New classes will be added throughout the year!

Friends, I am passionate about developing well considered handcraft projects and presenting them with thoughtfully researched instruction and a little bit of humor. Invest in yourself, tackle a new craft or hone your skills and join me for an in-person or virtual workshop this year!

As many of you know, in 2025 I accepted a new full-time position managing public programming at Sonoma Botanical Garden – an opportunity that allows me to help foster, support, and shape a vibrant calendar of community-focused programs celebrating this spectacularly special place. In 2026, the Garden will mount exhibitions and offer lectures, hands-on workshops, concert series, volunteer opportunities, holiday celebrations, and so much more. If you live in California’s North Bay – or have plans to travel this way – I warmly encourage you to add the Garden to your itinerary and explore our public calendar for upcoming programs.

My public workshops will be closer to home in 2026, and I’ll do my best to list them below as early as possible. A couple of notes on my program/venue partners:

• Many of you joined me throughout Sonoma County for workshops with the Crafted at Appellation series in 2025 while their Healdsburg property was under construction. Now open and boasting a gorgeous Maker Room, I’m excited to offer local hands-on experiences accompanied by Appellation’s chef crafted seasonal bites and local Sonoma County wines. And, if you’re traveling in from out of town, or wanting to treat yourself to a lovely staycation – it’s a beautiful place to stay in the heart of California wine country.
• When I began my new position at Sonoma Botanical Garden, I stepped into a very robust calendar of established programming. Now entering my second year, I’m delighted to begin teaching some of my own workshops here amongst the many other diverse and wonderful offerings the Garden make available to it’s members and guests.
• Last year, I took a big swing and hosted my first solo-run creative retreat here in my hometown—and Well Crafted Sonoma was nothing short of wonderful. Twenty-four guests from eleven states gathered for a brilliant week of crafting, connection, and camaraderie. I’m overjoyed to offer the experience again in October 2026, thoughtfully refined with all we learned during our inaugural year. We’d love to have you join us!

Below, please find a current chronological listing of 2026 public events. For complete details and to register – please click on the respective links. Any questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach me at robert@robert-mahar.com.

JANUARY:
Embroidered Sonoma County Map Workshop (In-Person)
Appellation Hotel, Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA
January 31, 2026

FEBRUARY:
Embroidered Valentine Botanicals Workshop (In-Person)
Sonoma Botanical Garden, San Francisco, CA
February 7, 2026

Japanese Paper Marbling Workshop (In-Person)
Appellation Hotel, Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA
February 28, 2026

MARCH:
Embroidered Sonoma County Postcards Workshop (In-Person)
Appellation Hotel, Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA
March 28, 2026

OCTOBER:
Well Crafted Sonoma 2026: Creative Retreat (In-Person)
Sonoma, CA
October 5-9, 2026