Schedule

Current Schedule

Hooray! I'm getting to travel farther afield and do cool new classes and workshops! For descriptions of my classes, please scroll to the section below the solid line. I'd love to come to where you are to teach, too! Contact me by clicking here.

Sheepishly: I am thinking of applying to teach at the International Quilt Festivals and related shows (Houston, Chicago and Long Beach). To do so, I need to include some letters of recommendation with my application. If any of you who have taken classes with me or hired me to teach are willing, I'd be MOST grateful if you would write a "To Whom It May Concern" letter that I could use in my application. Thanks! (She typed, blushing madly and squirming a bit......)

2008:

January 26 (next Saturday), Intro to Machine Quilting at Maine-ly Sewing in Nobleboro, Maine

February 28 (a Thursday), Hawaiian Applique by Machine, Sarah Johnson Quilts in Belfast, Maine

April 23-26 (Wednesday to Saturday), the HUGE AQS Show in Paducah, Kentucky!!! I'll be teaching: two machine quilting classes (one all day, one three-hour), a couple machine applique, intro drawing (and seeing!) for quilters -- the ABC class I recently tested and blogged about, plus doing the All Star Review (demo-ing a technique) on Saturday afternoon... I'm hoping I haven't lost my voice by then!

May 23-25, Salon 2008, Montreal, Quebec, Canada! I had to apply for a passport!!!! I'll be teaching Machine Applique and Fabric Postcards; click here for class info; I'll be teaching in English, but speak some very rusty French so may be able to help in French and "quilters sign language!"

August 7-9, Images Quilt Festival, Lowell, Massachusetts. I'll be teaching Intro Machine Quilting, Decorative Stitch Applique and Hawaiian Applique by Machine. The class schedule is here.

August 17-22, Cedar Lakes Craft Center, Ripley, West Virginia. This will be my first time teaching a four-day workshop, and I'm so excited at the chance to work with students and really get deep into the subject! The workshop is titled: "The quilt top is done, now what?" It will be a compilation of my design and machine quilting classes. We'll start with the "If you can write your ABC's, you can draw," move to designing your quilting designs (for hand or machine quilting) and how to draft and mark those designs, then machine quilting. I'll be skipping the lecture portion of the day-long machine quilting class since the students here tend to be more experienced quilters and we'll concentrate on fun nearly-no-mark quilting designs and using decorative threads. The 2007 catalog is here, and soon the 2008 catalog will be available (at the same web address I think).

November 15, Coastal Quilters Fiber Holiday Bazaar, Camden, Maine. I'll have more info on location, etc., closer to the date, but I'll be selling some small pieces of my work, patterns, and probably the Lark Books "Quilting with Beads" which features 8 designs by the Frayed Edges!

November 19th (Wednesday, TENTATIVE), BeadDesigners International, near Boston. I'll be doing a lecture and possibly a workshop (the latter may be in spring 2009) about beading on fabric, my inspiration sources and trunk show.

2009

March 18-19 (Wednesday and Thursday), 2009: Farmington Valley Quilters Guild, Weatogue, Connecticut! More details as we get closer. There will be a lecture on Wednesday and workshop Thursday. If you live somewhere within a few hours of here and would like me to teach before or after, let me know!


Class Descriptions

Please click here to contact me about scheduling workshops for your group, guild, store or show.

Intro to Machine Quilting:


Machine quilting is fun, and it is more than using your machine to stitch your quilt sandwich together. The first half of the day is lecture to learn what you need to know for hassle-free machine quilting. After lunch practice using the walking foot and the free-motion (darning) foot to machine quilt a sampler of patterns.

Machine Quilting With Decorative Threads:


When you are comfortable with free-motion quilting, this class will help you take your skills to the next level. Learn about different types of threads including cotton, polyester, rayon, metallic, flat metallic film, variegated, couched yarns and trims and how to use them to enhance your quilt, make a tension sampler for future reference and, if students wish, begin work on a small wholecloth feathered wreath quilt or a more contemporary floral design.
Prerequisite: You must feel comfortable with free-motion quilting, and be able to change the walking foot and free-motion foot on your machine without assistance.

Quilting Design:


Stumped about how to quilt your quilt top? Have a stencil, but it’s the wrong size? Can’t find anything to go with that stencil? Then this is the class for you – whether you plan to quilt by hand or machine, learn how to choose a design that complements and enhances your quilt top. We will discuss how to choose a design, use a transparent overlay sheet to “test” options, considerations for the design depending on whether you plan to hand or machine quilt, and suitable threads.

Machine Applique:


Learn three methods of machine appliqué to create a gingko leaf or oval leaf wallhanging in a fraction of the time it would take to do hand appliqué. You’ll learn fusible appliqué with satin stitch, freezer-paper-underneath appliqué, fusible interfacing underneath, and reverse. You should be able to complete three to five blocks during class. This class is suitable both for quilters and garment makers, who may wish to incorporate the blocks into garments, totebags, placemats and other projects.

Decorative Stitch Applique:

Make a small wallhanging or a selection of small blocks which take full advantage of all those decorative stitches on your sewing machine. Using fusible appliqué and an assortment of as many threads as you care to bring and use, you’ll see how versatile a single leaf pattern can be! The embroidery / decorative stitches you use in this class can be adapted to your choice of other appliqué methods; we will use fusibles in class so that you can make a wide selection of appliquéd leaves during the class. The project samples can be used for a quilt, a garment or home dec items.

Postcards: An Introduction to some new techniques:


You can use any technique from traditional to art quilts on a postcard. We will use fusible web to begin two, four or more postcards each in class. I will demonstrate several art techniques which you may wish to try including painting on fabric, stamping on fabric, using Shiva Paintstiks, using Angelina fibers, couching yarns and more. There is a small kit fee for this class to cover the cost of materials I provide, (that way you don't have to spend considerably more on materials you might or might not use again).

Balinese Garden:


This is a project class using fusible web and decorative and utility stitches on your sewing machine to make this small wall hanging, table runner or pillow top inspired by the lush gardens of Bali. This pattern would be stunning in vibrant batiks, a cream-to-toffee elegant color-scheme, a gentle pastel selection, or brights.

Hawaiian Applique by Machine:


Hawaiian quilts are beautiful in symmetry and bold design, but hand appliqué is time-consuming. Learn to create a Hawaiian-style masterpiece in a fraction of the time. Select an 18” block pattern provided by the instructor to begin a pillow top, small wall hanging, or begin a larger quilt.

Fine Finishes--an album of edge finish techniques:


Learn to make a perfect mitered binding straight grain bindings, double-fold bias bindings, bindings with piping, couched yarns and fabric accents, curved bindings, fused bindings, wacky raw-edge squares, and couched-yarn finishes.! By the end of this class you’ll have a “swatchbook” of samples including a wide assortment of styles and techniques to finish your quilts and quilted garments.