Find your sense of color confidence while learning to apply color to embroidery art as would a painter using pigments and a palette. Learn the vocabulary of color theory through exercises and embroidery hoop experiments that explore hue, value, tone, and color relationships. Extract palettes from found images and translate them into stitched creations. Open to all levels of embroidery experience.

This class is virtual and is offered through the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Register here.

6 sessions from September 23 ​to October 28, 2026, 12 - 2pm, E.D.T

Through various exercises, students gain mastery over their technique, tools, and use of color while experimenting with mixed-media additions of their choice. Students work independently in and outside of class to develop their own visual language. Students also develop a focused idea for a cohesive series, which they work on during the course of the class. They look more deeply at different approaches to abstraction in art history while reflecting on their artistic vision and how best to translate it into art.

This class is recommended for students who took Abstract Watercolor for Beginners as well as anyone with a comfortable grasp of basic watercolor skills.

4 sessions from July 30 ​to August 20, 2026​, ​12:00 p.m. ​to 2:00 p.m. ET

This is a virtual class offered through the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Register here.

This class explores ways to incorporate embroidered stitching into mixed-media artworks on paper and fabric. Techniques introduced include using hand-printed and hand-painted fabric, image transfer techniques, paper weaving, fiber collage, and cyanotype. Each class features a demonstration of a different technique combined with different types of stitches used in unconventional ways. Students are also encouraged to develop their own projects, which are discussed week to week in class. Some experience with stitched fiber art is recommended for the most successful participation.

6 sessions from July 8 ​to August 12, 2026​, ​12:00 p.m. ​to 2:00 p.m. ET

This is a virtual class offered by the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Register here.

Expand your knowledge of embroidery into more challenging stitches and learn how to best use them in designs. Study the “families” of stitches and explore their many variations. By applying design principles, color theory, and drawing approaches, consider how different stitches can provide texture, direction, and weight to a design. Explore how stitches can be played with and manipulated for varied effects. Through exercises and a final project, augment your stitch experience both in class and by researching embroidery traditions and techniques on your own. Mastery of skilled stitching paves the way toward unique and innovative stitched art. Students should have basic knowledge of embroidery.

This is a virtual class offered through the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Register here.
4 sessions from April 29 ​to May 20, 2026​

Upcoming Session:
Wednesday, ​April 29, 2026 - ​12:00 p.m. ​to 2:00 p.m. ET

In this class, learn to use a variety of approaches to the medium of embroidery while taking inspiration from the Smithsonian collection. Look at the ways fiber and stitch have been employed by a range of artists—such as Mariska Karasz, whose work is collected by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Cooper Hewitt Design Museum—and explore the history of embroidery back to the Middle Ages. Together, analyze embroidery as an art form with regard to color, line, texture, pattern, composition, and process while practicing in a series of guided exercises.

This class is offered virtually through the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Register here.
4 sessions from March 31 ​to April 21, 2026​

Upcoming Session:
Tuesday, ​March 31, 2026 - ​12:00 p.m. ​to 2:00 p.m. ET

Let your creativity flow as you slow stitch a fabric journal composed of your favorite embroidery stitches, embellishments, and fabric scraps. Draw inspiration from scrap stitching traditions such as American crazy quilts, Indian kantha, and Japanese boro. Build a repertoire of embroidery stitches combined with other textile-based elements. Allow each page to inspire the next. You produce a finished, bound fabric book with a personalized cover by the end of the class and can take the inspiration and skills you learn into other projects. Some experience with quilting or embroidery is recommended for this intermediate-level class; advanced beginners welcome.

4 sessions from February 10 ​to March 3, 2026​
Tuesday, ​February 10, 2026 - ​12:00 p.m. ​to 2:00 p.m. ET

This class is offered on Zoom through the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Each class is recorded and recordings may be accessed throughout the class. Register here.

Learn to embrace and celebrate the unpredictability, versatility, and beauty of watercolor. Class discussions cover supplies, color theory, palettes, and pigment control as well as exercises and experiments to achieve different effects. The use of other media such as water-based pencils and pastels is also addressed.

Previous watercolor experience is welcome but not required.

6 sessions from January 29 ​to March 5, 2026​

​12:00 p.m. ​to 2:00 p.m. ET

This class is offered on Zoom through the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Recordings of each class are available throughout until two weeks after the last class. This class is sold out but stay tuned for future offerings!

For absolute beginners, this new class introduces the art of hand embroidery. Learn the basics of supplies, including different types of embroidery thread, needles, hoops, and other tools. Start with a simple pattern while practicing different stitches, gradually working up from the simplest stitches to more challenging ones. Play with creating improvisational designs as you grow more comfortable with stitching. End the class by starting on a design you create yourself and plan with the teacher's help. Leave the class feeling confident in your ability to finish the project with all you have learned.

6 sessions from January 14 ​to February 18, 2026​

12:00 p.m. ​to 2:00 p.m. ET

This class is VIRTUAL through the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Recordings of each class are available up to two weeks after the last class. Register here.

Students will gain all the basic skills needed to create their own original stitched fiber art. Students will learn about basic supplies, materials, and tools used in surface design embroidery, quilting, and mixed media fiber collage. To begin, students will create a design based on a line drawing they provide and start stitching, gradually working their way up from the simplest stitches to more challenging ones. Students will play with creating improvisational designs as they grow more comfortable with stitching. As students become more comfortable with hand stitching, the class will introduce other fiber practices such as fiber collage, creative stitching with a sewing machine, and introducing mixed media approaches. Students will learn about American fiber art traditions and are encouraged to do further research into movements and traditions that interest them, such as Boro and Kantha.

