Art Borups Corners and Melgund Recreation welcome youth and artists to learn garment-making at the annual summer incubator

Sewing needles and scissors were out this week at Dyment Recreation Hall, where young people and local artists gathered to learn the craft of making traditional ribbon dresses.

The Monday session marked another week of the annual summer arts incubator, a program run by Art Borups Corners and Melgund Recreation, Arts and Culture. This time around, the focus was on sewing—specifically, the kind of garment-making that carries cultural weight and teaches real, usable skills.

Participants sat down with fabric, thread, and ribbon, working through the steps of constructing these traditional ribbon dresses. It is hands-on work. There is measuring, cutting, pinning, and stitching. For some, it was their first time at a sewing machine. For others, it was a chance to refine technique and learn a style of dressmaking with deep roots.

The summer arts incubator runs on a drop-in basis. Anyone looking to join can stop by Dyment Recreation Hall on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. No registration required, no experience necessary—just show up ready to work with your hands.

The program will continue through the summer, with each week bringing new arts and skills-based activities.