You can do a lot of simple clothing repairs with a few basic tools and skills: sew on a button, restore a hem, fix a seam. You’ll be amazed at what you can repair with just these basics!

We start at square one: threading a needle and securing the end through knotting or whipstitching. You’ll sew a few seams to learn running stitch, back stitch, and hemming stitch. You’ll learn how to hold your fabric and best ways to cut with scissors. We’ll practice until hand sewing starts to become “muscle memory” and even enjoyable. We will also sew on three types of buttons and a snap fastener.

We will also look at whether and how clothes you’ve brought can be mended with these simple skills and you might start on some repairs. We’ll see how running stitches can turn mending into art through simple sashiko stitching. We’ll talk about why mending is good for the planet and how mending is creative.

We will supply some basic tools for you. If you bring any supplies you’ve assembled, we can talk about those, too – having the right tools organized properly really does make hand sewing easier!

Instructor:  Hermina (Minnie) Joldersma

Prerequisites:  No prior experience necessary.  Age 16 or older.  Adult full or casual membership.

Cost (Full Members):  $55 (includes materials)
Cost (Casual Members):  $65 (includes materials) 

Registration Opens:  January 14, 2025 at 7:00 pm
Registration Closes:  March 13, 2025

If you are a true Yellowknifer, chances are you own and value some great socks.  And wearing those socks, especially wool ones, inevitably makes them develop holes.  Cheer up – you can darn them and even add some extra character in the process!

In this workshop, you will develop the skills needed to darn socks.  You will learn which needles and yarn work best, how to shape the darn so the sock stays comfortable, where to start the darning, what tools are useful, and how to fill that hole with a woven darn that will give your socks new life.

This workshop includes sock darning tools and materials... everything you need to darn your own socks, except the socks!

Instructor:  Hermina (Minnie) Joldersma

Prerequisites:  No prior experience necessary.  Age 16 or older.  Adult full or casual membership.

Cost (Full Members):  $51 (includes materials)
Cost (Casual Members):  $61 (includes materials) 

Registration Opens:  January 14, 2025 at 7:00 pm
Registration Closes:  March 15, 2025

This fun and challenging program introduces you to textures and colours of stained glass, glass working tools, and patterns.  You will also learn skills like glass scoring, breaking, grinding, copper foiling, soldering, and finishing.

Instructor:  Francine Dennis

Prerequisites: No prior experience necessary.  Age 16 or older.  Adult full membership.

Cost:  $290 (includes materials)

Registration Opens:  March 11, 2025
Registration Closes:  March 30, 2025

A tisket, a tasket, you will be making a beautiful egg basket!  This basket features a sturdy handle and "pockets" that are perfect for gathering eggs or whatever you choose to harvest.  Take note all you backyard chicken farmers!

We will be using a rib-style construction with flat reed to create the basket.  Each participant will walk away with a 26 cm x 26 cm basket.

Instructor:  Rosanna Strong 

Prerequisites:  No prior experience necessary.  Age 16 or older.  Adult full membership.

Cost:  $234 (includes materials)

Registration Opens:  January 14, 2025 at 7:00 pm
Registration Closes:  March 29, 2025

This willow basket is designed for your bicycle or to be used as a market basket. Its dimensions will be 9 inches high x 10 inches wide x 15 inches long.  We will use local willow (provided by the instructor) for this project.

The oval base is an easy base to work with.  Weaves will include twining, 3-rod wale and French randing.  A 4-2 border will be used.

Participants will have the following options for handles:
1.  a rigid willow built-in handle (traditional market basket);
2.  a swing webbing handle (cross body basket); or
3. velcro straps to attach to handlebars (bicycle basket).

Instructor:  Cathie Harper

Prerequisites:  No prior experience necessary.  Age 16 or older.  Adult full membership.

Cost:  $317 (includes materials and use of tools)

Registration Opens:  January 14, 2025 at 7:00 pm
Registration Closes:  April 20, 2025

Students will carve a small-scale loon (6.5 inches) which is small enough to be manageable but large enough to use all basic carving techniques.  Students will shape the loon, beginning with a basswood cut-out giving top and side profiles, and add feather textures using a dremel tool and wood burner.  Students will finish the loon using acrylic paints.

Instructor:  Garry Singer

Prerequisites:  No prior experience necessary.  Age 16 or older.  Adult full membership.

Cost:  $264 (includes materials and use of tools)

Registration Opens:  March 10, 2025
Registration Closes:  April 21, 2025

Looking to relieve some stress and learn a new craft? Come out and learn to needle felt a beautiful door wreath made entirely of wool balls!

During the first session you will learn how to needle felt a ball. You will then take supplies home and continue making balls at home during your free time. We will meet again in two weeks to assemble the wreath.

Needle felting is a textiles craft technique that can be used to create 3D objects.  It involves a special felting needle being used to stab and agitate wool fibers, so they join and bond together.

Instructor:  Andrea Korpel

Prerequisites:  No prior experience necessary.  Age 16 or older.  Current full adult membership.

Cost:  $226 (includes all materials for workshop)

Registration Opens:  February 25, 2025
Registration Closes:  April 11, 2025

Students will learn traditional techniques of ungrouted mosaics while using both traditional and contemporary materials.  We will cover mosaic design, materials choices and cutting techniques. We will also discuss the importance of andamento or the flow of the mosaic.

Time will be spent allowing each student to try using the hammer and hardie, which are the traditional tools used to cut stone and smalti (the traditional glass used in mosaics).

Each student will create an 8” (20 cm) x 10” (25 cm) wall mosaic to take home.  The plywood substrate (base), thinset adhesive, and thinset tints plus a variety of marble, stone and glass will be available for students to use.  Each student is also encouraged to bring any materials they would like to add to their mosaic artwork, such as shells, beads or ceramics.

This workshop is suitable for both beginners and people with some mosaic experience.

Instructor:  Valerie Brownell

Prerequisites:  No prior experience necessary.  Age 16 or older.  Adult full membership.

Cost:  $337 (includes materials)

Registration Opens:  February 20, 2025
Registration Closes:  May 23, 2025