art/craft studio in historic downtown Silver City, NM
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​Bookbinding
Weaving
Other Fiber Arts
Surface Design & Paper Arts 
​Kids' Classes
Other Opportunities

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Winter/Spring 2018 Creative Workshops

Course offerings for ages 15 to 115.
(Classes for kids ages 8 to 14 here.)

Bookbinding Workshops
Bookbinding:  Secret Belgian
The Secret Belgian stitch for making books is an excellent way to create a hard cover book with a protected spine that lies open flat and has a unique decorative stitch finish. It is also one of the sturdier binding techniques. In this class, we will make one hard-cover book. We’ll also explore how to construct a hard cover for a book. All materials and tools will be provided for your use in the workshop. Adult workshop, appropriate for all levels.
Saturday, January 27 – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
$25 + $10 materials
Bookbinding:  Twined Stitch
Come learn this useful and beautiful stitch that can be used to create a book with a text block that is relatively easy to replace. It also lies open flat, making it easy to write or draw in, and has a protective flap that connects to the front cover with the closure of your choosing. In this workshop, you will make and take home one book with a soft vinyl (or leather, for an additional fee, paid at the workshop) cover. All tools and materials will be provided for your use in the workshop. Adult workshop, appropriate for all levels.
Saturday, February 24 – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
$25 + $10 materials (or $15 materials for leather cover)
Bookbinding: Cross Stitch
Learn to make your own blank, soft cover book with this interesting bookbinding stitch that creates pages that lie completely flat, handy for journaling, sketchbooks, or photo albums, and creates a unique, decorative spine. All bookbinding tools and materials will be provided for your use in the workshop, and you’ll go home with a completed blank book with a soft vinyl (or leather, for an additional fee, paid at workshop) cover. Adult workshop, appropriate for all levels.
Saturday, March 24 – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
$25 + $10 materials (or $15 materials for leather cover)
Bookbinding & Block Printing:  Pamphlet Stitch Notebook with Linocut Cover
This workshop is a two-for-one! First, you’ll explore the art of block printing using a modern alternative to linoleum to create, carve, and print your own design onto thick cover cardstock. Then you’ll use the cover and paper to create a notebook using the pamphlet stitch, one of the easiest to learn (and reproduce) bookbinding stitches. You’ll take home your own blank, soft cover book with a one-of-a-kind cover. All bookbinding and printing tools and materials will be provided for your use in the workshop. Adult workshop, appropriate for all levels.
Saturday, April 28 – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
$25 + $5 materials 

Weaving Workshops
Funky Hat Class
It’s back! Exercise your creativity with this fun introduction to freestyle weaving. By the end of the workshop, you will have woven and assembled your funky little hat to keep for yourself or to give away. You’ll be encouraged to think outside the box about the materials and techniques you use in your weaving, perfect for brand new weavers and experienced alike, so this workshop is appropriate for all levels of weavers. All equipment and materials will be provided for your use in the workshop. If you have any special yarn or other inclusions to add, be sure to bring them to the first session.  
Saturday, February 17 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
$35 + $5 materials
Weave a Wild Pillow
What better to grace your couch than a pillow you wove yourself?! During the first session of the workshop you’ll weave a wild and beautiful piece of cloth, and you’ll be encouraged to try new techniques in the process. After washing and drying it at home, you’ll bring it back for the second session to sew it into a beautiful throw pillow. All equipment and materials will be provided for your use in the workshop, including a pillow form to stuff inside your new pillow cover and take home with you. Appropriate for all levels of weavers, from brand new to advanced. If you have any special yarn or other inclusions to add, be sure to bring them to the first session. (Please note that the picture is just an example of how a woven pillow might look!)​
***THIS IS A 2-SESSION COURSE.
Fridays, March 2 & 9 – 10 a.m. to Noon
$40 + $15 materials
Intro to Freestyle Weaving
Many people have asked for an “Introduction to Weaving” class beyond our regular Walk In & Weave sessions, so we have created this basic introduction to many different freestyle weaving techniques. You might have seen many of these on our samplers in the studio. Now is your chance to come and learn how to weave. Over the course of three weeks, we will focus on learning the basics of weaving, gaining confidence at the loom, and learning the techniques that will allow you to express yourself at the loom—to weave your heart! All tools and materials will be provided for your use in the workshop, and you’ll go home at the end of the third afternoon with a finished sampler of techniques. Appropriate for all levels (intermediate and advanced weavers will be encouraged to explore techniques outside their current skillset).
***THIS IS A 3-SESSION COURSE.
Thursdays, April 12, 19, & 26 – 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
$55 + $15 materials
Freestyle Weaving on an Inkle Loom—Weave a Key Fob or Barrette
Free yourself and exercise your creativity at this fiber playtime on a small, portable loom called an inkle loom, then craft your weaving into a key fob or barrette. All tools and materials will be provided for your use during the workshop. (If you have your own inkle loom, or fun “treasures” to add in, feel free to bring them!) Appropriate for all levels—even brand new weavers!
Wednesday, April 25 – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
$25 + $6 materials   

