A close-up of a textured quilted fabric featuring abstract wavy stripes in dark green, teal, yellow, and beige, interspersed with irregular cream-colored fabric shapes.
A handmade rectangular quilt or fabric panel with a patchwork design in shades of blue, green, and navy, featuring five white bone appliqués, laid flat on a light wood table with scissors and a pen nearby.
A close-up of a highly textured, multi-layered fabric with frayed, shredded edges. The pattern is a dense, abstract mix of pink, red, orange, black, white, and teal woven fabrics.
A handmade quilted textile featuring stylized white bone motifs, shown on a wooden table with a hand resting on it. The background shows a craft room setting with shelves and supplies.
A close-up of a colorful textile with vertical frayed stripes in pink, purple, blue, gray, and orange over a teal background.

Chenille & Co. Three-Week Sewing Adventure

$295.00
$295.00
Sold Out

Details

Old fabrics. New skills. Good company.

Discover the magic of handmade chenille in this three-week creative sewing adventure!

Build confidence using your own sewing machine, or learn on one of ours, as you transform worn-out garments, household linens and forgotten sewing treasures into something wonderfully soft and textural.

Learn to harvest usable fabrics, explore colour and texture, and put those leftover threads, ribbons and trims to good use.

Then enjoy the wonderful reveal after washing and drying, when your chenille comes to life!

Turn your creation into a cushion, cosy pet bed, bag or another project of your choice. Confident sewists can tackle a luxurious bolster with gathered ends and tassels.

No previous sewing experience necessary. No need to buy new fabric.

About the workshop

Chenille & Co. is a relaxed, sociable sewing adventure celebrating creativity, resourcefulness and the pleasure of making something beautiful from what we already have.

Discover how familiar fabrics can take on an entirely new life. Experiment with unexpected combinations, use up those forgotten sewing supplies, and enjoy swapping fabrics, ideas and stories with fellow makers.

The magic happens after washing and drying, when the stitched and cut layers bloom into wonderfully soft, textural chenille. No two pieces will be quite alike!

With just four participants, there's plenty of individual guidance and freedom to explore. Whether you're learning to sew for the first time or rediscovering your skills, you'll leave with greater confidence and a whole new appreciation of the possibilities hiding in your cupboards.

Come for the sewing, stay for the company!

What you make and Learn

Learn practical sewing skills while creating your own richly textured handmade chenille.

Over three weeks, you'll learn to:

  • Set up, thread and confidently operate a sewing machine.
  • Harvest usable fabric from worn-out garments and household linens.
  • Identify fabric grain, understand the bias and discover why grain matters.
  • Select, arrange and layer fabrics for interesting colour and texture.
  • Sew parallel lines while developing machine control and accuracy.
  • Safely cut and sculpt chenille to reveal different colours and textures.
  • Incorporate leftover threads, ribbons, tapes and decorative details.
  • Wash and dry your chenille to reveal its transformed texture.
  • Construct and finish a project suited to your skills and interests.

What could you make?

Choose from cushions, pet beds, bags and other soft furnishings. Larger pieces can become blankets or throws, while confident sewists may enjoy creating a luxurious bolster with gathered ends and tassels.

Everyone starts with an approximately 80 × 80 cm calico foundation, with larger sizes available for an additional charge.

Project choices depend on your experience, available materials and time. More ambitious projects may require some finishing at home, supported by our online learning resources.

What to Bring

Raid your cupboards and sewing stash!

Bring along:

  • Old cotton tea towels, sheets, pillowcases, worn-out garments and other household linens — enough for approximately five or six fabric layers.
  • Half-used spools of sewing thread, odd lengths of ribbon, cotton tape, bias binding, decorative yarns, trims and fabric scraps.
  • Your own sewing machine if you'd like to learn to use it more confidently. Studio machines are also available.
  • Extra fabrics and sewing treasures to swap and share with fellow makers.

Please wash your fabrics before bringing them, and iron them if possible. Irons and ironing equipment are available at the studio.

For your finished project: Depending on what you choose to make, you may need to supply stuffing or a cushion insert. You're encouraged to reuse suitable, clean cushions, pillows or other filling materials from home.

You won't need your stuffing or insert for the first session. We'll discuss your project and its requirements before the final week.

There's no need to purchase new fabric! The studio supplies the calico foundation and specialist equipment.