Cookie Washington
4 days • November 5 – 8, 2025
10 am – 4 pm, daily
Pricing
Early-bird (special rate through September 1, 2025): $525
Nonmembers: $600
Members: $540
Payment plans and scholarships available. For questions, reach out to Cristin McKnight Sethi: cmcknightsethi@textilecentermn.org.
Join Guest Teaching Artist Cookie Washington for a four-day workshop celebrating ancestral weaving and sustainable creativity through upcycled textiles. Using techniques inspired by her Cherokee, Berber, and Gullah heritage, Cookie will guide participants in transforming discarded fabrics into meaningful, eco-conscious art. Learn to prepare and upcycle old textiles into new materials. Explore techniques for designing with diverse textures, patterns, and colors. Learn how to embrace imperfection and sustainability in your art, and how to weave personal and cultural stories into your creations. Participants will create all of the following: a Gullah Rag Quilt ( 9″ x 18″) combining traditional Gullah methods with Berber-inspired techniques; a “Toothbrush” Rug using scrap fabric, worn sheets, and discarded clothing; and a functional heirloom Basket with the toothbrush technique.
No sewing experience is needed — just bring your creativity! Leave with heirlooms that honor the past and care for the planet.
$135 materials fee, payable to the instructor at the start of the workshop.
**See supply list of items to bring to class**
Click here to download supply list.
Instructor Bio:
Born in Rabat, Morrocco and based for the last three decades in Goose Creek, South Carolina, Torreah “Cookie” Washington (she/her) is a renowned quilter and Heritage Keeper of Gullah weaving traditions. Her work pays tribute to her African-American history, rich family tree, and expansive spiritual practice. Cookie’s uniquely soulful works reveal the skill, discipline, patience, and expertise of a woman who has quilted the gifts of her foremothers into her artistic visions in cloth. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States including recently in Celebrating Black Mermaids: From Africa to America at the Center for Arts in Beaufort, South Carolina, and Black Joy at the International African American Museum. Cookie has also taught workshops nationally and recently returned from Washington, DC where she led weaving workshops at the Smithsonian Institution for National Quilting Month 2024.
Info for out-of-town guests:
For our out of town guests, nearby accommodations are available with our partner hotel, Hampton Inn and Suites, University Ave. in Minneapolis. For the special Textile Center rate and more info, visit our website here: textilecentermn.org/visit
Review our COVID-19 Safety Protocols at Textile Center here.
Want to become a member and receive the member price when you register? Click HERE to check out our membership levels, add a membership to the cart, and save 10% on many of our classes plus other benefits, including supporting a great organization!
Withdrawal Policy
If your notice of withdrawal is received by the early bird deadline for this workshop, you will receive a 50% refund of your workshop fee. Due to the scheduling nature of these classes and arrangements for instructors, no refunds are available after that. We will be happy to provide you with a receipt for your donation to Textile Center for any forfeited tuition. Please make this request in writing to cmcknightsethi@textilecentermn.org.
Click here for full withdrawal and cancellation policy. Click here for directions and parking.