Date: 1/12/2026-3/16/2026

Time: 6:30 PM-9:30 PM EST on Mon

This class is IN PERSON at the Washington Studio School in Washington, DC. Register here.

Washington Studio School

2129 S Street NW

Washington D.C. 20008

Through various exercises, students gain mastery over their technique, tools, and use of color while experimenting with mixed-media additions of their choice. Students work independently in and out of class to develop their own visual language. Students also develop a focused idea for a cohesive series, which they work on during the course of the class. They look more deeply at different approaches to abstraction in art history while reflecting on their artistic vision and how best to translate it into art.

This class is recommended for students who took Abstract Watercolor for Beginners as well as anyone with a comfortable grasp of basic watercolor skills.

This class is offered through the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Register here.

4 sessions from July 24 - August 14, 2025​, 12:00 p.m. ​to 2:00 p.m. ET

Learn to let go and embrace an intuitive, free-flowing approach to embroidery much like expressive abstract painting. In this class, you apply the principles of abstract art to embroidery with an emphasis on form, color, line, texture, pattern, composition, and process. Use different stitches to create interesting marks, textures, and movement in the work and explore a variety of materials, including found fabrics, beads, floss, and yarn. Take an entire project from beginning to end and learn how to finish the embroidery either in the hoop or stretched over a canvas for easy display. Some experience with embroidery or abstract art making is strongly suggested.

This class is offered virtually through the Smithsonian Associates Program. Register here.

4 sessions from July 23 ​- August 13, ​12:00 p.m. ​to 2:00 p.m. ET

For absolute beginners, this new class introduces the art of hand embroidery. Learn the basics of supplies, including different types of embroidery thread, needles, hoops, and other tools. Start with a simple pattern while practicing different stitches, gradually working up from the simplest stitches to more challenging ones. Play with creating improvisational designs as you grow more comfortable with stitching. End the class by starting on a design you create yourself and plan with the teacher's help. Leave the class feeling confident in your ability to finish the project with all you have learned.

The class is offered virtually through the Smithsonian Associates program. Register here.

4 sessions from June 25 ​- July 16, 2025, ​12:00 p.m. ​to 2:00 p.m. ET

Redwork is a type of stitching, primarily done in red, but also in blue and black, that became popular in the late 1800s. Learn the history of redwork quilts and how this type of embroidery can be used to make beautiful, delicate botanical illustrations. After creating designs based on plants native to their area, students learn how to transfer those designs onto fabric and to use the basic redwork stitches—backstitch, running stitch, stem stitch, and French knots—to create varying line quality. They then make a basic small quilt using their embroideries. This is a great class for nature lovers, gardeners, and anyone who is new to embroidery.

This is an online class offered through the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Register here.

Three sessions starting Wednesday, ​April 30, 2025 - ​12:30 p.m. ​to 2:30 p.m. ET

Find your sense of color confidence while learning to apply color to embroidery art as would a painter using pigments and a palette. Learn the vocabulary of color theory through exercises and embroidery hoop experiments that explore hue, value, tone, and color relationships. Extract palettes from found images and translate them into stitched creations. Open to all levels of embroidery experience.

This class will be offered online through the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Register here.

Four sessions beginning Wednesday, ​April 2, 2025 - ​12:30 p.m. ​to 2:30 p.m. ET.

In this class, learn to use a variety of approaches to the medium of embroidery while taking inspiration from the Smithsonian collection. Look at the ways fiber and stitch have been employed by a range of artists—such as Mariska Karasz, whose work is collected by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Cooper Hewitt Design Museum—and explore the history of embroidery back to the Middle Ages. Together, analyze embroidery as an art form with regard to color, line, texture, pattern, composition, and process while practicing in a series of guided exercises.

This is a virtual class offered on Zoom through the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Register here.

3 sessions from February 26 ​to March 12, 2025, 12:00- 2:00 PM EST

Let your creativity flow as you slow stitch a fabric journal composed of your favorite embroidery stitches, embellishments, and fabric scraps. Draw inspiration from scrap stitching traditions such as American crazy quilts, Indian kantha, and Japanese boro. Build a repertoire of embroidery stitches combined with other textile-based elements. Allow each page to inspire the next. You produce a finished, bound fabric book with a personalized cover by the end of the class and can take the inspiration and skills you learn into other projects. Some experience with quilting or embroidery recommended for this intermediate-level class; advanced beginners welcome.

This is a virtual class offered through the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. Sign up here.

4 Sessions starting on Thursday, ​February 6, 2024 - ​12:00 p.m. ​to 2:00 p.m. ET

Learn to embrace and celebrate the unpredictability, versatility, and beauty of watercolor. Class discussions cover supplies; color theory, palettes and pigment control; and various exercises and experiments to achieve different effects. The use of other media such as water-based pencil and pastels is also addressed.

Scraps saved in class from failed experiments form the basis of a mixed-media collage created during the final class. Beginning students are encouraged to focus more on the creative process—and less on results.

Previous watercolor experience is welcome but not required.

Sign up here!

Six sessions, Wednesdays, January 15 - February 19, 12:00 - 2:00 pm ET

In this online workshop, students will explore a freestyle, improvisational approach to embroidery with an emphasis on abstract compositions. Students will learn about experimenting with different textures and forms using a range of traditional embroidery stitches, ranging from easy to difficult, in new ways. We will use found fabric scraps with a variety of colors and patterns to inspire a completely improvisational approach to stitching. This workshop will cover embroidery supplies, some design fundamentals, and it will cover a couple of different methods for finishing your creation for display.

Two sessions, November 9 & 16, 2024, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

This class is offered through the Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft. Register here.