Virtual Hangout: Threads of Connection Quilting Bees

Registration required 60 min before each program start time.

Explore upcycling fabric items from around the home with fashion extraordinaire and expert, Melissa Thyden! Grab a piece of clothing or other fabric item (something you are willing to cut up), and create a fabric collage with its unique parts! Dissect patterns, buttons, collars, zippers, and interesting seams and combine using glue or a sewing needle and thread. Rearrange its parts into a new piece of art, and add details with markers, paint, ribbon, or anything from around the house!

Materials & Prep:

— A piece of cardboard to use as a backing for your collage (ideally at least 6” x 6”)
— Any piece of clothing that you can upcycle and can be cut up and dissected. You could consider a piece of clothing you’re planning to get rid of anyways. You can also consider other fabric goods that are ready for a new purpose, like old towels, dish cloths, curtains, blankets, tote bags, etc.
— Glue or tape (fabric glue or hot glue works best!)
— Scissors
— Sewing needle and thread

Optional Supplies for added detail:

— Markers or fabric markers
— Fabric paint or puff paint
— Ribbon, sequins
— Anything from your home you wish to add to your piece

Artist Bio:

Melissa Thyden is an artist, fashion designer and seamstress living in Worcester, Massachusetts. She studied illustration and art history at Umass Dartmouth, and fashion business at the Boston School of Fashion Design. Melissa enjoys making and selling elaborate costumes for music festivals, and is an avid gardener.
 

Explore 2D collage using everyday materials to create something visually stunning as though you’re looking through a kaleidoscope! We invite you to reflect on personal identity while discovering how color, texture, pattern, and paper size can create a dazzling effect. 

You’ll want to bring along: 

• Paper and pencil for drawing 
• 1 piece of thick paper for your background, at least 8.5” x 11” (if you don’t have think paper, think about upcycling from a folder, cereal box, paper bag, etc.) 
• 2D collage materials (this can be anything you want: newspaper, magazines, tissue paper, etc.) 
• Scissors 
• Tape 

Optional: 

• Ruler 
• Glue 

Explore surface design with simple printmaking at home on paper and fabric. Learn how to transform ordinary materials into beautifully patterned fabrics and custom papers. Use these new prints to create your own quilt square for the community tapestry. 

You’ll want to bring along and prepare: 

• 2 pieces of thick cardboard that are each roughly 8.5” x 11”  
• Small pieces of assorted cardboard, thicker is better 
• Scrap pieces of paper or fabric, the more you can find the more prints you can make 
• Scissors 
• Tape 
• Assorted paints (or if you have printmaking/ block printing ink) 
• Medium-sized paintbrushes or foam brushes 
• You may want to cover your table to protect from paint. You could use a big piece of paper, newspaper, plastic trash bag, or cut open a paper bag 
• A towel, rag, or paper towels for messes 
• You may also want to wear an apron or old t-shirt to protect your clothes!