Intro to Improv: hand-stitching workshop with Phong Chi Lai
16/04/2026–16/04/2026
1:00 PM–3:00 PM
Arts Lab, Level 1, Arts & Cultural Building, (Building 159) University of Melbourne
UMSU Gallery
Brought to you by the SSAF
Without rules or rulers, we will use remnant cloth fabric strips to learn quilting techniques including hand piecing/sewing, pressing and trimming to create a freely designed quilt square/block based on the traditional Log Cabin block.
We will then explore fundamental hand embroidery techniques to mindfully add to your patchwork creation and touch on topics such as up-cycling, darning and more.
WHEN: Thursday 16 April, 1-3PM
WHERE: Meet at the Arts Lab, Level 1, Arts and Cultural Building, Monash Road, Building 159 (MAP), next to the George Paton Gallery.
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Phong Chi Lai is a Naarm based textile artist specialising in contemporary quilting, and soft sculptures, using improv patchwork as a core part of his practice. He reimagines textiles not as passive materials tied to function or tradition, but as dynamic, evolving sites of contemporary artistic inquiry.
Originally a shoe designer/maker, Phong transitioned into textiles after working with social enterprises across Asia. These experiences reinforced his artisan ethos and commitment to sustainability. His work is both resourceful and deeply responsive to his surroundings.
The materials he uses—locally foraged natural dyes and reclaimed textiles—carry histories of use, place, and labour. Their layering becomes a form of storytelling: one that speaks to memory, environmental fragility, and the transmission of knowledge through handwork. The process is intentionally slow and meditative. Within that slowness is a quiet urgency: a reclaiming of space, voice, and presence.