Soft Hearts: Intuitive Stitching (Session 2)

From August-October 2026, this year’s Chores artisans invite us into their studios to preview early prototypes, practice craft skills, and actively participate in the refinement of this year’s Chores collection. “Soft Hearts: Intuitive Stitching” is the second installment of our Open Studio series: join Chores artisans and textile artists Joy Mao and Helen Lin for an intimate preview of their textile work for this year’s collection alongside a guided workshop focused on hand-sewing skills for soft sculpture — over tea and mooncakes in celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival. For this year’s Chores collection, Joy and Helen have collaborated on a series of hand-embroidered vintage chore coats incorporating intuitive beadwork and soft sculpture. During this workshop, Joy will share an overview of the process and techniques involved in developing this year’s chore coats. Helen will provide a glimpse into her soft sculpture practice, and lead a beginner-friendly workshop where participants will create their own textile “hearts” through a process grounded in tactility, material connection, and intuition. Due to very limited studio capacity, please RSVP for one of two sessions: 11am-1pm or 2-4pm. Each ticket includes refreshments and snacks, as well as one entry into our upcoming Collection Launch Celebration Raffle. All materials provided — hand-sewing experience is beneficial, but beginners are most definitely welcome. We look forward to sharing our process with you! Access notes: Joy’s studio is located on the 3rd floor of an industrial building in Gowanus, Brooklyn. It can be accessed via both stairs and elevator from street level. Kindly excuse any dust, debris, and noise that is typical of a working artist space. If you have any questions related to the event or accessibility, please contact us at [email protected].