Poppy StitchKind: a Gentle Introduction to Hand-Stitched Folk Doll with Kecia Deveney
Friday, April 17, 2026
10:00 am-5:00 pm, 1 hour break for provided lunch
Location: Upstairs classroom
Visit the About Our Creative Minds Summit page with info on what’s included with your registration, suggested hotels for out of towners, FAQs and more
Poppy StitchKind is a slow folklore-inspired mixed-media doll class rooted in patience, exploration, and gentle making. She is a keeper of things that were forgotten or set aside. She lives where scraps gather, bits of cloth, worn edges, mended seams and soft mistakes happen. Poppy believes nothing is ever wasted and is only waiting to be noticed again.
Using clay, a supplied doll head to alter, fabric scraps, felt, and basic embroidery techniques, participants create their own Poppy StitchKind. Made slowly, with kind hands and listening heart. These dolls are not about perfection or precision. They are meant to be expressive, slightly whimsical and full of quiet personality — shaped by hand, care, and attention. The emphasis is on process over outcome. Class time is for exploration and play, not overthinking! Trust your hands, follow the materials, and allow the figure to emerge. No prior experience is required. Sample is approximately 8 in. tall x 5 in. across. Your class kit — a $25 fee paid directly to the instructor the morning of class includes Aves apoxie clay (more info below), doll heads, paints, wire, foam, sand blocks, needle/threads and use of glue guns and sticks. ♦ Student Supply List (please bring the following with you to class) ● Scotch/3M 1 in. masking tape (Kecia gets hers at Walmart) ● Serrated knife ● Paintbrushes, a variety of sizes & shapes (wide, liner, angle etc.) ● Water container ● Scissors for fabric ● Small bottle of Beacon’s fabric glue or Beacon’s 3-n-1 (Kecia advises that Walmart is the cheapest) ● Assortment of scrap fabrics.
This is a process-forward class with no patterns and no expectation of perfection. Students are guided to work slowly, trust their hands, and allow their doll to emerge naturally. The focus is on presence, material listening, and creative freedom rather than finished results.
From Kecia re: Aves apoxie clay: “On my website is a free class on working with the epoxy clay. I thought I’d share so that potential participants can view it and get a sense of the product.”
About the Instructor: Kecia is a mixed media artist whose work lives somewhere between book, object, and quiet offering. She works with fabric scraps, paper, stitching, and found elements, allowing intuition and material memory to guide each piece. In her classes, Kecia encourages a slower way of making — one rooted in listening, touch, and letting go of perfection. Her teaching is soft, supportive, and process-driven, welcoming artists of all experience levels. Visit Kecia’s website at https://keciadeveney.com
