Spring Freestyle Flower Embroidery Workshops with Laura Tandeske
Discover the art of embroidery at O’Hanlon Center for the Arts!
Spend a day—or the whole weekend—exploring the beautiful, time-honored art of hand embroidery. Whether you’re an absolute beginner or an experienced embroiderer looking for a refresher, this hands-on workshop will introduce you to a variety of surface embroidery stitches, with a special emphasis on creating flowers.
Each day features a different selection of stitches, making Saturday and Sunday unique learning experiences. You can register for either day individually or join us for both to enjoy a more comprehensive introduction to surface embroidery.
Learn, Practice & Create
Mornings will be dedicated to learning and practicing embroidery stitches. In the afternoon, continue practicing or bring a garment of your own to personalize with embroidery. Denim jackets, jeans, shirts, and dresses are all welcome! (Non-stretch fabrics are recommended.)
The instructor will be available to help with design transfers and any project questions along the way.
Workshop Details
- Saturday, February 27: First day of embroidery
- Sunday, February 28: A different selection of stitches
- Time: 10 AM – 4 PM
- Fee: $145 | $120 OHCA Members
- Kit Fee: $10 (includes fabric, thread, needle, and printed instructions)
- Class Size: Limited to 12 participants
- Lunch: 30-minute break. Please bring your own lunch.
Materials Provided & What to Bring
The instructor will provide hands-free embroidery hoops, scissors, and design tools. A kit with fabric, thread, needles, and printed instructions is available for a $10 fee.
You are also encouraged to bring a garment you’d like to embroider and your own embroidery floss if you have a project in mind.
Have a project you’d like to discuss before the workshop? Contact the instructor at tandeskeembroidery@gmail.com.
Come for a day or make it a creative weekend! Learn new stitches, explore your creativity, and give something you own a personal, handmade touch.
ABOUT LAURA TANDESKE
Laura Tandeske learned to embroider at the early age of 5 years old. After being mostly self taught she wanted a more formal education in art and embroidery. She studied Fine Art at California State University East Bay, and embroidery with the Embroiderers Guild of America and San Francisco School of Needlework and Design. She has been teaching embroidery for 10 years at the San Francisco School of Needlework and Design and independently all over the Bay Area. Her piece called “Balance” toured the United States and Canada as part of the 2 year Sixteenth National Exhibit with the Embroiderers Guild of America. She has won numerous awards including “Best in Show” at the California State Fair in Sacramento.
While Laura’s first love is doing embroidery, her very close second is teaching embroidery. She developed her skills teaching and designing classes at the San Francisco School of Needlework and Design and now has a decade of teaching experience. She loves bringing this ancient healing art to students.
Laura is also a biochemist with 32 years experience at Chiron/Novartis working in early stage drug discovery research for Oncology, Infectious Diseases, and Diagnostics. She brings this scientific and experimental mind to her Embroidery work.
Laura once believed that art had to be framed in a gallery, and sold to be ‘art’. In art school she pondered the question ‘what is art?’ After thinking about this for many years, her personal answer is ‘art is communication’. Laura wears the clothes she has been embroidering on for years – her wearable art – and realized that this is a form of communication with everyone around her. It was a profound revelation for her to realize that she was already a successful artist.
Visit her website: lauratandeske.com