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The Old Stone Mill Center
c/o 494 Stage Rd.
Cummington, MA 01026
• Central African cooking over an open fire
Cooking bibete or ntete (calabash grains) with shrimps
I am Pauline Dongala, let’s take a virtual trip to the Congo through the Congolese cooking class.
Come join us and discover how mother nature works in feeding us with no preservatives or sugar added but healthy food. For this class we will be featuring Ntete with shrimps and served with boiled plantains.
The bibete or ntete is eaten throughout African countries. The calabash grain is a delicacy that is cooked in various ways depending on what region or African country you are from.
Cooking in my village (Bikie) was a sacred moment that gathered women in the household as well as the entire community. The cooking time was also the time of solving problems and learning about things that needed some wisdom or thinking from another person. The fire was soothing, the magic of the flame calming and transporting. We listened to the comforting sounds of the food boiling in the big boutanga (cooking pot) anticipating a delicious meal. We feasted on stories told to us by our grandmother, mother and aunt.
Don’t miss this cultural exchange experience between the U.S and the village of Bikie, Congo.
The meal will be eaten on site or bring a container to bring some home.
$65
Saturday, August 1
11:00-1:00
** Cooking class prices vary due to the cost of ingredients
ABOUT PAULINE:
“My name is Pauline Dongala. I will be introducing you to Traditional African cooking I learned from my grandparents and parents.” Pauline learned to cook when spending summers in her home village, Bikie in The Congo Republic (French Congo). Her grandmother and mother placed three stones on the ground and a large cooking pot on top.
“When I came to this country I experienced a ‘clash’ with the food.” Pauline says. “Back home when we cook we get fresh ingredients from an open market, our garden, the rainforest or the river. The cooking of the food on the fire adds a specific flavor. I miss that.”
Pauline is offering a series of classes as a cultural exchange and to pass on to a new generation of African people the foods made by their ancestors.
• Sew a Summer Skirt!
With fabric from the mill, you will sew a simple skirt with a tie/elastic waistband. Some sewing experience helpful.
Stay cool this summer!
With Deborah H. Carter and Ana Gentes
Introductory class for anyone age 12 and up. Fall in love with sewing with these wonderfully creative and skilled instructors.
July 26, 2026
11:00 to 1:30 and 2:00 to 4:30
$42 for a 2-1/2 hour time slot
*please indicate your preferred time slot on your registration form
ABOUT DEBORAH & ANA
Deborah H. Carter is an internationally known multi-media artist from the US who creates upcycled, one-of-a-kind apparel. Her couture pieces are constructed from post consumer waste such as food packaging, wine corks, cardboard, books, wire, plastic and other discarded items and thrifted wares. She manipulates the color, shape and texture of her materials in a way that compels us to question
our habits and attitudes about waste and consumption.
Ana Gentes’ mother was a fashion designer, so Ana started sewing in her grade school years and has continued her whole life. She studied design in New York City, graduating as a Fashion Designer. She works on wedding dresses, prom gowns and more and does alterations. She loves being “the town seamstress.”
Note: You don’t need to own your own sewing machine to take this class. The mill has a beautiful collection of vintage sewing machines for your use. They are also available for purchase.
» Register Now
• Intro to Printmaking
Monoprint, Collagraph, Styrofoam tray printing and more!
No technique is off the table.
Explore the transferred image, stamping, hand printing, press printing. All are enjoyed and explored at the fabulous studio in our 1860 mill building.
Leni Fried is a life long printmaker and is happy to share her techniques.
Add on a framing class and have a show!
Oil Based inks/ Non toxic clean up.
Register soon as space is limited.
This class is on-going / Sign up anytime.
Sundays 11:00 – 2:00
Additional studio time is available.
Sign up for three to five sessions. Please indicate with a follow up email how many sessions you are signing up for and which ones.
$52/ Session, $260 for the whole series
» Register now
» Leni’s Website: www.lenifriedprintmaking.com
• Introduction to Metal Fabrication
Make stuff out of metal. Cut, machine, bend, grind, polish… metal. Use a spot welder. Learn to measure using a dial calipers. Use a metal lathe, Bridgeport, buffer, grinder band saw, cold saw, and hand tools.
Learn basic skills or get help with an ongoing project.
Beginners welcome.
This class is on-going / Sign up anytime.
Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays 11:00-1:00 or 2:00-4:00
$60 per 2 hour session
*please indicate your preferred time slot on your registration form
ABOUT MIKE
Mike Augspurger, born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1956, is an expert cyclist, a skilled machinist, and a designer and builder of bicycles. Founder of Merlin Metalworks, and later One-Off Titanium Inc Augspurger is a specialist in custom titanium frame bicycles. He also designed and built the first all-terrain handcycle for wheelchair athletes.
He is the Co-owner of The Old Stone Mill and is pleased to be offering the Metal fabrication class.
This class is for all ages. Our youngest student so far was 9 years old!
» Register Now
• Picture Framing for the UpCyclist
Bring in your picture framing projects to our UpCycled Framing Studio. This is a chance to frame pieces inexpensively and learn how to use a mat cutter, glass cutter and dry mount press. All artwork will be fitted to an existing picture frame. Carpentry skills will not be needed.
Bring in the items you want to frame and sign up for a three hour time slot.
There are just 2 people per three-hour time slot, so you will get lots of personal guidance.
This class is on-going / Sign up anytime
Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays
Sign up for any 3 hour time between 9:00 and 5:00
Let us know what date.
$60 per time slot
If you need more than 3 hours, you can take more than one time slot.
Frames and mat board are priced separately.
Beginners welcome.
Tell me your project!
ABOUT LENI:
Leni Fried is a lifelong printmaker and one of her jobs was as a picture framer in the Boston area. Leni will show you easy ways to mat, dry mount and frame a picture using the extensive library of pre made picture frames at the mill. You will learn to use the multi material cutter to cut glass, plexiglass, mat board and foam core, the mat cutter, dry mount press and how to clean and fit up your artwork. All of these skills are beginner friendly and can be accomplished with very little math. It’s practical and so satisfying to bring home pictures ready to hang.
**The mill is actively seeking picture frames, glass, mat board and framing supplies in any condition.
Everything you use in the class has been donated often by museums and schools with surplus materials.
*please indicate your preferred time slot on your registration form
» Register now. Space is limited.
***PREVIOUS CLASSES***
Have a look at some of our previous classes. If there are any you’re interested in seeing us repeat, send us an email at leni@oldstonemillcenter.org and we’ll see if we can offer it again.
• Intro to Printmaking
Monoprint, Collagraph, Styrofoam tray printing and more!
No technique is off the table.
Explore the transferred image, stamping, hand printing, press printing. All are enjoyed and explored at the fabulous studio in our 1860 mill building.
Leni Fried is a life long printmaker and is happy to share her techniques.
Add on a framing class and have a show!
Oil Based inks/ Non toxic clean up.
Register soon as space is limited.
This class is on-going / Sign up anytime.
Sundays 11:00 – 2:00
Additional studio time is available.
Sign up for all five sessions or as few as three. Please indicate with a follow up email how many sessions you are signing up for and which ones.
$52/ Session, $260 for the whole series
» Register now
» Leni’s Website: www.lenifriedprintmaking.com
Another great class from our guest teacher, Deb Carter
Drive the draft away!!
Come and make a door draft snake using recycled materials at Zero Waste Maker Space in Adams MA
Sunday February 26, 2023 from 11am-1pm
$10.00
We will use materials from the mill to sew and create a door draft. Learn how to sew using a machine or hand stitch your project. Sell your unique designs on Ebay or Etsy!
To register e mail: leni@oldstonemillcenter.org
BagShare Classes – Fun for all ages and abilities!
Sign up soon as space is limited. All ages and abilities are welcome.
Let’s start a bagshare in Berkshire County.
Come and use our sewing machines and enjoy the stash of fabric remnants, upholstery samples, trim and more by making bags. Once our bagshare location is born we will start a regular sewing group at the mill to keep the location supplied. Learn to sew and make a bag.
To register e mail: leni@oldstonemillcenter.org
Feel free to email us and suggest a bagshare location. A bagshare is anyplace that uses bags. The bagshare project supplies a free, reusable alternative made of upcycled fabric to borrow when a customer forgets their bag. It’s creativity in action. It can be a farmer’s market, library, CSA, Halloween bags, girl scout cookie bags… etc.
Where would you like to see a bagshare in Berskshire county?
Learn about the bagshare project’s 17 year history!
http://www.thebagshare.org
oldstonemillcenterdotorg 