Steam & Stitches is a one-day winter gathering at Freight in Leadville.
Spend the day learning simple, beginner-friendly crafts from local makers, taking a turn in a wood-fired sauna, and making handmade Christmas gifts to take home. Between rounds, shop the makers' goods, grab food and drinks, and settle in by the warmth. No experience needed. Just come curious and ready to get cozy.
HOW THE DAY WORKS
1. Check in, sign your sauna waiver and get settled.
2. Meet the makers. Each instructor shares the project they'll be teaching, then you sign up for your rounds.
3. Rotate through four stations. The day runs in four 45-minute rounds. In each round you'll be at one station: embroidery, felt ornaments, [BRENA'S CRAFT] or the sauna. By the end of the day, you'll have done them all.
4. Take a break. After each round there's a 45-minute break to eat, drink, shop, keep crafting or just relax.
5. Take it home. You won't need to finish your projects in class. You'll leave with everything you need to finish them at home, just in time for gifting.
THE MAKERS
Hand embroidery with Cloud City Embroidery. Embroider a Mushroom or Pine Tree. Learn basic embroidery stitches and create your own little embroidered keepsake to take home.
Cloud City Embroidery is a handmade embroidery business inspired by Colorado adventures and nature. What started as a winter hobby has grown into a creative passion for turning everyday items into one-of-a-kind pieces, stitched by hand. @cloudcity_embroidery
Felt Ornaments with Elise Sunday, Fire on the Mountain. Learn some basic sewing and embroidery skills to make nostalgic, festive felt ornaments.
Elise Sunday has been in the creative arts since childhood, and now owns Fire On the Mountain and Leadville Yarn & Fiber Co. (located in Fire On the Mountain), a paint your own pottery, yarn and gift shop in downtown Leadville. There, she offers creative outlets for customers, happy to be sharing the joy of arts and crafts with others. @fire_on_the_mountain_leadville
Mend woven and knit fabrics Brena Smith. Brena will be demonstrating how to mend woven and knit fabrics with a darning loom. You may bring a piece of clothing that needs to be mended or Brena will have scraps you can play with.
Brena Smith is a craftswoman and librarian living at 10,200 ft in beautiful Leadville, Colorado. She turns out small batches of naturally dyed yarns in her much abused kitchen, and has fallen in love with the versatility of natural dyes. She inherited a love of making and fibers from her mother, a talented seamstress, and her grandmother, a skilled silversmith and fiber artist. Over the course of her life, she has turned that inheritance into jewelry, sewing, knitting, crocheting and now dyeing. She has a deep love of wool and is a strong supporter of local and US wool. @thedyesmith_naturaldyes
Sauna Sessions with Sunshine Saunas. Your fourth station is a round in the Sunshine Saunas wood-fired sauna. Settle into the heat, cool off in the cold plunge, and rest in the lounge between sessions. Towels are provided, and a sauna attendant will be site all day to help you move in and out of the sauna with ease.
Sunshine Saunas is a mobile wood-fired sauna based in Leadville, and made for bringing people together in the mountains. Popping up all over Colorado and available for private rentals. Follow along @sunshinesaunas
SHOP HANDMADE GIFTS
Every maker will have a booth with their own goods for sale, plus any tools and supplies you'll need to finish your projects at home. Sunshine Saunas will have its sauna clothing line, too. It's the perfect chance to check a few people off your holiday list while supporting local makers.
FOOD & DRINKS
Food and drinks will be available for purchase all day. Freight's bar will be open, with servers taking drink orders during rounds, plus selling snack boxes and packaged snacks. We will also have a food vendor on site.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
All three workshops, taught by local makers. All materials for your projects. A round in the wood-fired sauna, with cold plunge and lounge. Your handmade projects to take home and finish.
WHAT TO BRING
Swimsuit for the sauna
Sandals or slides
Water bottle
Warm layers for between rounds
MAKE IT A WEEKEND
Stay the night in Leadville. The Slumberyard is offering 20% off a 2-night stay (Saturday and Sunday) with proof of your Steam & Stitches ticket.
FAQ
Do I need any experience? Not at all. Every project is designed for total beginners.
Do I have to finish my projects at the event? No. You'll learn the basics in class and take everything home to finish on your own time.
Do I have to do every station? Your ticket includes all four, but you're welcome to skip a round to eat, shop or work on your own project.
What if I'm not sure about the sauna? The sauna is always optional. If you're pregnant or have a health condition, check with your doctor before using it.
Can I bring my kids? Yes! Steam & Stitches is family friendly and a great way to make handmade gifts together. Children under 15 must attend with a ticketed adult. Adults stay with their kids during the sauna round, and kids are welcome to take shorter sauna sessions or skip the sauna and enjoy the lounge instead. Our sauna attendant will be on hand to help. Our projects use needles and scissors, so younger crafters may need a little extra help from their grown-up.
What's the refund policy? No refunds after November 25, but tickets may be transferred. If we cancel or reschedule, guests get a full refund, or they can keep their ticket for the new date.
STEAM & STITCHES Sunday, December 6 · 10 AM to 4:30 PM Freight · 320 E 9th St, Leadville, Colorado 80461 $85 Brought to you by Sunshine Saunas and Freight, with Cloud City Embroidery, Fire on the Mountain and Brena Smith.