Thread Painting
Um, what is thread painting? Thread painting is a form of embroidery free of complicated stitch designs or row-counting, where the needle and thread act more like a brush with paint. This 3hr class is great for those just starting out in embroidery, as well as those looking to deepen their existing skills. We will work with a small motif of your choosing as a starting point, or bring your own imagery to class as an option. Your project can be as realistic or as stylized as you choose, you are the artist! Add an Embroidery Kit to your ticket (embroidery hoop, needles, fabric pen, 6 skeins of floss) so you can keep the tools.
Sew Your Own Tool Roll
In this beginner-friendly sewing class, students will design and fabricate a custom, fabric tool roll from any tools of their choosing, whether that be lunchbox utensils, paint brushes, scissors, or more. We will design, measure and cut out our fabric based on the needs of the tools. We will review how to set up the sewing machine and construct our roll from beginning to end. With any extra time, we can play with ways to further customize our rolls with embroidery. Open to students of all skill levels, this class is meant to nurture students' sewing journey.
Magic Pants class
Make Magic in a weekend! The Magic Pants are uniquely designed trousers with polished style and hidden comfort. We'll learn basic pants construction as well as installing the concealed elastic waistband, pocket bags, and strap hardware. Students should have some experience sewing from a pattern. Students should cut their fabric in advance of the class.
Magic Pants pattern + fabric
Notions bundle will be provided
Try on samples in each size at the shop!
MEMENTO VIVERE: Mixed Media Ornaments
MEMENTO VIVERE! Remember and celebrate 2025 by creating a one-of-a-kind felt ornament inspired by something eventful that happened this year, big or small. We will utilize trinkets of personal meaning, literal or symbolic, as a starting point for design, stitching them to felt and embellishing them with simple embroidery techniques. This 3hr class is meant for students of any skill level, who are looking for ways to explore creativity with textiles and found objects. Felt, thread, and needles will be supplied, as well as an assortment of trinkets, but students are encouraged to find any form of found, small objects they might possess to bring as options. We will also have Shrinky Dinks on hand to craft our own trinkets if desired!
The class will cover:
- design + story-telling through visual representation
- material selection + tools
- basic embroidery stitches
- finishing techniques
Ravamp & Repair
Discover how to alter, repair, hem and revamp clothes and other soft goods to keep them functional and suiting your needs. Learn how to use both machine and hand sewing skills for hemming, altering, darning, patching, and various other practical and creative repairs. Students should bring several garments and/or soft goods in need of revitalization or repair and leave it revamped items as well as a skills binder with techniques learned. Practicality at its finest! All levels welcome.
A Beginner's Guide to Garment-Making
Want to make your own clothes, but don’t know where to begin? Modern garment making boasts many new techniques for exploring creative and comfortable dressing that our grandmothers could not have imagined! Gain a comprehensive overview of the tools, materials, and techniques needed to start making clothing at home. Get hands-on experience with beginner-friendly projects to start building confidence and go home with 2-3 finished garments. Basic sewing machine skills helpful, but not necessary.
Sportsball Tee
This is a beta class for an upcoming sewing pattern that I’m hoping to release after this class’ feedback. I would recommend this class for curious beginners and those looking to advance their sewing with knits. There’s also room to explore more creative surface design to make this faux jersey truly unique!
Wardrobe Fit + Refresh
A fun-filled evening meant to help troubleshoot fit, tackle mends, play with reworking + generally improving what’s already in our closet.
Screen-Printing Basics
In this class, students will be introduced to DIY screen-printing through a method that involves custom-cut vinyl that can be temporarily attached to a screen for printing.
We will cover a wide variety of DIY printing techniques through discussion, and print our own custom designs using a vinyl technique that utilizes tools available to us at the Forge. The instructor will cover how to adapt a design in the computer to be read by the vinyl-cutting plotter, how to run the plotter, and how to attach your vinyl to a screen for printing.
Using water-based inks, we will print our designs on test fabrics, or students can bring in fabric goods to print on. If students wish, they can submit their own custom design to the instructor prior to the start of class, to be able to cut and use for their practice print.
Students will leave with an understanding of the techniques, materials and tools needed to screen-print for themselves, and samples of their work from class.
Clone Your Favorite Garment
In this class, students are taught how to create a paper pattern from an existing garment. We will use the garment as a reference for style and fit as we learn how to draft a sewing pattern from scratch. We will talk about ways to further customize the patterns based on the unique desires of the students. It is helpful to have some knowledge of garment-making for this class but this is a beginner-friendly pattern-making class.
