Activity
Often, our most treasured textiles are the ones we use the least—carefully tucked away to protect them from dust, light, and wear. Drawing on a long history of textile preservation, from quilt chests to the Japanese tatoushi used to store kimono, The Heritage Quilt Keep offers a thoughtful, beautiful solution for safeguarding beloved quilts. Inspired by these traditions and archival practices, this project combines a plain cotton muslin interior with a solid or pieced exterior, creating a protective wrap that is as functional as it is visually compelling. Thoughtful details like fanned dust corners keep the quilt held snugly inside, while an optional silk chiffon window offers a glimpse of what’s within without the need to unwrap it.
Over two sessions, teaching artist and designer Elliot Rockart will guide students through measuring, assembling, and embellishing their own quilt keep. In the first session, participants will begin construction and explore optional design elements, including the chiffon viewing window. In the second, they will complete assembly and add both decorative stitching and practical finishing touches. Students will be encouraged to complete some stitching independently between class sessions to stay on pace with the instructor. Welcoming both hand and machine stitchers, this workshop is ideal for anyone interested in preserving textile heirlooms while engaging in a deeply satisfying, quilt-adjacent making process—one that honors the care, craftsmanship, and legacy of the quilts it protects.
Date + Time
Saturdays, June 13th & June 27th, 2026
10 am -12:30 pm ET, Two sessions.
Cost
$150
Location
Zoom, access link will be sent out the day before class.
Recording
Classes will be recorded. Links to the recordings will be emailed to all registrants following the live session and available for one month after the final session.
Materials List
Medium weight cotton or linen fabric (for outside) – 3 yards
Unbleached, undyed fabric (for lining/inside) – 3 yards
Twill tape – 1 yard
Batting – 3 yards (optional)
Scrap fabric (for dust corners), about 7 types of scrap fabric at least 8 in by 4 in each
Silk chiffon square – 6 × 6 inches (for window)
Sewing thread
Sewing needles
Embroidery thread (for quilting)
Our Teacher
Elliot Rockart is a nonbinary textile artist, writer, and researcher located in Brooklyn, New York. They combine their love of history and textiles through creating historically inspired knitted, crocheted, embroidered, sewn, woven, hooked, spun, tatted, and appliquéd art. Through this hands-on approach to history, they seek to understand through embodiment the lived experiences of people and collectives who have created textiles across history. Today, their work is primarily inspired by the history of material culture and their own process of medically and socially transitioning as a transmasculine person. You can find them on Instagram @myweeklyarn.