A Modern Take on Textiles

Vast and beautiful, the scenery at Blackberry Mountain is an invitation to let your imagination roam, transferring the energy of the natural world around you into the art you create in the Hub studio.

The intricate detail work of textile art provides an exploration into beautiful mediums. Creating textile pieces is a great way to connect to and celebrate the rich history of Appalachia and the Foothills region. The captivating design work has been part of the area since the nineteenth century. Women would use their skills to embellish household items like towels, sheets, clothes, table linens and blankets. Their work has created a legacy of art and family history that we can honor through our own pieces today.

Craft your own intricate piece, practicing the techniques of hand-stitchery, needlepoint, embroidery, cross-stich, crochet or knitting. From simple beginning patterns to elaborate work, textile art is a skill that can evolve, and there’s no better place to spark your interest than at the Mountain. Interpret the mountain ridgeline with needlepoint or echo the vivid colors of of wild flowers in your crochet squares.

The tradition may draw you in, but the art team will keep you interested with their new and unique ways to push the craft. Use what nature provides and select a rhododendron leaf from just outside to try your hand at an unexpected, delicate piece of embroidery. Or mix your mediums even further! Paint a background watercolor painting, sketch a new layer of scenery over the dried paint, then cross-stitch through the paper to create a truly unique piece. Honor tradition and stretch your imagination. You’ll look at textiles in a whole new way.

See Blackberry Mountain's Art Classes