Courses

Discover the designs, color, styles, and technique of traditional bead embroidery as you work with Ojibwe cultural specialist and Grand Portage band member Marcie McIntire, sewing and decorating a pair of moccasins in this course. You will design a pair of moccasins to make, choosing from either a baby or…

Discover the designs, color, styles and technique of traditional bead embroidery while crafting moccasins designed for baby feet. Create a gift that will be treasured for years to come (and that will stay on those adorable little feet). Students will design and sew a pair of moccasins using quality tanned…

Great fabric lurks in closets, trunks, attics, and thrift shops: learn how to turn garments you don’t wear into a garment you will wear with the help of a pair of scissors, a sewing machine and some creative inclinations. Dig out your mother's wool skirt or the kilt you found…

In the unceasing human quest to add color to the things we use and wear, enameling has been popular method for going on twelve centuries across many cultures. Using heat to fuse powdered glass to metal can be done on many objects using different methods. In this course, students will…

Remember the last time your feet were too cold to enjoy wonderful wintry weather? Do away with rigid, non-breathing footwear and discover the traditional footwear of the north: mukluks. The flexibility of the natural materials used in construction allows the foot to generate heat, and a breathable layering system allows…

Rings on fingers have been around since the beginning of civilization. Egyptian and Greek legend place the wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand, because of a belief that the vein of that finger traveled directly from the heart. The Romans extended this description and called this…

Stylish, cool and durable, these are a far cry from a farmer's straw hat! Craft your own personalized straw hat using millinery parasisal or Panama straw blanks. Over a two day period, you will block and finish at least one straw hat. Starting with a “blank,” finely woven straw that…

Discover the textile craft tradition known as nålbinding and explore its Scandinavian roots. As a course project, students choose to create their own pair of mittens, socks, or a syltemjölkskopp – a “milk strainer” cap. Or draw from tradition to inspire a project of your own design in consultation with…

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 your next…

A linen shirt is a vital part of traditional Swedish folk dress for both men and women. It also makes a natural, breathable, and sophisticated contemporary garment worn on its own. Working with guest instructor Johanna Runbäck from the Sätergläntan Institute of Handicraft in Dalarna, Sweden, participants will begin a…

Learn two different techniques to set your favorite pebbles or cabochons. Students will set one stone in a bezel setting and the second in a prong setting to create a unique two-tier necklace. With time permitting, there will be the option to create a pair of earrings using these new…

For centuries, the circumpolar people have embroidered pewter thread onto wool and leather to embellish clothing, bags, jewelry and other small objects. Learn this technique and develop your own designs with instructor Norma Refsal, who has traveled extensively in Scandinavia and draws inspiration from the Sámi people and their designs.…

Make a lovely sewing kit inspired by the traditional Saami masma. Learn basic hand sewing stitches and enjoy a day with featured guest instructor Johanna Runbäck, lead hand sewing instructor the Sätergläntan Institute of Handicraft in Dalarna, Sweden. This style of rolled bag reflects a nomad’s need for tools to…

A smart phone may not be a traditional craft object, but it certainly is an important tool of modern life that gets frequent use. So why not keep your phone in a beautifully-embellished handmade pouch, just as someone would store their knife or sewing kit or other tools centuries ago?…

Learn the age-old art of being a cordwainer. Using the original patterns designed in the mid-1930s by Paul and Edward Mathews of The Cordwainer Shop, Molly will teach you to hand-stitch and hand-lace your own pair of Cordwainer Classics of the same design worn by Hollywood legends such as Caesar…