ABOUT THE OWNER

PATTI BARNATT



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I'm Patti Barnatt, teacher, artist, and maker.  I've been offering sewing classes year-round since 1997. I am a self-taught artist working in fibers and ceramics.

I started sewing when I was in my 20s; I was no prodigy. Everything I've learned has been through trial and error. My mom had a Kenmore machine from the 50's and I discovered sewing was something I was curious about. I bought fabric and a pattern and thought, " I can read;  how hard could this be?"

Learning how to sew on my own was challenging but I quickly discovered it was immensely satisfying; not only did I love it but I was pretty good at it, too. As a visual and spatial thinker, I was drawn to the process of creating one-of-a-kind fabric pieces and I loved the problem-solving involved in working in this medium. Starting with simple projects and improving gradually, several years in I was able to sew my own wedding dress.

The journey has been incredibly rewarding. I've sewn everything from clothing of all kinds for children and adults, other people's wedding dresses, all kinds of home decorating projects, prototype sewing, and even a yellow satin bikini for a gorilla costume. In addition to sewing costumes for high school productions where I taught, I costumed the Providence Newspaper Guild Follies for 20 years. I put a whole lot of people on stage in a whole lot of sequins. I no longer take on custom work but thoroughly enjoy making all of my own clothes.

As an instructor, I have taught art at schools in RI and MA as well as sewing classes at CityArts, AS220, and Providence After School Alliance and School One.

Starting in 1997, I taught sewing at The Franklin Mill Store in Franklin, MA for 15 years. Since 2012 I've been in my current location in the Steel Yard office building.

I was a ceramics cooperative member at the Steel Yard 2008-2016, where I also taught hand-building classes for 10 years. From 2010-2016, I was an adjunct instructor of Ceramics at School One, an alternative private high school on the east side of Providence, where I also taught Fiber Arts.

My own private ceramics studio is located at AJay Land in Providence.