About Me
Why I Make Art
As a high school art teacher of special needs students by day, I am constantly on the hunt for inspiring media and therapeutic techniques. I get to dabble in all kinds of projects, which then require an outlet for my own explorative work. I truly believe creativity and making art can save us, and I love sharing my creative techniques with students of all ages.
My creative practice now includes teaching one-day workshops with adults and teens in cool venues like museums, libraries, and creative spaces. Fabric collage is my first love, and I welcome conversations about how and why hand stitching is such a great way to tap into creativity and reduce stress. Email me to start the conversation…susanbleignier@gmail.com
What I do...
I love to collect and play with all media but hand stitching and playing with my sewing machine is my favorite thing to do. I have always loved to sew because it is so relaxing and the feel of textiles feeds my love of texture. I have created a small business around my wool felt creations. Earrings, garlands, and stuffed whimsical ornaments travel from show to show during the crafting season.
I use repurchased fabrics and thrifted threads and tools when ever possible. Cutting up clothing, curtains, old quilts, almost ANY fabric, and turning it into art is less waste added to our landfills. This makes me happy that I can do my small part for our environment.
My Inspiration
Nature is magical and it’s my never ending source for stitching inspiration. I love using vintage fabric, repurposed textiles and hand and machine sewing to create art that makes people smile.
Upcoming Events
Join me for upcoming events…
Wearable Whimsy Workshop, hosted by The Red Mill Museum in Clinton, NJ, on Saturday, October 3rd.
In this 2.5-hour workshop, we will sew textile pins made from vintage quilts, runners, hankies, doilies, and add beads, buttons, and charms to 3-4 original wearable pins. Use them to adorn backpacks, purses, bags, jackets, etc. We will use embroidery stitches- no experience required. See theredmill.org for details and pricing.
Make ART on the Terrace w/ me at The Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton, NJ on Saturday, Oct 17th from 1-2 pm. This is a totally FREE drop-in-style class! We'll hand-stitch small appliqued fabric collages to use as patches for jackets, bags, jeans, etc. No hand-stitching experience required. See hunterdonartmuseum.org for details.
