Phulkari Embroidery Workshop (Beginner)
Update: This workshop has sold out.
Please email Isabelle Sain (isain@textilemuseum.ca) to be added to the waitlist.
Saturday, April 18, 2026 | 1 PM – 4 PM
$40 | General
$30 | Textile Museum Members
In this Phulkari workshop, participants will explore the traditional embroidery known for its vibrant colours and intricate patterns that define this embroidery style. Phulkari is a South Asian embroidery technique, meaning flower work. Rafia Shafiq has hosted more than 50 workshops across the Greater Toronto Area teaching craft techniques to foster appreciation for fading crafts and encourage its continuity.
The session will introduce the origins, history, and cultural significance of Phulkari by diving into the materiality through Rafia’s own collection as well as the Textile Museum of Canada’s collection.
By the end of the workshop, each participant will have the opportunity to learn the basic techniques and stitches used to create their own embroidered piece, which can be appliquéd onto a shirt or scarf, framed, or displayed as a wall hanging.
All materials are supplied but if you require reading glasses, it is highly recommended to bring them to this workshop.
Facilitator Bio
Rafia Shafiq is an Oakville-based artist dedicated to promoting the intricate art of phulkari embroidery. Phulkari is a South Asian embroidery technique, meaning flower work. Each textile tells its own story, and Phulkari is the language of her craft. Over the past seven years, she has hosted more than 50 workshops across the GTA, including at the Textile Museum of Canada, the Art Gallery of Burlington, the University of Toronto, Contemporary Textile Studio and others.
Shafiq also founded the business ‘Dhaga Art’ in Canada, Dhaga meaning thread in Urdu language. Her work is renowned for the unique custom embroidered hoops, and has carved a niche in the North American market by crafting one-of-a-kind products. More recently, Sahfiq was selected by municipalities to lead four phulkari workshops in Oakville, Milton, Georgetown and Burlington for Ontario Culture Days. The workshops were highly appreciated and she won the award for the best collaborative program.
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