Sewing + Weaving Community Design Cohort

4799 Shattuck Ave,Oakland CA 94609

09 May, 2023

Description

What learnings are offered : How to sew a collection designed by you from upcycled materials. Learn to thread and use Industrial sewing machines & sergers. We will also teach how to repair sewing machines and repair clothes. The first class hour is technical skills teachings meshed with historical contexts of fashion. The following 2 hours are project base time to practice the craft of sewing and moving through a decolonized lens. We will center spiritual wellness in these project hours. The cohort will lead up to the production of a fashion art show led by cohort members. Who should apply? : Anyone curious in collective creative stewardship in common spaces. All sewing levels are welcome to apply. There will be heavy emphasis for beginners to learn how to use a sewing machine. This cohort aims to deconstruct fast fashion and center unique bodies. We want to shift from the basic Small Medium Large size model of mass manufactured garments. We see beauty in the existing textiles and our bodies. We will honor our ancestral wisdom through craft and self-celebration. This cohort will center joy and fracture stress imposed school structures. Share design & creativity. In relation to community & compost. Learn to sew, learn textile industry history, learn the spirituality of weaving. With care & repair. Students receive 24/7 access to media with their membership pass. Provided materials // Industrial sewing machines, fabric, sewing tools. Absorbing a playground that orbits eclectic collectives will influence your craft. The media lab is a shared common space in a shared building of collectives. Practicing mindfulness, reciprocity & accountability will expand your creative reach. This cohort offers collaboration and integration with other collectives. This cohort will teach you how to weave textiles & community together. Problem solving & upcycling will be the basis of the materials offered. Fibers can e·mul·si·fy. Perspectives can vacuum-seal. Medicine can patchwerk through your process of imagination. Week 1 : Tues : introduction with space, boundaries & curiosities. Invite students into collective ownership. Interpret stewardship for land & the commons. Piece a collection of single use products to shape mood boards. Mood boards will be reflective of past, present and future self. Natural dip dying history + natural fibers dying experiments. Friday : Show how to use a serger + straight stitch machine. Sew a patch that tales your intention at the cohort. Share ancestor memories of fabric. Week 2 : Tues : Sewing basics + tending to the tools & space. Folks will learn different machines and will teach coursemates how to use them. Sketching + Pattern making + draping. Friday : Design and build a tool bag to hold your sacred supplies. Design personalized weaving aprons. Deconstruct denim and incorporate it into tool belt/bag design. Week 3 : Tues : Folks will bring in a salvageable clothing item and guide partners to repair as desired. Build trust in the self to be able to communicate a vision to others. History of tailoring & garment industry. how to decolonize fashion. Friday : Learn AutoCad + Laser cutter part. 1 Design collection based on a collective steamed theme. Research scientists, hackers, dancers to offer accessible designs. Week 4 : Tues : History of upcycling and textile pollution. Learn laser cutter part 2. Zero waste garment project. Visit FNB + CCL. Friday : Collective consensus on cumulative performance theme & structure. Story development. Sketch out pieces. Week 5 : Tues + Friday : Collection building. Open sewing studio. Week 6 : Tues + Friday : Finalizing pieces. Open sewing studio. Model call out. Week 7 : Tues : Model fittings. Performance venue design led by cohort. Theme will be molded & shaped over time by the cohort. Friday : Performance rehearsal. Final call for alterations. Week 8 : Tues : ***Textile Design Performance*** Friday : Deep reflections of cohort experience. Shapeshift design process & finale archives into a portfolio. Portfolio/Scrapbook the journey. Immortalize the creative pursuits. Preserve your ritual and offer gratitude to the land that conjured everything together. Create a collective quilt to symbolize interdependence.