Associated Student Productions hosted a free embroidery workshop for Sonoma State students and faculty at Weyden and Brewsters on Saturday, March 2, from 7 p.m. to 8. p.m. 

The event provided the tools and supplies needed to embroider. This included an assortment of embroidery kits for students to choose from. Along with instructions, each kit contained multicolored yarns, embroidery patterns, a needle and thread, and scissors. Students could choose from a variety of designs that varied in difficulty level, such as flowers, gardens, or famous artworks.   

Although the event had low attendance, those who attended found a sense of community with one another through their shared interest in embroidery.

Omayra Ortega, an Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, said that her favorite part of the event was meeting new people.

Ortega was no stranger to embroidery as she first started doing the craft with her mom at the age of five. “I love embroidery, and I really wanted to get back into doing it. Since I didn’t have anything else to do tonight other than work, I thought I’d take an hour-long break to do some embroidery.” Ortega was eager to use her experience to help newcomers to the craft, providing aid to attendees who had questions.

Michaela Wang, a fourth-year literature major, never had the opportunity to try embroidery before but was interested in trying out a new craft. “ I always see embroidery stuff on my Instagram ‘for you’ page and I think it’s so cute. I was intrigued that it was being offered as a free event on campus, so I thought I should go.” 

There is a vibrant embroidery community on social media that has made the hobby a trend among young audiences. Lucy Freeman, a Contemporary Embroidery Artist, uses the platform to showcase her talent so it can be used as inspiration for other members of the embroidery community.

Wang acknowledged that embroidery can be a time-consuming yet rewarding process, “the learning process was trial and error because when I embroidered I got the back all tangled because I wasn’t really paying attention.” Wang said her work improved as the night went on as she experimented with different techniques.

ASP has hosted several DIY events in the past, but this was their first embroidery night. “We felt like having an embroidery night was something different that hasn’t really been on campus before and we try to cater to different student populations,” Libby Sarto, third-year kinesiology major and student assistant at Student Involvement said, “We know that since crochet is a big thing right now this might be a popular event as well.”