Fibre Arts
Introduction to Machine Sewing
Have you always wanted to know how to use a sewing machine, or would love a refresher? Join us for informative workshop where we talk about the basics of using and maintaining a sewing machine and then try your hand at making a simple tote bag!
We approach sewing as joyful, low pressure, and accessible. The sewing machines at Rice Lake Arts are beautiful vintage ones – all metal and mechanical (of the type you may have inherited from a family member or can easily find for sale at very, very reasonable prices!). This one-day workshop will give you information about online resources for machine reviews, accessories and supplies; experience using the sewing machine (including cleaning and oiling for DIY machine maintenance); and a chance to make a simple tote bag.
Your instructors for this workshop are experienced sewers/quilters Jennifer Schacker and Miriam Davidson.
Dates & Details
SAT May 24
SAT August 16
Time: 11 am – 4 pm
Maximum Size: 6 participants (ages 14+)
Fee: $120.00 (includes all materials and use of our tools and sewing machines)
Your Instructors
BIO
Jennifer & Miriam
Knitting with Bernadette
In this 6 week Saturday afternoon knitting workshop, Bernadette will guide you through the creation of a triangle shawl. You will learn how to increase and decrease stitches, create yarn overs, use circular needles, as well as master other techniques to knit a wearable work of art that you are sure to cherish. Join Bernadette in the cosy Red House at Rice Lake for an informative and joyful knitting experience.
This workshop requires basic knitting skills, including casting on and off and experience with knit and purl stitches. To personalize your shawl, you will purchase your own yarn (wool or acrylic) in any colour that you love (details to follow after registration).
Dates & Details
SAT April 5, 12, 19, 26, May 3 & 10
Time: 1 pm – 4 pm
Maximum Size: 6 participants (ages 14+)
Fee: $280.00 (includes shawl pattern and circular needles that you can keep)
Your Instructor
Bio
Bernadette Seeley
Learn to Quilt! An Introduction to English Paper Piecing (EPP)
Have you ever wondered how historic sewers created richly coloured, geometric quilts with sharp points and accurate piecing without a sewing machine? English Paper Piecing (EPP) is the answer and whether you are an experienced quilter or a complete beginner, this workshop will introduce you to a highly accessible approach to design and piece your own patchwork quilt projects.
EPP is a quilting technique using geometrically shaped paper templates and fabric, assembled with a simple hand sewing. The process is mindful and calming and doesn’t rely on a sewing machine, so it is portable, easy to take to the park, the cottage or on a road trip.
In this one day workshop Miriam will guide you through the EPP process, and even if you are a novice sewer you will find this ingenious technique easy to learn. You will leave the workshop with a clear understanding of all the steps involved in English Paper Piecing, along with a simple first project, instructional handouts, and the skills you will need to create EPP projects at home.
Dates & Details
NEW IN 2025 – March Break Workshops:
These workshops are offered during the March Break* for youth 14+ and adults who would enjoy spending a day at Rice Lake Arts learning some very cool, historic sewing techniques.
*TUES March 11
*THURS March 13
SUN April 6
SUN April 20
SAT May 31
SAT June 14
Time: 11 am – 4 pm
Maximum Size: 6 participants (ages 14+)
Fee: $120.00 (includes all fabric and sewing materials)
Your Instructor
BIO
Miriam Davidson
EPP Examples
Beginner Basket Weaving
Come spend the day working outdoors with accomplished fibre artist Sandi McNeil. In this one-day workshop you will learn a variety of basic weaving techniques including plaiting, twining and rim lashing to create a Bark Box Basket. You will form your square or rectangular basket using natural materials harvested by Sandi near her home in Buckhorn, including cedar, basswood and birch bark from our region. No previous experience is required.
Dates & Details
SAT June 21
SAT July 12
SAT August 16
Time: 10 am – 4 pm
Maximum Size: 8 participants (ages 14+)
Fee: $160.00 (includes all materials and most equipment)
Your Instructor
BIO
Sandi McNeil
Bark Weaving examples
Shadow & Stitch: An Introduction to Cyanotype Printing on Fabric
In this one day workshop the emphasis is on creative play and experimentation. The first part of the workshop will focus on learning the basics of Cyanotype printing, a historic photographic process, to create imagery inspired by the natural forms at Rice Lake Arts on fabric. Using plant life you forage from grounds, and objects you bring along that have personal meaning, you will make a series of dramatic shadow prints on fabric.
