Promotional poster for Cleveland Sews and Thao Nguyen’s Lunar New Year Screen Printing and Sewing Workshop featuring a red Fire Horse zipper bag, event schedule, and February 17, 2026 date at the Cleveland Sews Studio in AsiaTown.

Celebrate Lunar New Year by making something with your hands.

This Lunar New Year, join Cleveland Sews for a one-of-a-kind creative celebration where art, culture, and community come together.

In this special Screen Printing + Sewing Workshop, you’ll design, print, and sew your own Lunar New Year bag—from concept to finished piece—guided by our teaching team and featured artist Thao Nguyen.

This year’s featured bag design centers on the Fire Horse — a powerful symbol of vitality, courage, forward motion, and creative leadership. Through this original artwork, we invite participants to welcome the energy of the Fire Horse into the new year: honoring change, movement, and the strength it takes to build something new.

Whether you’re brand new to sewing and printing or returning to the studio to build your skills, this workshop is designed to be welcoming, supportive, and hands-on. You’ll leave with a bag you made yourself—and a piece of art that carries intention into the year ahead.

✨ Screen print a Fire Horse design created by our featured artist
✨ Sew your finished bag in our studio
✨ Beginner-friendly, step-by-step instruction (sewing machine operational experience required for participation)
✨ All materials included
✨ Light bites and dinner from some of our AsiaTown favorites, Thanks to our wonderful sponsors: Asiatown Cleveland, Midtown, and St. Clair-Superior Development Corporation.

📍 Cleveland Sews Studio – AsiaTown Cleveland
📅 February 17 | 4:30–9:00 PM
💲 $75 per participant
⚠️ Limited spots available

Come celebrate Lunar New Year by welcoming in the bold, creative energy of the Fire Horse—with creativity, culture, and community.

🐾 You might just see one of our “Lucky Cats.”
Cleveland Sews is a feline-friendly creative space.

Sewing Fundamentals I

Build Confidence at the Machine. Create with Purpose.

Ready to learn how to sew — or finally feel confident using your sewing machine? Sewing Fundamentals I is a six-week, hands-on series designed for beginners and early sewists who want to build a strong foundation in machine sewing while creating beautiful, practical projects along the way.

This progressive course walks you step-by-step through essential sewing skills, from machine operation and fabric basics to reading commercial patterns and constructing your first wearable garment. By the end of the series, you won’t just understand how sewing works — you’ll leave with finished projects, new confidence, and the skills to keep creating on your own.

What You’ll Learn & Make:

Sewing machine operation, threading, troubleshooting, and safety
Fabric basics, cutting techniques, and seam finishes
Product construction through guided projects including a tote bag, zippered pouch, and lounge pants
How to read and prepare a commercial sewing pattern
Garment construction fundamentals and finishing techniques

Course Structure:

6 weekly classes (2 hours each w/ 1-optional lab time for project completion)
Optional open lab time after each class for additional project support
Small class sizes with individualized instruction

What’s Included:

Sewing machines and tools provided
Most fabrics, notions, and supplies included
Supportive instruction from experienced teaching artists
A welcoming, community-centered studio environment

Participants are welcome to bring their own sewing machine or fabrics if they prefer.

This series is ideal for:

Brand-new beginners
Self-taught sewists looking to strengthen fundamentals
Anyone ready to move from simple projects to wearable garments

Come stitch with us — and discover how empowering it feels to make something with your own hands.

LEARN MORE

Look for our bags in use in the community: distributed at CentroVilla25, Cleveland Roots, Hood Honey, St. Luke’s Food Pantry, St. Vincent Charity Community Health Center’s Food Pantry, University Settlement’s Food Pantry, and Urban Farm Doctors…and don’t forget to BYOBag!

Sew for Sustainable Stores! (S4SS)

A special thank you to all of our Cleveland Sews volunteers that helped us sew many bags for this incredible project!

Sowing the seeds of hope.

Sewing the social fabric of community.

Who is Cleveland Sews?

Cleveland Sews provides programming to community groups to cultivate trade skills and bolster Cleveland’s creative economy. Programs focus on skills in design, sewing, and textile manufacturing.
Specializing in creative material reuse, Cleveland Sews prepares individuals to enter sustainable manufacturing jobs. We endeavor to revitalize our neighborhoods for generations to come while preserving the environment.
From our refurbished facilities, to our urban farm, to our upcycled products, a circular economy lies at the heart of all of our work. Cleveland Sews strives towards a more equitable and less wasteful future.