I got introduced to the wonderful world of hand-work in elementary school in Germany, where I lived till 1997.

My maternal grandfather was a gentlemen's tailor and owned a clothing store in Northern Germany. My paternal grandmother made her living as a master seamstress. My younger sister is a textile engineer and owns a sewing studio in Bavaria.

After almost three decades of a busy professional career as an architect in Germany and the US, with a focus on sustainability and green (school) building, I opened my first handwork studio as a maker space for the public in Potomac in 2016.
It was a 50th birthday present to myself, my "doily" reward for sticking it out as a working mom in a technical domain for so long. Due to the pandemic we moved the studio to Bethesda (Carderock Springs), just off the DC Beltway, in the summer of 2020.
Today, after many years of making and designing, I dare call myself a fiber artist, with lots of passion and patience for teaching beginners.
In my studio we mix hygge and friendships with the traditional handwork techniques of knitting, crocheting, embroidery, sewing, felting, weaving - and much more.
These fiber techniques and skills, usually mastered by the older generation, are at the verge of going extinct, and I have set out to change that!

When it comes to kids' crafts I consider glue and glitter crafts the bad "G" words. I believe in teaching the "real deal", not a fast craft that lands in the trash. In my studio we make heirlooms and "grandparents charmers", and learn real skills.

My best days are when a beginner gets hooked on a new to them fiber art - and we are able to explore traditional techniques and infuse them with fresh, clever design ideas.

Whatever handwork you want to explore -
Come on in!
I currently offer weekly after school classes, private instruction by appointment anytime, birthday parties and summer camps.
I can hardly wait to meet you and see what we can create together!

Knit warmly,

Anja S. Caldwell

Make a Blanket for a Child in Need

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Anja Caldwell

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