Boho Carpetbag!

Our latest LOVE is making Boho Carpet Bags!  

It is truly an easy sewing project, so if you are a beginner, please join us for this fun repurposing project.

You’ll dig through the piles of fabric, notions, ribbon, badges, and all kinds of adornments. Create your own “Happy Patches” with stamps, stencils, fabric pens, and markers and sit in a room humming with sewing machines and other folks who like to “Make Stuff!” Fun, right???

Not a great sewer? No problem!! We’re talking straight lines and topstitching. You can get as fancy as you like but part of the joy of these bags is the utter abandonment in making them.  Leave your threads hanging if you like (which I like!)!

Using 4 upholstery fabric samples as the base for the outside of your Boho Carpetbag, you’ll adorn, sew, and add to that sturdy fabric, creating your bag. Valerie will take you through the construction of your Boho Carpet Bag complete with personalized embellishments and parts to adorn. Just about everything but thread is supplied for this class but you are welcome to bring fabric and notions you love to include in your project.

We will spend time digging through the stash, figuring out color schemes, making patches and adornments, and then sewing it all together, creating your very own, personalized carpet bag.

What to bring (Necessary):

• A Sewing Machine in good working order along with extra needles (heavy duty or “Denim” are best), threads in a variety of colors (black, white, your favorite colors), bobbins, etc.
• Basic hand sewing kit – scissors, needles, thread, pin.

What to bring (Optional):

• We will have handles for you to choose from, but if you have an old purse you want to repurpose and it has sturdy handles with rings on the ends like the one in the photo, we can give it a go! We must be able to sew/attach into the seam of the bag.
• If you have elements (such as trims, patches, etc.) & fabric you know you’d like to include on your bag, feel free to bring them.
• Have too much fabric at home? Bring it for the share pile!
• We will have liner fabric for you utilizing upholstery fabric for lining your carpetbag. If you have some you love and want to use, it should be 24” x 54” (2/3 of a yard of upholstery fabric) in an overall pattern or a solid, light color. Please note, upholstery fabric is wider than sewing fabric. If you bring sewing/regular fabric, you will need enough to make the measurements above and it will have a seam. We will have some for you to choose from as part of the class, however.

Very basic machine sewing experience is necessary. (Seriously this is straight lines and lots of topstitching. Easy Peasy.)

Minimum 4 to make the class. Maximum 8. The minimum age to participate is 16; kids 12 -16 who are experience sewers allowed with a registered adult. 

Your registration includes drinks, snacks, and lunch, too!!

Please review our Cancellation Policies before registering.

Workshop Update – June 15, 2021

On June 11, 2021, Kentucky lifted all mandates regarding Covid precautions that would impact our workshops at Ephemera Paducah.

What that means is, those who are not fully vaccinated are strongly encouraged to wear a mask during the workshop while inside. Those who are more comfortable wearing a mask if vaccinated may certainly do so. However, masks will no longer be required.

My staff and I are fully vaccinated. We have hand sanitizer, soap, and clean shared supplies as well as clean the studio each evening of your workshop. We will also continue to be mindful of social distance in classes and use technology so that demonstrations are projected eliminating the need to hover around a table to see what’s going on!

We are so looking forward to seeing you at an in-person workshop this year!

Kristin