbar Khatri + Sufiyan Khatri for a special two-day event exploring the art of Indian tie-and-dye (bandhani) and ajrakh block printing! Students gained insight into the history of these art forms as they have evolved in the region of Kutch in Gujarat, India. The first day was focused on the characteristic pinch and tie technique of bandhani and Abdul Jabbar showed students how to create the iconic dot pattern and texture. On the second day, students learned ajrakh block printing techniques from Sufiyan Khatri — a 10th generation master.

Students joined us in welcoming Martha Moore Porter of Buried Diamond for a 3-day Guest Teaching Artist workshop on heirloom sewing techniques. Martha taught students how to create tucks, lace insertions, and handmade trims, and how to apply them to wearable contemporary garments. The workshop began with swatch-making and material exploration, and moved into learning how to apply these techniques to any commercial pattern. Participants left class with swatches, fresh ideas, and a completed (or nearly completed) garment.

We were thrilled to have Ed Johnetta Miller return to Textile Center for another special 3-Day workshop on Improvisational Quilting! Students learned Ed Johnetta’s unique approach to quilting that encourages creative expression and new possibilities for improvisational piecing. They explored strategies for surface design using a variety of fabrics, and considered how color, texture, and pattern can work together to create personal, visual narratives through the art of quilting.

Textile Center was excited to welcome fifth generation basket weaver Lynette Youson for a 5-day weaving workshop. Students learned the coiling technique of sweetgrass basket weaving from its origins in Sierra Leone, West Africa using the materials of the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Youson guided participants through the creation of a basket using Bull Rush, Pine Needles, Sweetgrass, and Palmetto palm.

Students learned the basics of plant dyeing with an emphasis on Icelandic coloring tradition and methods. They explored pigment extraction and coloring processes from beginning to end. In addition to working with traditional Icelandic plants and other plants local to Minnesota, participants in the workshop also explored natural indigo and learned about the rich and complex history of blue dyes dating back more than 6000 years and the color’s entanglement with kings, Vikings, the death penalty, global trade, slavery, and war. Participants deepened their understanding of natural dyeing and experienced the joy of creating a rainbow of colors from materials found in nature.

Students joined us in welcoming Wendy Weiss for a special Guest Teaching Artist workshop on warp ikat dyeing with natural plant dyes in collaboration with the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Students learned the warp ikat process including creating a design plan and techniques for warp winding and binding. They developed a selection of immersion dye colors using natural plant materials, and learned to treat, mordant, and dye bound warps in preparation for weaving. Then, at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, students explored weave structures for warp ikat to maximize design of woven fabric including sett and threading. They learned about the historically and culturally rich practice of warp ikat dyeing and weaving in a collaborative, community environment under the guidance of an expert artist working in these traditions. 

Explore painting… but on silk with wax and dyes! Sekidashi (barrier resist) is one of the most exciting methods of wax application in Japanese rozome. This refined and accomplished design technique is used in Japan to make paintings 18’ wide as well as kimono. Kiranada shared the techniques necessary to design and complete painted textiles utilizing layered textual techniques and the shaded dyeing process of bokashi, which gives luminous effects. Students built skills in designing and planning paintings as well as precise manipulation of the rofude (wax brush) and dye brush. They worked on silk with soy and bees wax, using the acid dyes of the kimono industry. This was a techniques-based workshop designed to build skills for current or future fiber art projects.

Stephanie Metz taught students how to use felting needles to shape wool fibers into free-standing, solid felt sculpture. Topics included basic form-building, fine detailing, adding color, incorporating mixed media, and working with armatures. Class time included daily demonstrations and one-on-one instruction and feedback with lots of hands-on work time. The goal of the week was to practice with new techniques for creative problem-solving–trying things out rather than completing one specific project, although students were welcome to come to class with an idea in mind. They went home with a handful of small samples, a ton of ideas, and at least the start of a project – since needle felting takes time!

