Give new life to your old clothes and fabrics.
When Louise Bourgeois grew older, she worried that her memories and stories would disappear with her. To hold on to them, she began turning her own clothes into artworks – giving them, and in a way herself, a kind of lasting life. You might not have the same long‑term plan for your wardrobe, but at our fabric workshop you’ll still get the chance to refresh, repair and reinvent your favourite pieces. You can bedazzle, embroider, print, decorate – and even learn how to bind your own fabric‑based book.
Bring your own fabrics, or buy from us, and we’ll provide the tools and materials to help you make them shine.
The event takes place in the project room on the lower ground floor, where we’ll be setting up a bar for the evening.
Your ticket includes museum entry for the whole day, so you’re welcome to drop in and see the exhibition earlier if you like.
We’re looking forward to a creative night together – learning something new, giving an old pair of jeans a glow‑up, enjoying a glass of wine, chatting, relaxing and maybe even making a few new connections along the way.
Louise Bourgeois and her work with fabrics
Louise Bourgeois worked with fabrics throughout her entire career. Her parents ran a workshop in Paris where they restored antique tapestries, so fabrib craft became a natural part of her life from an early age – and perhaps even her first encounter with art. Over the years she kept expanding her use of fabric and soft materials, working with everything from rubber, fur and mesh to repurposed dresses and jumpers from her own wardrobe.
What can you make in the fabric workshop?
In the exhibition Louise Bourgeois – Echo of the Morning, you’ll find fabric columns, casts made from Bourgeois’ own jumper, small sewn figures, and a book titled Hours of the Day, where image and text are printed on fabric. In our workshop, you’ll get an introduction to bookbinding and can create your own notebook or photo album with a personal touch, using covers made from recycled fabrics. You can also print images and text on fabric, embroider, sew, and decorate fabrics with rhinestones using a rhinestone applicator.