Once your prints have dried, you will be encouraged to consider embellishing them with stitched patterns and embroidery techniques to yield one-of-a-kind results that you are sure to cherish. No experience with any of these techniques is necessary to join this workshop!
Dates & Details
SAT August 9
SAT August 30
Time: 10 am – 4 pm
Maximum Size: 8 participants (ages 14+)
Fee: $160.00 (includes all materials and most equipment)
Your Instructor
BIO
Miriam Davidson
Cyanotype Examples
The Magic of Mosaics: An Exploration of Colour and Form
Inspired by the landscape and native species that flourish at Rice Lake Arts, in this workshop you will create a bold mosaic using coloured glass, that is glued and grouted onto wooden panels. We will explore the grounds at Rice Lake Arts, while you take a series of photos and do some sketching to help you create your unique mosaic design. If you love working with colour and you’d like to try out an ancient technique with modern materials, join us for this fun 2 day workshop.
Nikki welcomes all creative individuals over the age of 13 years to this exciting workshop. Come spend the weekend exploring the beauty of glass with a friend, a sibling, a family member or group.
Dates & Details
SAT/SUN July 26-27
SAT/SUN August 23-24
Time: Saturday: 10 am – 4 pm; Sunday: 10 am – 1 pm
Maximum Size: 10 participants (ages 13+)
Fee: $180 (includes all materials and tools)
Your Instructor
BIO
Nikki Rejman
Mosaic Examples
You are registering for Rice Lake Art’s
Knitting with Bernadette
SAT April 5, 12, 19, 26, May 3 & 10
1 pm – 4 pm
Please fill out the form below – if you have any questions, let us know in the message section. Your registration will be finalized once you e-transfer the workshop fee of $280.00 to info@ricelakearts.ca. We are set up for auto deposit, no password required.
Once payment is received, we will email you confirmation of your enrollment.
You are registering for Rice Lake Art’s
The Magic of Mosaics: An Exploration of Colour and Form
SAT/SUN July 26-27
SAT/SUN August 23-24
Saturday: 10 am – 4 pm; Sunday: 10 am – 1 pm
Please fill out the form below – if you have any questions, let us know in the message section. Your registration will be finalized once you e-transfer the workshop fee of $180.00 to info@ricelakearts.ca. We are set up for auto deposit, no password required.
Once payment is received, we will email you confirmation of your enrollment.
Nikki Rejman specializes in landscape painting with an interest in the enviroment and stewardship of the land. Nikki is committed to an art practice that reflects and comments on the natural world, and she loves to share her passion with those she teaches. Working as an educator at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection for many years, she led numerous workshops and develped a program for virtual art learning. Recently, Nikki has been experimenting with translating the landscape through mosaic and she is eager to share her expertice with the young people she teaches. Nikki currently lives in Lakefield, and works as Visual Arts teacher at the secondary level.
Mosaic Examples
You are registering for Rice Lake Art’s
Introduction to Machine Sewing Workshop
SAT May 24
SAT August 16
11 am – 4 pm
Please fill out the form below – if you have any questions, let us know in the message section. Your registration will be finalized once you e-transfer the workshop fee of $120.00 to info@ricelakearts.ca. We are set up for auto deposit, no password required.
Once payment is received, we will email you confirmation of your enrollment.
You are registering for Rice Lake Art’s
Learn to Quilt! An Introduction to English Paper Piecing (EPP) Workshop
NEW IN 2025 – March Break Workshops:
These workshops are offered during the March Break* for youth 14+ and adults who would enjoy spending a day at Rice Lake Arts learning some very cool, historic sewing techniques.
*TUES March 11
*THURS March 13
SUN April 6
SUN April 20
SAT May 31
SAT June 14
11 am – 4 pm
Please fill out the form below – if you have any questions, let us know in the message section. Your registration will be finalized once you e-transfer the workshop fee of $120.00 to info@ricelakearts.ca. We are set up for auto deposit, no password required.
Once payment is received, we will email you confirmation of your enrollment.
