Brew Up a Pal: Textile Punch Needle Workshop with Alisa McRonald

Date: Sunday, October 5, 12:30 - 4:30 PM
Location: 1106 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON

WORKSHOP REGISTRATION HERE

Cost: $75. for Craft Ontario members and $95. For non-members. This includes all materials and a take home kit including an embroidery hoop and a punch needle tool.

In the Brew Up a Pal workshop, textile artist Alisa McRonald, well known for
colourful characters that she calls her “woven weirdos” will be teaching participants how to make their own punchneedled piece.

Summon a soft, squishy sidekick from the depths of your creative cauldron—let’s brew up a pal!

Let the colours swirl and the characters emerge! In Brew Up a Pal, you’ll begin with playful, abstract watercolour techniques to conjure up mysterious faces and whimsical beings from the page. Through guided prompts and intuitive mark-making, you’ll invite unexpected personalities to surface—some sweet, some strange, all uniquely yours.

From your cast of painted characters, you’ll choose one special face to bring into the third dimension using hand punch needle techniques. With vibrant yarns, tactile textures, and plenty of creative freedom, you’ll poke your new pal into life—one loop at a time.

This workshop is a joyful mashup of colour magic, character design and soft sculpture. No drawing or punch needle experience needed—just curiosity and a love for creatures who live in the margins of imagination.

Learn: Participants will learn how to let go and be creative by using watercolours on paper to initially inspire the look of their own pal. They will be taught how to set up and use their punch needle with burlap and an embroidery hoop. They will be advised on colour selections and yarn types to use for punch needle projects and finishing techniques.

Create: Participants should be well on their way to finishing their pieces. Some may complete the piece entirely. All students will leave with lots of tips and tricks to finish their piece at home.

Materials: All supplies used in class will be provided to use on site including: paper, watercolour, paint brushes, yarn - A kit worth $25, included in the cost of the workshop:
- punch needle tool
- embroidery hoop
- burlap

Alisa McRonald’s woven weirdos live in the ironic pop-culture paradise of a Queer GenX Feminist. Her work is a tactile fruit salad with a soupçon of the esoteric. A devoted maker of things, Alisa has exhibited and performed nationally and internationally. Her work has been featured in: Harper’s Bazaar Japan, Untitled Magazine and the Toronto Star. She was awarded the 2024 Craft Ontario Rich Foundation Residency award, was a Creative in Residence for the 2023 Ontario Culture Days and has won the 2023 Best Product/Design Award from DesignTO, the 2020 Best of Craft and Design Award from the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair and her work has been featured on many curatorial lists.

Alisa is inspired by other handmade items such as quilts and afghans. For her, these items have a feeling of nostalgia and comfort to them. Alisa is passionate about using reclaimed textiles and has made a commitment to use as much as possible in her work (she's nearing 100%).

Registration is required to attend the Brew Up a Pal workshop.

WORKSHOP REGISTRATION HERE