I love to speak to quilt groups and provide workshops! For details, including testimonials, prices, my contract and my schedule, please see my website: http://www.bluemoonriver.com/programs.html
PRESENTATIONS
Point, Click, Quilt!
A one-hour digital slide show and trunk show based on my new book, Point, Click, Quilt! This lecture focuses on tips for taking better photographs, and then turning them into art quilts. This is an inspirational and detailed look at my process: tracing the photo; enlarging the line drawing; using it to trace the fused applique pieces for the quilt; creating a positioning overlay; and then cutting, positioning and fusing the pieces before thread sketching and quilting. A trunk show of pieces from the slideshow and additional work follows, and questions are welcome.
A one-hour digital slide show and trunk show based on my new book, Point, Click, Quilt! This lecture focuses on tips for taking better photographs, and then turning them into art quilts. This is an inspirational and detailed look at my process: tracing the photo; enlarging the line drawing; using it to trace the fused applique pieces for the quilt; creating a positioning overlay; and then cutting, positioning and fusing the pieces before thread sketching and quilting. A trunk show of pieces from the slideshow and additional work follows, and questions are welcome.
The artist in you
A one-hour digital slide show and trunk show. I describe my personal journey from that of a traditional quilter to an artist who makes both traditional quilts and art quilts. I start with a digital slideshow, which shows my work and some of the techniques I use. Then I do a trunk show and a question-and-answer session. The focus is on ways for traditional quilters to become more creative by embracing their own “inner artist.” It is my goal to inspire and encourage quilters to try making an art quilt for several reasons: to challenge themselves, to unleash their innate creativity, to learn new techniques, to discover things about themselves through art, and to share their view of the world with others.
A one-hour digital slide show and trunk show. I describe my personal journey from that of a traditional quilter to an artist who makes both traditional quilts and art quilts. I start with a digital slideshow, which shows my work and some of the techniques I use. Then I do a trunk show and a question-and-answer session. The focus is on ways for traditional quilters to become more creative by embracing their own “inner artist.” It is my goal to inspire and encourage quilters to try making an art quilt for several reasons: to challenge themselves, to unleash their innate creativity, to learn new techniques, to discover things about themselves through art, and to share their view of the world with others.
Thread sketch it!
A one-hour digital slide show and trunk show. I cover what thread sketching is (and isn’t!), preparing your piece for thread sketching, stabilizers, types of threads and thread weights, sewing machine considerations, great tools, and how to add wonderful detail to your piece with thread, including color, line, pattern, texture, dimension and movement. I’ll also address getting over your fear of trying free-motion stitching. This presentation covers much of what I wrote about in my series of six articles for Quilting Arts magazine in 2010, and in the two Quilting Arts Workshop DVDs on the subject I produced in 2009 and 2010.
A one-hour digital slide show and trunk show. I cover what thread sketching is (and isn’t!), preparing your piece for thread sketching, stabilizers, types of threads and thread weights, sewing machine considerations, great tools, and how to add wonderful detail to your piece with thread, including color, line, pattern, texture, dimension and movement. I’ll also address getting over your fear of trying free-motion stitching. This presentation covers much of what I wrote about in my series of six articles for Quilting Arts magazine in 2010, and in the two Quilting Arts Workshop DVDs on the subject I produced in 2009 and 2010.
Yes, you can do needleturn appliqué!
A one-hour digital slide show and trunk show. I walk you through my method of doing needleturn appliqué. I cover all the basics: fabric choice and preparation; several ways of making templates (or, better yet, working without templates at all!); creating positioning overlays; doing reverse applique; and stitching precise concave and convex points, curves, beautiful circles and bias vines. You’ll learn about the little details and tools that make all the difference: knots (starting and stopping), threads, needles, pins, sand boards, and marking devices. I finish with a trunk show and question-and-answer session. My love and enthusiasm for needleturn applique is infectious…Those in your group who admire needleturn appliqué but are terrified to try may just decide to jump in!
A one-hour digital slide show and trunk show. I walk you through my method of doing needleturn appliqué. I cover all the basics: fabric choice and preparation; several ways of making templates (or, better yet, working without templates at all!); creating positioning overlays; doing reverse applique; and stitching precise concave and convex points, curves, beautiful circles and bias vines. You’ll learn about the little details and tools that make all the difference: knots (starting and stopping), threads, needles, pins, sand boards, and marking devices. I finish with a trunk show and question-and-answer session. My love and enthusiasm for needleturn applique is infectious…Those in your group who admire needleturn appliqué but are terrified to try may just decide to jump in!
