Classes and Workshops

Here are the workshops that I am currently offering:

Workshop: Expressive Unmarked Free Motion Quilting

Robbi, the author of Free Expression: The Art and Confessions of a Contemporary Quilter shares her award winning, time saving techniques to fill your quilts with lavish designs. It's fun and easy. We'll be practicing on inexpensive felt rectangles in the morning, switching to muslin sandwiches in the afternoon. Beginner / Intermediate levels.

Materials List: Twenty precut 9" x 12" felt rectangles, any color. Two 18" x 18" practice quilt sandwiches, muslin for bread, cotton or wool batting for the "meat." Don't Baste! 40 weight machine embroidery thread, either polyester, cotton or rayon - one spool solid color, one spool variegated.

Tools - SEWING MACHINE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER and with which you are FAMILIAR. It is assumed you will know how to set up your machine for darning. Sewing machine MANUAL. Free motion or darning foot for your machine. Extension cord Schmetz machine needles - size 75, 80 or 90, scissors to clip threads, tweezers to remove thread if necessary, small paint brush to clean lint out of machine, pen and paper to take notes and practice drawing quilt patterns; I highly recommend glasses to protect your eyes in case you break a needle and it flies.

Robbi had a two part article covering her techniques in Quilting Arts Magazine Issue #11 and #12.

Workshop:Art Deco and Flower Fused Components

Fused applique will be used to create unique large scale geometric flowers and art deco designs from individual components that can be arranged in an infinite number of compositions to make quilts of varying sizes. I’ve made quilts ranging from 40” x 54” to over 60” square using the patterns. Several different pattern sheets will be available for students to choose from. Spend a fun day creating with more ideas to take home. Beginner / Intermediate levels.

Materials List: NO SEWING MACHINE IS NEEDED FOR THIS CLASS. Full sized steam irons will be used extensively in class. Students will choose at least one pattern to use in class. Mechanical pencil, paper cutting scissors, 4” or similar size scissors to cut detailed shapes out of fabric bonded to webbing. Glass head quilt pins. 4 yards paper backed fusible webbing (Regular weight WonderUnder recommended.) Half yard pieces of cotton hand dyes, batiks or brightly colored prints. Pick four hues (for example, purple, red, yellow, orange or blue, green, purple, red) and bring two values of each hue, 8 pieces total. No background fabric will be needed in class.

Optional: small sheet of foamcore to use as a work surface, small iron (100 watts), light box, extension cord for previous items, compass to draw circles. $5 pattern fee payable to instructor.

Workshop: Free Expression Buffet

Learn Robbi's innovative techniques to create sophisticated art quilts as described in her book Free Expressions. In this fun and relaxing class, each student will create an 18x24" fused quilt top, using their choice of a pattern from Robbi's current selection. Robbi will bring at least a dozen different patterns to class for students to choose. Patterns range from simple to complicated allowing everyone to decide their own challenge level for the day.

The patterns are designed for use in class and only available in class. Selections include

Puzzle Quilts-Overlapping images such as vases, guitars, and violins)

Still Lifes featuring teapots, teacups,vases

Gears and Spirals-geometric images combining gears and spirals, some overlapping. Patterns can be combined and customized by each student. Fused applique will be used in class, however the designs can be used with traditional methods too!

Materials List: $5 pattern fee payable to instructor. Mechanical pencil, paper cutting scissors,4" or similiar size scissors to cut detailed shapes out of fabric bonded to webbing. Glass head quilt pins. 2 yards paper backed fusible webbing (an example: regular weight Wonder Under). Fat quarters or large scraps of cotton hand dyes or brightly colored prints. Bring two values of each color: yellow, orange, red, purple, blue and green to have a varied palette. Also include a few neutrals for backgrounds. Optional: 1.Small sheet of foamcore to use as a work surface. 2. SMALL iron (100 watts) 3. Light box and extension cord.

Lecture: Free Expression Quilts

Explore Robbi's latest quilts and those from her book "Free Expression: the art and confessions of a contemporary quilter". Lecture includes real quilts as well as projected images.

Classes and Workshop Schedule

Tuesday - February 16, 2010 through Wednesday - February 17, 2010

Village Quilters

Lecture on the 16th, Workshop on the 17th.