RDH Blog

Hello from the RDH team! On our virtual tour of Ruffing Design House, we have arrived at the Fiber Arts Studio. “Fiber Arts” is a term that encompasses all skills related to fabric, yarn, and string, including machine and hand sewing, crochet, knitting, embroidery, dyeing, felting, weaving and more. We have a strong foundation for these skills in the Montessori method; fine motor skills are honed in our classrooms through hand sewing and crochet. The Fiber Arts Studio extends that practice, as a specialized space equipped with sewing machines, a serger, an embroidery machine, irons, screen printers (compatible for use with the laser cutter in the Innovation Lab!), a vinyl cutter, heat presses, a sublimation printer, table looms, a washer and dryer, and a utility sink. In addition to those larger pieces of equipment, this classroom is stocked with all of the smaller tools and notions needed for any Fiber Arts project.

Floor to ceiling shelving shows off colorful fabric, ribbon, and equipment, while the pegboard and smaller shelves hold notions and tools

Programming in the Fiber Arts Studio centers around design, self-expression, sustainability, repair, community, and history. With skill-building projects, students will gain the ability to make, care for, and fix the textiles around them. Clothes are often thought of as disposable commodities that appear out of nowhere, and disappear again when we are done with them. This is not true! With a deeper understanding of where textiles come from and where they end up, we can interrupt the cycle of overconsumption and develop more meaningful connections to the things we own and make.

Students will learn both hand and machine sewing as part of the programming for the Fiber Arts Studio

Students will be able to create custom clothing and textiles using our screen printing machines, vinyl cutters, and heat pressses

Donations are a crucial part of our sustainability focus. If you or a loved one go through your stash and decide to let go of any fabric, yarn, ribbon, buttons, trim, tassels, beads, zippers, or other notions, please reach out to me at paxe@ruffingmontessori.net! While fabric and yarn are our most needed materials, please feel free to share anything you think may be useful. We even accepted a donation of old taekwondo belts, which will be fun to weave with! Modern sewing machines are not needed, but vintage machines, whether working or not, are welcome, as well as other specialty machines - sergers, embroidery machines, longarm quilting machines, etc.

View of the Fiber Arts studio looking towards the front door of Ruffing Design House