Other Fiber Arts Workshops
Picture
(Please note: The actual bag we will make in the workshop will be slightly wider than this.)
Crochet Basics:  Market Bag
Come learn basic crochet skills while you create a mesh market bag to take home. Get familiar with the tools, techniques, the three most basic crochet stitches (chain stitch, single crochet, slip stitch), which you can use to make beautiful hats, scarves, blankets, and more, and how to read patterns. All tools and materials will be provided for your use during the workshop, but we encourage you to purchase your own size “H” crochet hook, so that you can continue on after the workshop is over. Adult workshop, appropriate for brand new to beginning crocheters.
***THIS IS A 2-SESSION COURSE.
Wednesdays, February 21 & 28 – 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
$35 + $5 materials
String Art
Everything old is new again, right?! You may remember string art from ages ago—well, it’s back, a good thing considering how accessible it is, as a craft that does not require expensive tools to get started. Come make some truly awesome string art, using one of our printed patterns, or one of your own design. You’ll work with cotton string, nails, and a hammer to make a fun little plaque that you’ll take with you at the end of the workshop. All equipment and tools will be provided for your use during the workshop—just bring your own sense of fun and willingness to try something new. Appropriate for all levels.
Saturday, March 3 – 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
$10 + $5 materials
Needle-Tatted Earrings
Needle tatting is an easy way to make traditional lace, but we’ll use it in this workshop to make distinctive lacy jewelry. We’ll learn the basic stitches needed to make lovely dangling earrings. All tools and materials will be provided for your use during the workshop. Appropriate for all levels, even beginners!
Saturday, March 10 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
$20 + $5 materials
Needle-Tatted Bracelet
Needle tatting is an easy way to make traditional lace, but we’ll use it in this workshop to make beautiful lacy jewelry. You’ll learn the basic stitches needed to make a lovely bracelet, which also utilizes a slightly more advanced split ring technique. All tools and materials will be provided for your use during the workshop. Appropriate for all levels, even beginners!
Monday, March 12 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
$20 + $5 materials
Intro to Bobbin Lace (cloth stitch bookworm)
Bobbin lace is the age-old art of making beautiful lace using a special pillow and bobbins. In this introductory workshop, you will learn the most basic stitch of Torchon lace, the cloth stitch, and will use it to make a “bookworm” bookmark. All tools and materials will be provided for your use during the workshop. Adult workshop, appropriate for beginners or those needing a refresher in Torchon lace.
Saturday, April 7 – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
$25 + $5 materials

Surface Design & Paper Arts Workshops
Glass-Etched Votive Holders
Come design and create your own etched votive candle holders, perfect for lending your own unique personality to your home decor. They also make the perfect gift! You'll design and cut your own mask/stencil, then use it to etch two glass votive holders, going home with a one-of-a-kind pair. All tools and materials will be provided for your use in the workshop.  Adult workshop, appropriate for all levels.
Saturday, January 20  – 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
$10 + $5 materials
Suminagashi (Japanese water marbling)
Suminagashi, or “floating ink” in Japanese, is a traditional form of marbling using water and ink to create beautiful designs on plain paper. Easy to learn and almost mesmerizing, suminagashi is an excellent introduction to the art of marbling. You can use it to decorate anything you’d use paper for, including book covers, cards, photo mats, or just art for your wall, as well as fabric. All tools and materials will be provided for your use in the workshop, and you will take home all of the marbled paper you are able to complete during the workshop. Be sure to wear clothing you don’t mind getting a little wet and/or dirty. Appropriate for all levels.
Saturday, March 31 – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
$25 + $5 materials
Handprinted Fabric (tote bag or cafe apron)
Create and take home a one-of-a-kind printed cotton tote bag or cafe apron using your choice of fabric printing methods and tools, including stamps, stencils, and freehand. All tools and materials will be provided for your use in the workshop. Appropriate for all levels. (If you register at least two weeks in advance, you will have your choice of tote bag or apron.)
Saturday, April 14 – 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
$10 + $10 materials

