ABOUT THE OWNER

PATTI BARNATT



​I'm Patti Barnatt, a seasoned teacher, ceramics artist, and maker. I've sewn for more than 65 years and have offered sewing classes year-round since 1997.

I had my 1st sewing lesson at 12, but I've mainly learned through trial and error. 
Learning to sew on my own was challenging, but I quickly discovered it was immensely satisfying; I loved it, and eventually, I got pretty good at it, too.

As a visual and spatial thinker, I love the problem-solving that comes with working in this medium. 

The journey has been incredibly rewarding. I've sewn everything from children's and adult clothing to wedding dresses, home decor, prototypes, and a yellow satin bikini for a gorilla costume. I costumed high school productions, and for 20 years, I put a whole lot of people in a whole lot of sequins at the Providence Newspaper Guild Follies. I still sew all 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. From 2010 to 2016, I taught Ceramics as an adjunct instructor at School One, where I also taught Fiber Arts.

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

From 2008 to 2016, I was a member of the ceramics cooperative at the Steel Yard, where I also taught hand-building classes for 10 years. 
My own private ceramics studio is located at AJay Land in Providence. 

Meet Our Instructors

Get to know the talented makers behind our classes, here to help you build skills, confidence, and creativity at every level.

LESLIE GRANT

Instructor

Leslie Grant is an Expressive Arts Facilitator and Project Manager for the Art-Based Trauma Healing Program at the Women's Resource Center in Warren, RI. She holds a CAGS in Creative and Expressive Arts Facilitation from Salve Regina University and a BFA in Apparel Design from the Rhode Island School of Design, where she learned pattern drafting, draping, and tailoring.
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Leslie teaches foundational sewing skills in her Beginner 1 & 2 classes and enjoys keeping the atmosphere fun and upbeat.
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LIZ HARTLEY

Instructor

Liz began her love of sewing by watching and learning from her mom and grandmother. She loves creating anything she can think of and figuring out how to build it with sewing. Her love of textiles and sewing has followed her through her life. She is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and Endicott College.

​She has built a career working in the industry as a textile designer and an apparel technical designer in NYC + Italy + New England. She is also a patternmaker with a focus on garments, bags and soft goods. She believes sewing is a skill you will always have to express your creativity and there is always more to learn and discover. Sew your ideas and bring your imagination to life! ​

MIMI CABELL

Instructor

Mimi was born in British Columbia, Canada. She has degrees in photography and digital language arts and has been sewing for more years than she hasn't.

​She currently teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design and lives in Pawtucket with her kids.