Guest Teaching Artist Aaron McIntosh led two quilting workshops, looking at form and self-expression. Students in Sculptural Approaches to Quilting learned reverse patterning techniques for soft sculpture work, then used channels and embedded armatures to create three-dimensional quilted forms. In Queer Quilting Bee, students embellished small patchwork quilt blocks with markers of identity, exploring the complex ways that identities are created and shared.

In this experimental workshop, Guest Teaching Artist Mo Kelman taught methods for building skeletal structures with rattan, bamboo, wire, and found materials. Techniques included lashing and chaotic plaiting. On these frameworks, students explored methods for building skins with gut, rice papers, and recycled netting. Coatings like paintable graphite, acrylics, shellac and kakishibu tannin further modified surfaces. A series of guided exercises prompted students to invent unique, original sculptural forms.

Sylvia Hernández joined Textile Center for two special workshops inviting students to create portraits that represented their personality and identity, using simple collage quilting techniques. Whether abstract or realistic, these collaged portraits were fun, imaginative, and expressive ways to work with color, texture, and pattern to create depictions as unique as the maker.

Ed Johnetta Miller joined us for a special 3-day workshop on Improvisational Quilting. Students learned an approach to quilting that encourages creative expression and new possibilities for improvisational piecing. They explored strategies for surface design using a variety of fabrics, and were asked to consider how color, texture, and pattern can work together to create personal, visual narratives through the art of quilting.

In the world of willow basketry, there are an infinite number of techniques to learn and perfect. Visiting Guest Teaching Artist Jo Campbell-Amsler joined Textile Center for a willow class focusing on rib-style techniques, following the designs of many century-old basket styles. Students learned about willow as a basket material, using wild and cultured, harvesting, sorting, and preparing for weaving. They discussed and practiced a variety of common techniques such as making frames, lashings, handles, and rims. She also taught students to construct three or four baskets and a variety of samples for future reference.

Renowned dyer Nicole Frost of Frost Yarn joined us for a comprehensive 3-day immersion into the world of yarn dyeing to create stunning, custom colorways for your knitting, crocheting, or weaving projects. This course was designed for both beginners and experienced artists, offering a thorough exploration of every major dyeing technique. Students gained a deep understanding of color theory, and created their own reference library of hundreds of dye color recipes using just primaries. In this class, students made a custom swatch book on a knitting machine with several different techniques so they could reverse engineer the dye process to match knitting, crocheting, or weaving projects. Nicole taught students to dye yarn with confidence and control and match yarn to your vision for a truly personalized outcome.

Renowned Chilkat weaver Lily Hope visited Textile Center for a special four-day Guest Teaching Artist workshop, teaching students how to weave a Ravenstail smartphone bag with rainbow warp and All Our Ancestors pattern. Participants learned foundational techniques in Yeil Koowu (Ravenstail) finger twining, and left with a completed weaving. This workshop was open to participants of all skill levels; no previous weaving experience necessary.

Participants expanded their weaving skills by learning traditional supplemental weft techniques indigenous to the Kutch region of Gujarat, India. Visiting teaching artist and expert weaver Pachan Premji Siju guided participants through a technique that combines loom control and finger manipulation. They explored finishing and joining techniques as well as twill and weft-faced weaves, and gained insight into this unique Indian weaving tradition from a renowned artist of the craft.

Students explored one of the oldest fiber art forms in this special 5-day felted rug workshop with Guest Teaching Artist Flóra Carlile-Kovács. Drawing inspiration from the long-standing tradition of nomadic felted rugs that were produced by communities from Eastern Europe to Central Asia, and continue most prominently today in Krygyzstan, participants learned how to apply the ancient art of wet felting to create vibrant, contemporary floor coverings. Traditionally, nomadic rugs were gifted to a daughter from her mother or other relatives when she got married. Using ancient symbols, they felted their dreams, best wishes, and good luck for the young woman into a rug that stayed with her for the rest of her life.

Textile Center welcomed Doña Lidia López de López for a special 4-day workshop on backstrap brocade weaving in the Mayan tradition. Students began by learning the basics of plain weaving on a backstrap loom, using their body to create tension. As they gained confidence in working with a backstrap loom, students learned techniques for brocade weaving, incorporating a range of designs and colorful yarns. Participants explored strategies for fraying, twisting, and macrame which add to the beauty of this weaving tradition, and had the option to learn how to warp the backstrap loom on their own.