WORKSHOPS
Thread Sketching: Snowflakes
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Whip up your very own flurry in this class, using thread, fabric and a tiny bit of paint. $3 kit fee includes interfacing, pattern and paint. You’ll learn the basics of how to thread sketch, using my patterns for gorgeous, realistic looking snowflakes. We will cover:
- tracing your design onto your background fabric
- how to stabilize your piece to avoid draw-up
- regulating your stitch for perfect tension
- how to improve your control while stitching
- quilting considerations
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: All
TIME: 6 hours or 3 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Several ironing boards, several light boards/boxes, access to outlets for sewing machines, table space for each student.
Thread Sketching: Cripps Pink Apple
Learn how to add highlights and shadows, and blend colors using thread sketching to create a realistic apple. $5 kit fee covers interfacing, pattern and fusible adhesive. This is the most basic of my thread sketching classes. Using a simple apple pattern, students learn how to:
- cut pieces from fusible adhesive and fuse them to the background
- stabilize the fabric surface
- choose the right threads and needles for threadsketching
- adjust tension for the correct stitch
- add color, highlights and shadows using thread
- quilting considerations
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: Intermediate
TIME: 3 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Table space for each student. Access to power outlets for sewing machines. Two ironing boards and irons.
Thread Sketching: Crayons
In this class, students will create thread-sketched crayons on white fabric. This is a good class for those seeking greater control in their free-motion stitching. $2 kit fee covers interfacing and pattern. Students learn how to:
- stabilize the fabric surface
- choose the right threads and needles for threadsketching
- adjust tension for the correct stitch
- add color using thread
- quilting considerations
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: Intermediate
TIME: 6 hours or 3 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Table space for each student. Access to power outlets for sewing machines. Two ironing boards and irons.
Thread Sketching: Dragonfly
A workshop for those who already have basic machine quilting experience who want to expand their skills to create color and texture with thread. Using a line drawing of a dragonfly, students learn how to:
- make templates for the body and create fusible pieces
- stabilize the fabric surface
- choose the right threads and needles for threadsketching
- adjust tension for the correct stitch
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: Intermediate
TIME: 6 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Table space for each student. Access to power outlets. Several light boards/boxes. Two ironing boards and irons.
Paint and Stitch: Peacock Feather
Learn the basics of painting on fabric using my peacock feather design, then stitch the details with black thread. This design was featured on the cover of Quilting Arts magazine in 2010. $10 kit fee includes paint, PDF fabric and paintbrush.
We will cover:
- transferring a design onto your background fabric
- basic techniques of painting on fabric
- thread sketching your piece with black thread
- quilting considerations
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: All
TIME: 6 hours or 3 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Access to outlets for sewing machines, table space for each student. Access to water for paint cleanup. Floors that can get messy (and clean up with water).Two ironing boards. Table space for each student.
Wholecloth Painting: Botanicals
Students will learn the basics of creating wholecloth painted quilts based on photos. I will provide most of the materials for a $10 fee payable at the start of class. Students can choose from the three projects shown above, and will work from line drawings and my photos to recreate the image using acrylic textile paints. We will cover:
- selecting the right photos for great results
- which paints and fabrics to use and why
- how to transfer your design to fabric
- painting and blending techniques
- quilting considerations
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: All
TIME: 6 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Access to water for paint cleanup. Table space for each student. Adequate lighting. Floors that can get messy, and can clean up with water.
Wholecloth Painting: Still Life
Students will learn the basics of creating wholecloth painted quilts based on photos. This project is featured in my 2011 Quilting Arts DVD “Dynamic Quilt Design: Paint Meets Stitch.” I will provide most of the materials for a $10 fee payable at the start of class. Students will work from a line drawing and my photo to recreate the image using acrylic textile paints. We will cover:
- selecting the right photos for great results
- which paints and fabrics to use and why
- how to transfer your design to fabric
- painting and blending techniques
- quilting considerations
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: All
TIME: 6 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Access to water for paint cleanup. Table space for each student. Adequate lighting. Floors that can get messy, and can clean up with water.
Freestyle Embroidery
Turn a small piece of spectacular fabric – a special hand-dye, a batik, or a shibori piece from your stash – into an intricate freestyle embroidered masterpiece. You’ll learn how to transform the surface of the fabric with simple embroidery stitches, while letting the beauty of the fabric shine.