Please bring 2-3 possible garments with you so you and Ann can assess which is best to complete in the time frame of the class. Please avoid jackets or anything overly-tailored or complicated. Think beginner-friendly.
Magic Pants
You've never sewn pants like this before! This Ann Tilleyoriginal is designed in a high-waisted sailor style; with a polished, flat-front look, and all the comfort of an elastic waist. A bib front hides a ribbed knit panel which allows the pants to be pulled up over the hips, and the waist is secured with D-rings and snap flaps. Generous front pockets and a wide leg complete this unique style. The only thing more exciting than its unusual construction is how easy this garment is to fit.
Sew a Custom Tee
This class will be an introduction to making clothing from scratch by sewing a custom tee shirt. We will work with an existing paper pattern to cut out a shirt using knit fabric, and learn the sewing tools and techniques needed to construct and finish the garment. This is Part 2 of a 2-part class, however students are not required to sign up for both classes. In Part 1, students will draft their own custom shirt pattern that they can use in this class. Students who don't take the first class will use an existing pattern that the Forge will provide.
Draft a Custom Tee
This class will be an introduction to pattern-drafting for custom garment-making. We will draft a basic tee shirt pattern on paper starting with an existing shirt that the student brings in, along with measurements from the body to fully customize the pattern to their unique desires. We will discuss the construction methods for sewing the shirt, but will not sew anything in this class. This is Part 1 of a 2-part class, however students are not required to sign up for both classes. In Part 2, students will actually cut and sew the shirt.
Endless Summer Shirt
The Endless Summer Shirt is a casual top with elevated details to make you feel special every day. Pleating at the base of the yoke floats the fabric away from the body + provides shaping even though the side seams are straight. Slight gathering at the top of the shoulders + a relaxed fit under the arm means no fabric is getting too close to the body in the sticky summer heat. The sleeves are all-in-one with the bodice panels, so no setting in a sleeve— when the side seams are done, so are you! The neck is finished with a shawl collar that is part of the front panel, creating a V-neck opening. The front hem splits just above the hip into a dramatic curve that’s finished with a hem facing that can match or contrast for an additional fun detail.
Revamp + Replicate
A weeklong garment-making class focused on developing patterns from existing garments + reworking designs for a creative, customized wardrobe.
Your Favorite Work Pants
A weeklong garment-making class focused on customization + design.
Wardrobe Fit + Refresh
A fun-filled evening meant to help troubleshoot fit, tackle mends, play with reworking + generally improving what’s already in our closet.
Endless Summer Shirt class
The first folks to try out my newest sewing pattern! Coming to Durham March 9th+10th
Magic Pants class
Make Magic in a weekend! The Magic Pants are uniquely designed trousers with polished style and hidden comfort. We'll learn basic pants construction as well as installing the concealed elastic waistband, pocket bags, and strap hardware. Students should have some experience sewing from a pattern. Students should cut their fabric in advance of the class.
Magic Pants pattern + fabric
Notions bundle will be provided
Try on samples in each size at the shop!
PANTS: Design, Draft, Construct @ Penland School of Craft
This workshop will explore pants-making as a way to introduce and deepen the skills needed for making custom apparel at home. Topics will include clothing design and inspiration, working from existing paper patterns (and making our own), and many aspects of garment construction. During the first week, we’ll walk step-by-step through custom jeans. Then we’ll sew with knits and engage with choose-your-own-adventure final projects to reinforce skills developed during the workshop. The goal is to demystify pants patterns, encourage customization, and empower students to make clothing for themselves. Some experience on a sewing machine will be helpful, however, advanced techniques taught in a beginner-friendly format means this workshop is open to all levels. Third-floor textiles studio.
MAGIC PANTS Launch Party @ Freeman’s Creative ~ Durham, NC
Join us to celebrate Ann Tilley's Magic Pants Pattern Release!
Ann will be here with paper patterns, notion kits, and sample pants for people to see and try on.
Ann will be in the store with patterns and notion kits for sale. She will also bring magic pants in different sizes for people to try on and give feedback about what size to make and any modifications they might want.
MAGIC PANTS Launch Party @ Village Fabric Shop ~ Winston-Salem, NC
Join us to celebrate Ann Tilley's Magic Pants Pattern Release!
Ann will be here with paper patterns, notion kits, and sample pants for people to see and try on.
Ann will be in the store with patterns and notion kits for sale. She will also bring magic pants in different sizes for people to try on and give feedback about what size to make and any modifications they might want.