This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the traditional art of needle lace (İğne Oyası), a centuries-old textile practice deeply rooted in Anatolian (Turkish) culture. Participants will explore the cultural and historical significance of Oya lace while learning the foundational techniques of this delicate craft, including proper needle and thread preparation and essential needle lace stitches. Through guided instruction, participants will create a small lace sample or motif, developing an appreciation for the patience, hand rhythm, and mindful making central to this tradition. Designed for complete beginners as well as those with prior embroidery or fiber art experience, the workshop offers an opportunity to develop new skills and gain the confidence to continue practicing needle lace independently.
Date
Saturday, January 9th, 2027
Time
12:00-4:00 pm ET
Location
TATTER Textile Library: 505 Carroll Street, #2B, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Class Materials
All materials are included with ticket purchase.
Cost
$200
Our Teacher
Ylvia Asal is a multidisciplinary visual and traditional folk artist, teaching artist, and culture bearer based in Haddonfield, New Jersey. Born in Türkiye, she learned the traditional Turkish-Anatolian art of Oya lace from her grandmother at the age of 13. This early connection to lacemaking became a lifelong artistic practice rooted in cultural memory, women’s knowledge, and the preservation of textile traditions.
Working with needle lace, crochet, shuttle lace, embroidery, ebru (Turkish paper marbling), and mixed-media textiles, Asal bridges traditional techniques with contemporary artistic expression. Her work explores the connections between heritage, identity, memory, healing, and community, bringing the stories held within threads and stitches into contemporary life.
In 2012, she established Ylvia Asal Studio – Anatolian Cultures and Arts in New Jersey, where she teaches traditional textile techniques and shares Turkish-Anatolian arts through workshops, exhibitions, and community programs. Through her teaching, she invites participants to experience needlework not only as a craft but also as a living cultural language that connects generations and brings people together.
Asal is a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Folk and Traditional Artist Fellow and received the 2023 New Jersey Cultural Heritage Fellowship Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2026, she received a Walking Together grant through the Regional Arts Organizations initiative, supported by Mid Atlantic Arts. Her scholarly contributions include a published book review in Textile: Cloth and Culture, a journal published by Taylor & Francis.