Kids' Classes
Creative Fun for Kids Ages 8 to 14

Spool Knitting
Come learn to knit without needles—and make (and decorate) your very own spool to take home with you so that you can keep on knitting!     
Saturday, January 20 – 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. — $15
 
Shaving Cream Marbling
Make your own marbled paper—with shaving cream!—to turn into cards and bookmarks.      
Saturday, February 24 – 10 a.m. to Noon — $15  
 
Kumihimo Wristband (Japanese braiding)
Learn this Japanese form of braiding using a handheld disk. The round braids made could be used for anything from shoelaces to keychains, but we will learn how to fashion them into a unique wristband.
Thursday, March 15 – 10 a.m. to Noon — $15   ***SPRING BREAK CLASS***
 
Make Your Own Upcycled Book (pamphlet stitch)
Just in time to celebrate Earth Day, come learn to make your very own book, using the pamphlet stitch and upcycled materials. Use old maps, grocery bags, office paper, blue jeans, sweater, and/or old billboard material to make an awesome new book!       
Saturday, April 14 – 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. — $15
 
Click here to print a one-page, chronological version of our Winter/Spring 2018 Workshop Calendar.

Other Opportunities
YOU + 2
  • See a workshop you’d like to take, but the timing doesn’t work for you?  Find two (or more—up to 6 to 9 total, depending on the workshop!) friends to take it with you and we can arrange to teach any workshop in our catalog at a time convenient for you. 
  • There is a minimum charge, based on three people taking the workshop, and an additional per-person fee above three people—these are exactly the same as our regular workshop rates. Fees depend on the particular workshop, and all fees are paid in advance.
  • This is a great option to participate in a more customized class, to arrange your own private girls’ night out, to have a fun family activity, or to create a team-building experience for your workplace. 
  • If you’d like (and for an additional fee), we can also build in time in our workshop space for additional activities that you want to plan, making this the perfect option for your private parties (birthday parties, wedding showers, baby showers, and such).  Some workshop topics can even be scaled up and done in the place of your choosing—family reunion, anyone? 
  • See our full Workshop Catalog here for a listing of our offerings.  Then contact us to set up a workshop time.  It’s that simple.
 
Join us — we look forward to being your creative outlet!
KIDS’ WEAVING

Kids are always welcome to weave with us during our regular Walk In & Weave times, but we also have a special weekly weaving session just for kids (from any age old enough to reach the pedals of the loom, alone or with the help of an adult, up to age 12).  Kids can be weaving with just five minutes of basic instruction, even if they’ve never woven before!  (And kids often weave the most creative cloth, because they are much more open to possibilities than adults.)

During the school year, every Thursday – 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
During the summer, every Thursday – 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

$15 (Fee includes materials – kids must take their weaving home at the end of each session.  Basic instruction in sewing, to make a cell phone case, purse, and such, is also an option during this time.)
WALK IN & WEAVE
Join us for our regularly scheduled Walk In & Weave freestyle weaving instruction three times weekly, for all ages—adults and kids, alike. Come once, or come as often as you'd like!
  • If you’ve never woven before, consider Walk In & Weave to be your “Introduction to Weaving” class. C You can be weaving on your own with about five minutes of instruction.
  • If you have some (or a lot of!) experience weaving, consider Walk In & Weave to be your time to just relax and weave, or to explore some new techniques that you find on our in-studio samplers.
  • We do the hard part of weaving for you—warping, or setting up, the loom!
  • Choose from any of our great variety of yarns.
  • Take your finished piece home with you at the end of the two-hour session.
Pre-registration is not necessary—simply show up at the regularly-scheduled time that works best for you. (However, if you want to reserve a loom during a specific time, just email or call us to let us know you are coming.) To get the most out of your two hours, please be sure to arrive by the starting time of each session.

