Bio
Asha is a Tannery Arts Center resident, and upcycling/fabric artist. She has been creating one-of-a-kind, handmade clothing and accessories for children and adults for over 10 years - using ALL salvaged materials, in effort to reduce textile waste to our landfills. She has an online shop, where she sells her creations, and takes custom orders, has done various maker/artisan markets, festivals, and taught a few K-6 sewing/upcycling classes.
Her passion lies in extending the life of textiles headed for the landfills, (not adding to them, like what is happening with fast fashion). As a teaching artist, she hopes to help create a larger ripple of awareness with our youth + future generations, around ways to help with climate control – textiles, especially synthetic fabrics, as they pile up in our landfills, they may take over 200 years to decompose, and during this process, emit toxic elements into our atmospheres. Teaching the art and action of upcycling to children can offer them a positive mindset to being creative AND helping contribute positively towards our environment.
Classes
Program title: Upcycling / Fabric Arts
Grade(s): K-8
Hourly rate: $50
In this class, students will learn basic sewing techniques, both hand-sewing and machine, in an experiential and fun way. They will be invited to use their creative minds with salvaged materials they might obtain from their own homes and communities, and gain awareness and a deeper understanding and consciousness around what happens with textiles that are simply thrown away – and on a larger scale, what happens as a society, when we take action. The lessons are designed to help students practice using their visual perception, creative decision making, foster enthusiasm for upcycling, build on dexterity with sewing, and cultivate connection through creating alongside their peers, as we together, tap into a higher knowing and positive vibration around eco consciousness. Discussions to include environmental effects of textile waste, how upcycling is an act of climate control, wearable art, as well as VAPA standards. Open to communication and working with teachers and school communities to create the right curriculum for their students.