The Nelms House

06/06/2026

The Nelms House Eco Art workshops will be offered throughout June and every day of the Maritime Rendezvous, June 12-14, noon to 5 pm or visitors can arrange a special workshop time by email [email protected] or phone 757-334-9568.
https://genuinesmithfieldva.com/events/smithfield-maritime-rendezvous/?event_date=2026-06-12

Nelms Wetlands Eco Art Workshop and Display
(There are Free Demos of Eco Art for the Maritime Rendezvous and 20% Discounted Workshops. Maritime Rendezvous Eco Art workshops include complimentary tea/coffee and scones.)

To increase cleaner waterways by use of native plants, Nelms will feature wetland native plants for ecoart in workshops and displays on vintage fabrics. Wetland plants in the Nelms Native Garden are available for eco prints and eco dyes in several rain gardens. For summer, silks from vintage saris are available for eco art workshops and on display for sale with wetland eco prints. See examples of wetland native plants as eco prints on Display such as silky dogwood.

06/06/2026

Nelms had a newly married couple buy and custom order 2 French Nouveau buttons as their first wedding rings. What a treat to have these beautiful buttons be used for their special occasion.

05/13/2026

Our tea buffet guest on Mother's Day left with a sari silk cowl in a shibori design from elderberry eco dye. Let me know if you like this style of cowl since this was OOAK. It was an experiment for ecodyes. I can create others with other eco dyes and shibori patterns on vintage sari silks. Or please come visit to commission a cowl or take a workshop to create a scarf!

05/13/2026

Now that spring is here, ecoart on vintage sari silks are being created at Nelms. Am experimenting with new natives, especially native grape vines, and being surprised at the results as you unwrap the bundles after steaming. Here are some results so far with silky dogwood and grape leaves (frost, muscadine and gray bark grape). They printed green! These silks are for a scarf and headbands.

Eco art headbands are now available in various designs to include needle and nuno felted styles using ecodyed roving and vintage lace. .

04/11/2026

Well, I finally completed a set of wearables from the same ecoprinted wool. The goal was a shawl/cape with armholes. I shortened the shawl and had enough to make 1 collar and 2 hip bags.
I also added a removable racoon collar for the shawl to use for colder days. It attaches with vintage MOP button. The wool is lightweight from a vintage blanket, made by Pearce. Wish I could find more of this weight since it drapes so nicely.
If you like the shawl and collar styles, let me know so can plan to make more now that leaves are sprouting during spring. Better yet, come try them on at Nelms since one size fits all.

03/21/2026

If you prefer a cozy neck warmer, rather than a long scarf, on chilly days, you can wear nuno felted scarf collars designed with oak leaves and the reverse in complimentary colors. Here are 2 styles of collars. Collars are shown with leaf designs and in reverse with front and back views. Scarf and roving are eco dyed with native plants. Oak leaf patterns are needle felted into the vintage sari silk and then nuno felted to embed roving into the silk.Come visit Nelms to try them on! These are limited editions and one of a kind.

03/03/2026

In March the Nelms House workshops provide arts and crafts for all ages to include a needlefelted shamrock on vintage wool for a brooch, 5x7 framed florals of various designs (https://appres.wixsite.com/nelmshouse/product-page/framed-florals), and upcycled leather to make jewelry with vintage embellishments of buttons, lace, acrylics, minerals, etc. All upcycle materials and supplies provided. Safety circles in separate spaces available. Call 757 334-9568, text, Facebook message, or email at [email protected] for details or specific bookings any day or time. Walkins possible only during public hours Wed to Sat noon to 5 pm."

Variety of framed florals with needle felting on vintage fabrics, hand painting, vintage fabric tussie mussie, vintage vases or wall pockets, and shelves with prices from $50 to $85 depending on frame sizes. Commission and custom orders are available for color schemes and floral designs.

02/19/2026

More designs using eco print or eco dyes with needle and nuno felt techniques are gradually appearing at the Nelms House. This newly completed silk scarf/shawl of vintage sari silk is eco dyed with elderberry leaves. All roving and yarns used to felt are eco dyed from native leaves. Actual oak leaves are used as templates for the felted leaves. Since oak leaves have such a variety of shapes, this scarf design is to show the diversity of Viriginia natives. This is truly a one of a kind upcycle scarf. (12"x62").

And if you want to wear silk on colder days, you can add a vintage fur collar like these 2 lenghths of racoon fur (upcycled from vintage coats) . Furs are made for sliding scarves into them to make neck warmers. Collar closures using MOP button make a snug fit. Collars are sold separately so mix and match the fox, mink. rabbit, and racoon collars Nelms has available.

02/09/2026

SELECTED VALENTINE ART ON SALE 20% OR 30% for FEBRUARY
Galantines Night Out is 2.12 5 to 8 pm. Nelms offers a discount on our Tea Buffet at $10/person for February so call today to reserve seating for 2.12, or buy a certificate for later this month, to enjoy with your Gals. Our special menu includes Scones (pumpkin and/or orange), cheese spreads and pumpkin butter, locally made jam and relish, chicken salad or sliced ham, and pumpkin bread for dessert.

For walkins we offer our tea/coffee bars for $3 and a complementary pumpkin scone or beignet (Cafe du Monde recipe). You can sit to enjoy the living history experience at Nelms, make a a upcycle tussie mussie nosegay from $10 and up (size dependent), or buy one of a kind Valentine gifts.

01/31/2026

Nelms introduces a Boho bib necklace design in February that is just in time for Valentines. It is made from vintage sari silks that are eco dyed with native plants. The roving used for the needle and nuno felting is ecodyed from natives along with the wool yarns. Accents are added with 19th C buttons.The leaf patterns are white oak. They are adjustable for wearing at chest or collar lengths.

Let us know if boho necklaces of nuno felt would be an upcycle art you want to learn for workshops. We can make that happen as a specialized offer. Nuno felt is a unique process for making all types of wearables. For starters making a small necklace is advised. We offer vintage sari silks and ecodyed roving that mechanically interact to make another fabric. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuno_felting