Courses

Dyeing cloth using natural materials is a magical process: Add a bit of steam, hot water and assorted leaves, flowers, and old rusty nails, and wait an hour…the results are extraordinary. Who knew all the colors of nature were hidden in plain sight? In this course, you’ll learn a bit…

Enjoy the “thrill of discovery” in the many colors which can be achieved, and the variation of color that can be found in nature's palette, by learning the complete subtleties of dyeing with natural materials. Dyeing with natural plants is more than a craft, it's a fascinating and inexpensive hobby.…

Tired of synthetic ‘fluff’? Clad your torso with the miracle fiber: wool. Learn the history of wool, why it works, and how to maximize its performance as clothing with outdoorwear designed by Kevin Kinney, owner of Empire Canvas Wear of Duluth. In this class you will learn the basics of…

Combine bead embroidery and needle felting to create a unique landscape “painting”. Learn the basics of both needle felting and bead embroidery in this two day workshop. Participants will bring a landscape image (photo, magazine image, postcard etc.) to inspire their beaded piece. First, we will create a simple needle…

Nets aren’t just for catching fish! In this class you will learn an ancient technique to make a netted sack for everyday use. To make a net, you only need to learn to tie one knot. The craft of net making has remained unchanged for thousands of years, a universal…

In this class students will begin by traveling (in pictures and stories!) to Kyrgyzstan and discover how felt is used, why it is such an important textile for the people of Central Asia, and fill ourselves with inspiration! We will then get our own hands into the wool as everyone…

Healing traditions, like all craft, reflect the landscape and stories of the people who create them. Explore Norse and Saami-inspired herbal medicine in this workshop based around the handcrafting of seven herbal medicines, each tethered to a particular story and made from northern plants. Rooted in her own Nordic ancestry,…

The countdown to the summer solstice snaps into mind at the beginning of June. It's a fresh time of the year when suddenly the world smells like summer. The stunning landscape of Cook County, with its miles of wilderness and incomparable Lake Superior views starts to come alive with incandescent…

The northwoods is full of beautiful, colorful material suitable for basketry: you just have to go out there and get it! Willow shoots, birch bark, tamarack bark, and willow bark are just a few of the options. In this class we will head out to a nearby location to identify,…

The “tollekniv” or whittling knife is a rich cultural tradition of Norway. In this class you will make a “hverdags kniv," a style of knife gets everyday use in the fields or forest. Women often like the “damekniv”, a smaller knife to use around the house. In this 2-day class…

In this class, you will experience the practice of hardanger as a traditional Scandinavian needlecraft and cutwork tradition. Hardanger embroidery is a traditional Scandinavian handwork, enjoyed and practiced for hundreds of years (at least since 1650). In this introductory class, students will learn all the basic stitches used in hardanger…

Learn to turn on both the power and pole lathes and explore the historical continuum of bowl turning in this unique course offering. Students will move back and forth between the foot-powered pole lathe and modern electric lathe to delve deeply into a study of old world Norwegian ale bowls.…

Trace the history of your morning toast back to Ancient Egypt and learn to bake bread as it was before commercial yeast and steam-injection convection ovens. Learn the basics of baking artisan breads with a strong emphasis on traditional methods, including ingredient selection, techniques for leavening and methods of baking.…

If you’ve ever picked up a rough stone and wondered what’s inside, it’s time to try your hand at the magic of stone cutting! Veteran goldsmith and stone cutter extraordinaire Michael Seiler will lead students through the process of cutting, finishing, and polishing a variety of agates ­- perfect for…

A sturdy, timbered outdoor bench will invite years of use and is perfect for long conversations, a short break from walking or simply watching the world go by. This unique bench design borrows joinery common to timber-frame construction and utilizes rough cut, sustainably harvested white pine timbers. It’s beautiful, comfortable…