Workshops - 2026 JASNA AGM: Jane Austen's Bath Novels: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion

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An essential piece of AGM wardrobe is the conference badge, worn on a lanyard. Go beyond the basic badge holder by making a beaded lanyard to set off your Regency or modern attire, which you can wear year after year. You’ll learn the technique of starting and finishing the lanyard and applying fasteners, and can choose from a variety of beads and arrange them to suit your individual style. No skills are required beyond threading beads on a string, although reading glasses may be a plus. All materials are supplied.

Jane Austen, her mother, and her sister were experts at English Paper Piecing, the patchwork technique they used to create the famous quilt preserved at Jane Austen’s house. (Paper is used to support the shapes, but the final product is made of cotton fabric.) Inspired by Captain Wentworth's starry skies at sea, we will sew a star by using the English Paper Piecing method. You can choose to make a 5-piece or 7-piece star. Your completed star can be used later to decorate a totebag, placemat, or garment, or you can use it as the start of a larger quilt project. Some scissors will be available, but if you are able to bring your own, please do. Fabric and other supplies will be provided.

You’ll see paper flower crowns everywhere in Tucson, as they are associated with the Day of the Dead, and you are probably familiar with artist Frida Kahlo’s vibrant floral headdresses (as seen in the detail above from a Tucson mural). Flower crowns can also be festive accessories to wear to the Regency ball. Join local historian and archaeologist Homer Thiel to explore the role paper flower crowns play in Tucson’s customs and to make your own. In this hands-on workshop, you will learn how to craft easy paper flowers and assemble them into crowns. All materials will be provided.

Participants will receive a Sewing Instruction Booklet and supplies for making four different types of pin keeps: silk fabric, beads, bone, and wool. Also included are the period short pins to put in the pin keeps so they will be ready for use. Mackenzie Sholtz will demonstrate basic sewing stitches needed to make the pin keeps and provide hands-on help. The class is suitable for beginners or experienced sewists. Attendees are asked to bring their own scissors and sewing needles. There will be shared tools available during class. Original and reproduction pin keeps will also be available for inspiration.

Have Jane Austen’s words with you always by creating and wearing paper bead jewelry made from upcycled pages of Austen novels! Workshop participants will create a pair of earrings and a bracelet with handmade paper beads crafted from upcycled Jane Austen book pages, accented with glass beads. Though paper is the starting point, the finished jewelry is durable and will be a treasured reminder of your time at the AGM. Each person will leave with one finished bracelet, one pair of earrings, and knowledge of a fun craft to practice at home. Step-by-step instruction by Tucson-based Michelle Schloss; all supplies will be provided.

Participants will receive a kit that includes a Sewing Instruction Booklet as well as materials for making one beautiful regency reticule, which includes silk ribbon, drawstrings, and thread. Mackenzie Sholtz will demonstrate sewing stitches needed to make the reticule during class and provide hands-on help with construction. The class is appropriate for beginners or experienced sewists. Attendees are asked to bring their own tape measure or ruler, scissors, needles, and pins. There will be shared tools available during class.

Doubleknitting is a hand-knitting technique in which two fabrics are knitted simultaneously on one pair of needles, often using contrasting colors. The result can vary, depending on the design and desire of the crafter: two identical pieces, a two-layer piece with mirror-image colorwork, patterned colorwork with floats, and pieces with inner and outer layers all can come from doubleknitting. This workshop teaches the basics of doubleknitting and requires a familiarity with knit and purl stitching. You do not need to have any experience with colorwork or patterns. You can choose to make a two-color piece using sample Jane Austen patterns or practice the technique with one color. Depending on your speed and skill, you may complete a teacup coaster in the class, or you can focus on learning and practicing and take your project home to finish. It may look complicated, but it is no harder than knit and purl. Bring your own needles (whatever size you are comfortable with) and yarn (single skein of two contrasting colors, in a weight appropriate for your needles).

Step into the spirited world of Jane Austen and discover how her bold, playful, experimental early works can spark your own writing. This workshop begins with a lively sampling of Austen’s prose as we reconnect with her wit, exaggeration, and daring ideas. Participants will let their creativity blossom with three imaginative prompts: crafting a character experiment, plotting twists worthy of Catherine Morland, and writing no-pressure poetry. It’s all about curiosity, risk-taking, and literary fun, no perfection required! You’ll leave with a slim creative writing journal and fresh ideas. These are all new creative writing activities designed especially for the 2026 AGM! All materials are supplied, including lined notebooks, pens, and instruction handouts.

Have you ever thought about writing your own Jane Austen fan fiction short story or novel? Do you want to write the next chapter for your favorite characters? Maybe you have an alternate ending in mind, or a murder mystery starring an Austen heroine as an amateur sleuth. Now could be the time to pursue a writing project that combines your passion for all things Jane with a bucket list goal to finish your novel or story. You’ve got the idea, you know which characters will be in it, but maybe you could use a little help with getting off the starting block. Join Robin Henry (book coach, professor, and most importantly, Austen super-fan) to create your very own “Plan of a Novel.” Please bring your laptop or preferred writing materials.

Whether your dancing shoes are brand new or just a bit dusty, have no fear! Join us on a shame-free dance floor for a 90-minute English Country Dance workshop that will prepare you for this year’s ball. Many of the dances Jane Austen enjoyed are easy to learn, and Tom and Toni make it almost as simple as walking. You do not need a partner to sign up for a class.

Tom and Toni Tumbusch have taught together since 2005, hosting English Country and other historical dance workshops throughout the United States and Canada (including at several JASNA AGMs). Both perform with the historical dance troupe Forget-Me-Not. This workshop is offered several times with identical content.