A Return to the Classroom
I am a teacher by trade, though somewhat accidentally.
I actually became a teacher so that I could find a way to support myself while living in Brazil. Working in a tiny town in the middle of a very remote, rural (and German?!) part of Brazil with little to no resources, it was a really hardcore and unique introduction to teaching— and on how to scrounge, create lessons from nothing, cater to students’ needs without any curriculum… Actually, these were all creative skills that I relished, and that served me really well for my next longer teaching adventure in the New York City public school system. The classroom management part of teaching was never my favorite (is it anyone’s?), but lesson design, material scrounging, making do with what you have, finding creative ways to reach people with very different needs and perspectives… those are the parts I missed after leaving NYC and my classroom behind. And those are exactly the parts I’ve been lucky enough to tap into recently as I’ve dipped a baby toe into a whole new(to me) way of online teaching.
Getting chosen to create a workshop for the Making Zen retreat was an entirely full-circle moment for me, since it was exactly this retreat 4 years ago that introduced me to the stitching world and the freedom, variety, and inspiration within it. I hadn’t stitched before discovering Making Zen, yet I’ve been stitching every single day since.
My gratitude and surprise at being chosen as a workshop leader quickly turned into semi-terror as I realized I would immediately have to figure out this new online world of teaching, which involved recording, editing, uploading, converting, compressing, and all sorts of other digital tools that I never needed in my analog days in Brooklyn or Panambi.
It was a hectic few months with a steep learning curve, but I am really relieved and grateful that in the end, I was able to create multiple workshops that I am proud of, and that I hope others will enjoy as well.
My first offering, appropriate to my own feelings of being granted a dearest wish by being part of Making Zen, is this workshop on making Wishing Houses to hold your dearest wishes. This quick project opens up like a sweet little house, or closes with a magnet to become a safe space to hold your dearest desires. Through making them, we go through many basic techniques of stitching, seaming, embroidery, and quilting at a beginner level. My 8 year-old daughter agreed to be a tester and did an absolutely amazing job.
They are also fun to customize to make your house fit your personality. My house would be the minimal blue one- what would your house look like?
You can watch this workshop 100% free on Friday, May 8, beginning at 11am ET/ 5pm CET. With a free pass to Making Zen, you also have access to over 30 amazing workshops from May 4-8.
If you are unable to watch during these five days or want lifetime access to try these workshops at your own pace, Making Zen also offers the freedom to watch anytime with the purchase of a VIP Pass. VIP Pass access begins on April 22 and can be purchased at a discount before the retreat begins. This Pass includes access to a whole wealth of other projects, including two more of mine that I am really excited to finally share with you:
The idea for Tiny Stitched Homes came when I sent these little magnets to my friends and family in Wisconsin last Christmas.
Backed in a special fabric made from one of my son’s drawings, they are a lovely way of preserving treasured fabrics or sharing special messages.
Thinking through how I could adapt these Tiny Stitched Homes into a workshop for Making Zen, I started to imagine what kind of messages or sentiments people might want in their homes or communities- and I ended up creating a whole little neighborhood of care.
Though you aren’t supposed to play favorites, I have to admit my heart lies even more deeply in this project, because as I was filming it, I realized it deserved a deeper look at my favorite way of making text. So, along with this workshop, I’ve included a guide and video to my favorite Stitched Alphabet.
I’ve repeatedly been asked about my method of making letters- using a single thread couching stitch that I learned from the wonderful Ekta Kaul- and wanted to share a little glimpse into this way of making text, which I find so freeing and expressive.
With this alphabet, you should be able to customize your Tiny Stitched Home (or anything!) with whatever message is most precious to you.
If Tiny Stitched Homes or my Stitched Alphabet are intriguing to you, they are both available via the VIP pass for Making Zen. I would be most grateful if you would use this link, as I receive a commission from your purchase (at no extra cost to you), which would really help support me and my work.
I didn’t realize how much I missed teaching and designing material until I reentered the classroom- albeit digital this time. Custom-making materials and content from whatever materials I have is absolutely my favorite creative realm to be in. I really hope to continue to make workshops like this- I already have another, longer course in the works.
If you have any suggestions or ideas for things you would like to learn, please let me know.
Thank you for reading and perhaps even making a Wishing House or Tiny Stitched Home- I hope that you might be as inspired by these or other workshops at Making Zen as I was four years ago.