We will cover:
- basic, simple embroidery stitches
- analyzing your fabric to decide how to approach the embroidery
- using different kinds of theads and flosses
- quilting considerations
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: All
TIME: 6 hours or 3 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Good lighting (or individual table lights). Table space for each student.
Tyvek: Paint, Melt, Stitch
Learn how to create fascinating texture and pattern while you create a small art quilt with pieces of melted Tyvek and stitched designs. $10 kit fee includes paint, Tyvek and foam brush. We will cover:
- painting and melting Tyvek
- creating an abstract design with Tyvek pieces
- stitching on melted Tyvek
- creating doodled, stitched designs for an interesting background
- quilting considerations
MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 20
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: All
TIME: 6 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Access to outside space and power outlets when heating Tyvek. Extension cord for outside access. Access to water for paint cleanup. Floors that can get messy (and clean up with water).Two ironing boards. Table space for each student.
November Leaves
This class teaches the technique of stitching through Tyvek pieces, then heating the Tyvek so that it disintegrates in places to show the background fabric. $10 kit fee includes paint, Tyvek, and foam brush. Topics covered include
- painting and stitching through Tyvek
- creating a design using maple leaf shapes
- heating stitched Tyvek
- creating doodled, stitched designs for an interesting background
- quilting considerations
MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 20
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: All
TIME: 6 hours or 3 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Several ironing boards, several light boards/boxes, access to outlets for sewing machines, table space for each student.
Start With a Photo: Round Red Barn
This workshop is designed to help you learn the skills you need to go home, take your favorite photo, and interpret it in fabric using fusible appliqué. In the workshop, we will all be working on the same photo, a close-up shot I took of a wonderful round barn at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont. You’ll learn how to:
- make a positioning overlay from clear upholstery vinyl
- cut out your fabric pieces and fuse them
- use thread to “sketch” on top of your fabric to add detail,
color and texture.
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: Intermediate
TIME: 6 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Several ironing boards, several light boards/boxes, access to outlets for sewing machines, table space for each student.
Surface Design Madness
Come and experiment with some of the exciting new materials
you can use in (or on) your quilts to create texture and color. I provide all the materials for a $10 fee payable at the start of class. This is a fun, low stress way to try some new things. The only thing you need to bring is a quarter yard of white fabric, a quarter yard of black fabric, and a creative spirit! We will work with:
- Lumiere fabric paint
- Dye-na-Flow fabric paint
- Jacquard textile medium
- Shiva paintstiks and rubbing plates
- rubber stamps
- Angelina fibers
- Tyvek
- Wonder Under (used as a paint transfer material)
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: All
TIME: 3 hours or 6 hours (3-hour workshops may cover fewer materials than are listed above due to time constraints)
REQUIREMENTS: Access to outside space and power outlets when heating and burning materials. Access to water for paint cleanup.
Two ironing boards. Table space for each student.
Needleturn Appliqué
Learn the fine art of needleturn applique step by step. If you’ve never done needleturn applique and are intimidated and afraid to try, this workshop is for you. Using my “Spring Valentine” pattern, which has all the shapes and techniques beginner appliquers need to learn, we will cover:
- marking and pinning
- concave curves and points
- convex curves and points
- reverse applique
- bias stems
- small and medium circles
- straight lines
- making a positioning overlay
- making pattern templates
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: Beginner to intermediate
TIME: 6 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Good lighting or individual lights brought
by students. Table space for each student.
Machine Quilting 101
Many beginner quilters have a bunch of quilt tops sitting in their sewing room that they are afraid to quilt. In this class, students learn the basics and gain confidence to go home, practice, and take on those quilt tops. In this class, students learn about:
- preparing a quilt for quilting (how to
make the “quilt sandwich”)
- pinning and basting
- lighting, ergonomics and posture
- exercises to reduce strain
- the sewing surface
- settings for your machine
- the essential feet (free-motion/darning foot,
and walking foot)
- how to work with a big quilt
- starting and stopping neatly
- what to do if thread breaks or you run out of thread
- thread, needle and batting basics
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: Beginner to intermediate
TIME: 3 hours or 6 hours
REQUIREMENTS: Access to power outlets. One iron and one ironing board. Each student must bring a machine able to drop feed dogs, and with a free-motion foot.
Posts