In this intensive stitching workshop, students learned the most important element in sashiko stitching: unshin (needle movement). They explored the history of sashiko and its role in cultural practice in Japan. After formal teaching of the “core and essence” of sashiko on the first day under the direction of Atsushi, students began to develop their own rhythm in stitching, and applied unshin to a favorite garment while learning other elements of Sashiko such as hitomezashi.

Students looking for a pants pattern to work from that is both flattering and provides freedom of movement learned to do the fitting to achieve a custom fit in this special 3-day workshop! Using a muslin from a preexisting pattern (of their choice) with clean silhouette, students worked to do the necessary fitting adjustments on the body. Then transfer those changes to a new paper pattern.

Porfirio comes from the Zapotec weaving traditions and uses his work to communicate the deep spiritual dimensions and integrity of his ancestors. During the five-day tapestry weaving workshop, Porfirio shared his approach to connecting traditional practices to contemporary sensibilities. Students learned about warping; thread counts and their relationship to design composition; traditional symbolism; materials and their connection to weaving; sketching and transferring designs to the loom; the mathematics behind geometric compositions; and how to understand color.

Natural dyer, artist, and educator Sasha Duerr taught an intensive 3-day workshop. Participants created local and seasonal color with evergreens and other January dye ingredients. Then, worked with plant-based hues and experienced the awe that can be found with creating color from everyday ingredients.

Artist Pat Pauly taught this intensive workshop on improvisational piecing (sewing) as the base for composing contemporary works. Participants in this workshop built a set complete with insets, windows, thin lines, breaks, shifts and curves—all the tools of improvisational quilting. Then, they broke apart the set to focus on design and composition, and rearranged (with a few added tricks) the parts to create an entirely new piece.

The Creative Sketchbook
May 2023 • with Susan Moss

Artist Susan Moss taught a class on how an active sketchbook and journaling practice can enhance creative process and artistic growth. Students learned strategies for a sketchbook practice that is low risk, non-evaluative, and exploratory. They worked with varied materials – gouache, colored brush pens, markers, water soluble pencils – and responded to a range of mark-making and writing prompts.

Adire to Indigo: Resist-Dyeing in the Yoruba Tradition
June 2023 • with Gasali Onireke Adeyemo

In a 4-day workshop, artist Gasali Onireke Adeyemo shared his knowledge of surface design and dyeing from his native Osun State, Nigeria. Participants learned the complete adire process, from preparing the cassava resist paste to painting and stenciling with traditional Yoruba patterns to dyeing adire cloth with indigo.

Piecework: Exploring Personal Narrative with Collage and Encaustic
July 2023 • with Susan Stover

Join Guest Teaching Artist Susan Stover for an exploration of personal narrative through the mediums of collage and encaustic. Whether you have a story to tell or want to dig deeper into your own artistic motivations, explore how the pieces of our histories come together to influence how we work and what we create. Using fabric and paper, make your own collage materials to embed into encaustic.

Rozome Intensive
August 2023 • with Kiranada Benjamin

Join Kiranada Sterling Benjamin for a professional workshop on the ancient art of Japanese resist painting and dyeing known as rozome. With roots in 8th-century Japan, the art of rozome appears on everything from scrolls to standing screens to kimonos, and has been dazzling fiber artists abroad for the last fifty years. Participants will learn eight different wax techniques in addition to four different dyeing techniques utilized by master rozome artists.

Traditional Kimono Making
September 2023 • with Tsuyo Onodera & Maki Aizawa

Join Master Kimono Maker Tsuyo Onodera and her daughter, artist Maki Aizawa, as they lead a special 4-day kimono-making workshop. Tsuyo and Maki will lead participants through the art of traditional kimono making from selecting and pinning the tanmono fabric to sewing your very own obi and casual summer kimono known as yukata. Explore the history of traditional kimono-making including discussion of kimono layout, construction, size, and pattern alignment.