Stitching Our Stories: Fall 2026 Cohort

Inspired by the legacy of the Freedom Quilting Bee and the creative traditions of Black women artists like Faith Ringgold, bell hooks, Alice Walker, and Nikki Giovanni, this four-part workshop series invites participants to slow down, gather in community, and practice the art of whole cloth hand quilting.

Together, we will learn simple, powerful stitches and be introduced to basic embroidery and appliqué techniques, while also engaging with short readings and personal writing. Each participant will create their own quilt over the course of the series, which will be shared at a culminating community showcase on November 22.

Each session blends quilting, reflection, and conversation as we explore how working with fabric can be a means to tell stories and hold memories. This is a space for care, storytelling, and creative inheritance– but also a space for letting go of perfectionism. We will play, improvise, and make with joy.

Between sessions, participants will be encouraged to continue stitching and reading at home. All materials are provided.

*This is a small, intentional group, so please only sign up if you can commit to all four sessions. Each class will build upon the skills and materials learned from previous sessions.

**Note: This workshop series is the same series presented last Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.

Workshop Dates:

Sunday, September 27

Sunday, October 11

Sunday, October 25

Sunday, November 8

*Community Showcase: November 22

Class Breakdown:

Sept 27 - Session #1 Past: Communing with Our Ancestors

​​What stories have already been told through quilts?

Study & Plan: Participants will study mentor quilts, historical examples, and aesthetic inheritances. They will notice patterns, colors, symbols, and stitches that carry meaning, and begin planning and stitching the first elements of their own quilt.

Oct 11 - Session #2 Present: A Narrative of Our Own

What story do you want to tell, and how do you want to tell it?

Plan & Play: Participants will refine their plan by choosing a story focus, selecting fabrics and colors, and deciding whether to follow a design, improvise, or blend both. They will continue stitching, adding pieces that express their chosen narrative.

Oct 25 - Session #3 Process: Listening to the Quilt

What can we learn when we slow down, trust the process, and let the quilt guide us?

Play & Trust: Participants will layer fabrics, sew, and fill spaces. They will respond to what emerges, adding appliqué, embroidery, or extra stitches as the quilt evolves.

Nov 8 - Session #4 Future: Keeping the Quilt Alive

How will your quilt carry your story into the future, and what do you hope it will hold for others?

Trust & Complete: Participants will complete their quilts by quilting the layers together (hand stitching or tying) and adding binding. They may include labels, stitched words, or other marks that carry their story forward into the future.

November 22- Session 5: Community Showcase and Celebration

Sliding Scale Pricing:

This workshop is offered on a sliding scale. Please select the price that works best for you. Paying at the higher level helps CDM continue to bring accessible programming to our community.