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Here is the full list of all events I have going on from October through January of next year. For more details, check out the Events page. Sign up for my newsletter to get reminders and news. Events Fall 2023/Winter 2024
10/14 - Magick Talisman Class 2 - 4pm Asheville Raven and Crone 10/19 - Pop-Up 5 - 7pm Of Wand and Earth (Marshall, NC) 10/26 - Beginner Embroidery Class 6 - 8pm Olivette Farm and Community 11/18 & 11/19 - Pop-up Asheville Raven and Crone 11/25 - Magick Talisman Class 2 - 4pm The Well (3 Louisiana Ave, W.Asheville) 12/9 - Tarot Bag Class 2 - 5pm The Well (3 Louisiana Ave, W.Asheville) 1/13 Altar Cloth Class - 1 - 5pm The Well (3 Louisiana Ave, W.Asheville)
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Olivette is a community by the French Broad River. It is a stunning location and I am thrilled to be getting the chance to teach a class here in October. It is open to residents and non-residents alike. So if you are interested in getting started in embroidery come along! We will work on the design below together.   Everything you've wanted to learn about fiber art magick but were afraid to ask! This one hour event will be a brief intro to using slow stitching as a magickal and spiritual practice.
Go here to find out more and sign up.   Five years ago I wrote a blog post about being an art witch, and it’s still one of my most popular posts. However over time my practice has changed as tends to happen to many of us. More and more I am exploring expressive fiber arts such as embroidery, patchwork and other hand sewing techniques to weave magick into my practice. Magick and spellwork are a somatic, multi-sensory endeavor. They require focus and an ability to receive guidance from the divine. For many of us, just sitting in silence is a challenge and having an activity that can help channel our intuition and quieten the mind is useful. Some people drum or chant since often a repetitive action is the gateway to a trance-like state or a simple clearing of the metaphysical noise that surrounds us. I use the practice of hand stitching to achieve spiritual clarity. The soothing repetition of sewing provides my intuition a path of communication. If I am spell casting, the intention and request is both physically and spiritual woven through the piece I am working on and later provides a reminder of what I am trying to manifest. When I use hand sewing for magick, I rarely have an idea of the completed piece. Instead I spontaneously stitch and make decisions as I go along. This technique is called slow stitching as well. For the pictured “spell cloth” I used an unfinished patchwork block from my collection of works in progress, pinned it to a base cloth and then through hand sewing imbued it with my request for guidance on a particular challenge I had. As I worked on the spell cloth I was able to develop a dialogue with my intuition (AKA the divine) that helped me find answers. This particular project is still ongoing (as is the challenge!). I think of these spell cloths as a bit like a witch bottle. The stitches, colors and ephemera used all have meaning and I have developed a lexicon of stitches to which I have assigned magickal meanings. The talismans I make are also spells, following much the same process as the spell cloth. However these smaller items are quicker to complete. They are a useful activity for a moon phase or sabbat as you can choose colors and symbols the time. These can be given as gifts, kept on an altar or worn. It’s easy to get started and your first attempts could be modest. Find a small piece of cloth (an old clothing scrap is fine) and use some embroidery thread to stitch randomly while you sit in a peaceful place indoors or outdoors. See what arises for you, how you feel where your mind goes. Return to this practice whenever you need clarity and you will be surprised at how effective it is. If you want to dig deeper then I recommend my online course on Tiny Magick Talismans, or you could come along to one of my in-person events to learn more.   I think this Fall is going to be busy for Open Coven! In October I will be teaching a class on making talismans. This two-hour class is free when you buy a talisman kit. Every talisman kit is unique, containing fabric, embroidery floss and additional adornments such as buttons, gems or charms. This class is perfect for beginners or more experienced crafters. It's a great opportunity to practice contemplative, slow-stitching that will aid you in developing your magickal practice. The maximum number of participants is 10 and it will be on a first come first served basis.
 I am excited to announce my first pop-up with long-time collaborator and supporter, Asheville Raven and Crone. I will be there all weekend peddling my wares including kits, artwork and a few surprises. Come by, say hello, ask me all your embroidery or witchy questions and pick up some gifts.
For those of you new to my website, here's a video about the embroidery kits I make.
 It's strange to me, this past year. From a small acorn of an idea, I now have a business that is slowly but surely growing. A year ago I don't think I had an intention of making kits, but here I am with kits, classes and plans for more. I am stocked in two local stores and now you can get my kits wholesale through faire.com! Buy my kits for your business via this link https://faire.com/direct/opencoven Going forward I will release a new design every month around the Esbat.  It's been a productive month! I did a farmer's market and formed a new partnership with a local store here in Asheville. Whist on Haywood Road is one of my favorite stores. They have amazing gift ideas and a full collection of greetings cards for every occasion and taste. As of this month, they will be selling my Cultivate Community and Spring Tree kits.
If you are not local to Asheville, don't worry! My kits are now for sale on this site! The Spring Tree design is also available as a digital download.
Doodling often is a wonderful practice and can yield surprising results...
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I'm Liz Watkin a fiber artist and educator with an online learning background. I've been sewing since I was a kid and love the therapeutic nature of crafts.
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