Grow Centre Classes

This Saturday at Grow Centre Classes✨Experience Traditional Parka Making with Indigenous Designer Dorathy Wright ✨
Have you ever wanted to learn what goes into one of my Traditional Parka or Cover Making workshops before bringing one to your community?
This exclusive one-day Pullover Sewing Class is the perfect introduction.
I'm looking to host community leaders, wellness coordinators, recreation staff, educators, cultural coordinators, and decision-makers who are interested in offering Traditional Parka or Cover Making classes in their own communities.
Over the course of the day, you'll experience my teaching style firsthand, learn traditional sewing techniques adapted for modern garments, and gain a better understanding of what it takes to host a successful workshop. You'll leave with your own handmade pullover and the knowledge to decide if this is something you'd like to bring home.
I'm honoured to have Nipiy Iskwew joining us as my special guest and class participant.
About Dorathy Wright
Dorathy Wright is a Gwich'in designer, educator, and owner of House of Willow. She specializes in creating contemporary Indigenous clothing while preserving the traditional sewing techniques and artistry of the North.
As a single mother of four and a passionate entrepreneur, Dorathy has taught hundreds of students across the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Manitoba and beyond, empowering communities through cultural revitalization, creativity, and hands-on learning. Her work has been showcased on international runways, including New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Moscow and Japan, where she proudly represents Indigenous fashion and Gwich'in culture on the world stage.
Her workshops are about much more than sewing—they're about preserving culture, building confidence, creating community, and passing traditional knowledge to the next generation.
What's Included
🧵 All sewing machines, materials, notions, and supplies are provided.
🧵 You'll complete your own handmade pullover to take home.
🧵 A materials fee will apply to help cover the cost of supplies and the venue.
🧵 This is an invitation-only event and is not open to the general public.
If your community has ever considered hosting a Traditional Parka Making or Cover Making Workshop, this is the perfect opportunity to experience one before booking.
Know a community leader, wellness coordinator, recreation director, education director, or someone responsible for organizing cultural programs? Please tag them in the comments or share this post with them! I'd love the opportunity to connect and help bring Traditional Parka Making or Cover Making workshops to more communities across the North and beyond. ❤️🪡 Mahsi! ✨
✨ Special Feature
We're also excited to have Linda Wright joining us for the day! Linda will have a small collection of her beautiful artwork on display and available for purchase. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet another talented northern Indigenous artist and enjoy a selection of her incredible work while you're attending the class. Linda Wright
📅 July 18 – Edmonton, Alberta 10 am - 6 pm (Location TBD)
📧 [email protected]

Join me this weekend to learn how to make moss bags!

Four spots have opened up for this weekend's Moss Bag Making Workshop!

Registration is open for our Kistehitah kimeskanām - honour your journey/road May 23-24 workshop (10 am to 6 pm both days).

Free for Indigenous folks living in the city of Edmonton.
Registration link:
https://www.kihewawasiswakamik.com/event-details-registration/moss-bags-kistehitah-kimeskanam-2026-05-23-10-00

Kistehitah kimeskanām (honour your journey/road) is a project arising from the identification of unmarked graves at former residential school sites across Turtle Island. It comes from a vision of a path lined with baby moccasins leading to a beautiful healing lodge. A pipe ceremony was held for the start of this project with Elder Ruth Cardinal de Ubiera in 2021.

The little moccasins (maskisina), moss bags (wâspisona) and baby star blankets created as part of this project will honour the children who were sent to the schools as well as the new spirits coming into the world today. An Elder or Knowledge Keeper will join us to share teachings and language.

Moss bags made during the workshop will be gathered together in ceremony and then gifted to little ones arriving from the spirit world, which means the wâspisona (moss bags) created during this workshop will not go home with participants. You will leave with skills that can be used to create on your own and teach others. Take home patterns and instructions will be provided.

Questions? Email [email protected]

Many thanks to our funder ECALA and our partner
Dickensfield Amity House for making these workshops possible. Also to Nikawiy Beads & Gifts for the space at the Grow Centre Classes

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❤️‍🔥 May 5th - Red Dress Day ❤️‍🔥

National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2sLGBTQIA+ Peoples

Red Dress Day calls for action against the disproportionately high rates of violence against indigenous women, girls and 2sLGBTQIA+ peoples- with over 63% experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime- and demands for justice for families.

You are not forgotten; you are missed and loved.

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With Mother’s Day coming up don’t forget some wonderful gifts to show your appreciation, with some beautiful caribou tufting as well as self care goodies 🩷

Come and sew with us! Join us for a great day of food, community and laughter.

Come learn to make moss bags with us!

Registration is open for our Kistehitah kimeskanām - honour your journey/road May 23-24 workshop (10 am to 6 pm both days).

Free for Indigenous folks living in the city of Edmonton.

Registration link:
https://www.kihewawasiswakamik.com/event-details-registration/moss-bags-kistehitah-kimeskanam-2026-05-23-10-00

Kistehitah kimeskanām (honour your journey/road) is a project arising from the identification of unmarked graves at former residential school sites across Turtle Island. It comes from a vision of a path lined with baby moccasins leading to a beautiful healing lodge. A pipe ceremony was held for the start of this project with Elder Ruth Cardinal de Ubiera in 2021.

The little moccasins (maskisina), moss bags (wâspisona) and baby star blankets created as part of this project will honour the children who were sent to the schools as well as the new spirits coming into the world today.

An Elder or knowledge keeper will join us to share teachings and language.

Items made during the workshop will be gathered together in ceremony and then gifted to little ones arriving from the spirit world, which means the maskisina, wâspisona and star blankets created during this workshop will not go home with participants.

You will go home with skills that can be used to make more crafts and be shared with others. Take home patterns and instructions will be provided.

Questions? Email [email protected]

As always...many thanks to our funder ECALA and our partner
Dickensfield Amity House for making these workshops possible

Nikawiy Beads & Gifts
Grow Centre Classes