$20 + materials ($2/oz.)
(Introductory session is $15 + materials)

For more information about Walk In & Weave, click here.
GELLI PLATE PLAY-DATE FOR GROWN-UPS
Join us the first Saturday morning of each month for some creative play using Gelli plates to make beautiful and unique prints on paper, cardstock, and fabric. These can be used in mixed media projects, on greeting cards or in scrapbooking, or to embellish other items such as photo mats. Gelli plates are playful, creative things—very little instruction is required, and this “play-date” is all about having fun while using our vast array of tools, paints, and papers.
First Saturday of every month:  2/3, 3/3, 4/7, 5/5 – 10 a.m. to Noon 
$15
GIRLS' NIGHT OUT

Watch for our occasional Girls' Night Out events.  Check our home page or our Parties & Events page to see what's coming up!
OPEN BOOKBINDING STUDIO

Have you take a bookbinding workshop at The Makery, then never made a book again because you don't have the tools you need?  Then we have just the thing for you! 

We are now offering a weekly Open Bookbinding Studio anytime we have a scheduled Walk In & Weave time.  Here you will be able to use any of our bookbinding tools, and someone will be here to offer advice and assistance, as well.  The cost will be $10 for up to the full two hours (come as little or as long as you want within that two-hour time period).  We'll also have supply kits (cover material, paper, binding thread) available if you'd like to use those materials to make your book, or you can bring your own.

Please note that this will not be a time for basic bookbinding instruction--it is meant for people who have completed a bookbinding workshop at The Makery, or who can otherwise demonstrate basic competence in bookbinding.  

There is no need to pre-register, but if you think you will come to Open Bookbinding Studio but will not be able to be there right at the beginning of the session,please call, text, or email me to let us know you are coming.  

We will also soon have bookbinding kits for sale, that will provide all of the basic tools you need to make books on your own!

REGISTRATION

To help us prepare for your creative workshop, please register at least one day before the first day of the workshop. 
You can register in several ways:
  • Stop by our studio at 108 West Yankie during our open hours (Thursday to Monday, 11 to 4).
  • Email us at wendi@makerysvc.com
  • Call us at 575-590-1263
  • Register online by clicking the "Register Now" button below
All workshops take place at The Makery, 108 West Yankie, in Silver City.
We will provide all tools and materials for use in the workshop (unless otherwise noted)--you supply your own unique sense of beauty!

art/craft for everyone

Our goal is to make the world of art/craft accessible to everyone, of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and abilities.  We teach you the basics, then encourage you to let loose and have fun with it, whether it's freestyle weaving, or any number of other more traditional handcrafts.  We believe that every individual has their own sense of beauty and spark of creativity, and we want to create a nurturing space where you can gain the basic skills, then feel comfortable to express that creativity in your own way.  No rules, no mistakes--just joyful creation from the heart!

Our Workshops

With this goal in mind, throughout the year, we will offer evening, after-school, and weekend workshops in all kinds of fiber arts, paper arts, and bookbinding for children and adults.  Some examples include:
​
  • Kumihimo (disk and marudai)
  • Bobbin lace
  • Surface design, such as screenprinting, batik, fabric printing
  • Crochet
  • Knitting
  • Knitting without needles (spool, loom, finger, and arm)
  • Spinning
  • Making monoprints and paste paper
  • Specialty kinds of weaving (such as inkle, peg loom, and tablet weaving)
  • Various bookbinding techniques, such as Coptic stitch, secret Belgian, stab binding, folded books, long stitch, buttonhole stitch, and pamphlet stitch.  

​We will provide tools and materials for use in your workshop--you supply your own unique sense of beauty!

Remember Our Other Offerings:​

We also offer Creative Camps in the summer.

In addition, we offer individual and group instruction in freestyle weaving, arranged ahead of time, or on a drop-in basis during our Drop-In Weaving times.

Want to do something different for your next special occasion?  Plan your next party at our studio, and unleash your creative side with your friends!

Watch for our special events, coming soon!  We'll plan special nights out where we do the hard part, and you come and have the fun of creating something new.
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Bobbin lace
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Peg loom weaving, spinning, inkle weaving
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Bookbinding: stab binding, long stitch
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