You are registering for Rice Lake Art’s
Bark Box Basket Weaving Workshop
SAT Sept 21
10 am – 4 pm
Please fill out the form below – if you have any questions, let us know in the message section. Your registration will be finalized once you e-transfer the workshop fee of $180.00 to info@ricelakearts.ca. We are set up for auto deposit, no password required.
Once payment is received, we will email you confirmation of your enrollment.
You are registering for Rice Lake Art’s
Beginner Basket Weaving Workshop
SAT June 21
SAT July 12
SAT August 16
10 am – 4 pm
Please fill out the form below – if you have any questions, let us know in the message section. Your registration will be finalized once you e-transfer the workshop fee of $160.00 to info@ricelakearts.ca. We are set up for auto deposit, no password required.
Once payment is received, we will email you confirmation of your enrollment.
You are registering for Rice Lake Art’s
Introduction to Natural Dyeing with Local Plants Workshop
SAT July 20
SAT Aug 17
10 am – 4:30 pm
Please fill out the form below – if you have any questions, let us know in the message section. Your registration will be finalized once you e-transfer the workshop fee of $180.00 to info@ricelakearts.ca. We are set up for auto deposit, no password required.
Once payment is received, we will email you confirmation of your enrollment.
You are registering for Rice Lake Art’s
Shadow & Stitch: An Introduction to Cyanotype Printing on Fabric Workshop
SAT August 9
SAT August 30
10 am – 4:00 pm
Please fill out the form below – if you have any questions, let us know in the message section. Your registration will be finalized once you e-transfer the workshop fee of $160.00 to info@ricelakearts.ca. We are set up for auto deposit, no password required.
Once payment is received, we will email you confirmation of your enrollment.
Bernadette Seeley grew up in Preston, Lancashire England, where her love of knitting began when she was just a girl. A bright, energetic child, her mother gave her a pair of knitting needles, some yarn and taught her how to knit; 60 years later she remains as excited about knitting as she was then. Bernadette enjoys creating hats, shawls, socks, sweaters, and childrens garments, but traditional Fair Isle colour work is her favourite! Bernadette loves to travel and her journeys always include a search for the most interesting yarn stores and wool mills. After a long career as a full-time nurse, specializing in geriatic care, she looks forward to inspiring other individuals to develop their skills and passion for knitting.
Cyanotype Examples
Sandi is a natural fibre artist who works extensively with hand gathered materials that grow in and around the Kawartha Lakes, near her Notably Natural Studio on the shore of Buckhorn Lake, Ontario. Although known primarily for traditional basketry, Sandi pushes the boundaries of basketmaking to create unique sculptural forms, wall weavings, twig and tile tables. More recently she has been exploring wire and wool, combining soft colourful aluminum wire with a delicious range of fibre, colour and textures to create 3-D needle felted sculptures.
Melinda Sutton Downie is a dyer, spinner, weaver, quilter, knitter, crocheter, gardener and occasionally takes time out to tidy the house. She holds an MFA from the University of Alberta and lives on five beautiful acres south of Rice Lake. Melinda can regularly be seen demonstrating natural and historic dyeing techniques at Lang Pioneer Village (www.langpioneervillage.ca).
Jennifer and Miriam are long time friends who look forward to sharing their knowledge and love of sewing with you in this introductory machine sewing workshop. Both are knitters and quilters who enjoy bold colour and design, experimenting with fabric and fibre and joyful crafting of all kinds.
Miriam Davidsonis an art educator with many years of experience teaching a range of media including fibre arts and photography. A documentary photographer for 20 years, Miriam photographed for the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto from 1989-1998, and taught photographic techniques to students of all ages. Her current artistic practice includes sculpture and mixed media fibre arts; well versed in historic photographic practices she loves to share those with her students.
Miriam Davidson is an art educator with many years of experience teaching English Paper Piecing and other art forms in schools, university and community-based settings. Between 2012 – 2020 she ran a collaborative quilt program where ninth grade students used English Paper Piecing to create hand sewn, boldly coloured, well-crafted quilts that were donated to Project Linus, Covenant House and helped raise funds for Zimkids. Over the eight years she ran this EPP program, Miriam and her students donated over 100 quilts to the community. Miriam enjoys designing and sewing her own quilts with bold colour and pattern.
EPP Examples
