I am pleased to offer several workshops for guilds and groups. Photos show participant work from past classes. To read about my philosophy of teaching, click here.
Workshops involving machine piecing require sewing machines. Each participant should have a design wall and access to a large cutting mat, rotary cutter and iron.
Those involving hand stitching require nothing but scissors.
Introduction to Fine Line Piecing -- 2 days
Learn how to piece very fine lines, and make a small pieced top in which you use fine lines to fracture the surface.
Working with Fine Line Piecing -- 3, 4 or 5 days
Explore different kinds of pieced lines (straight, curved, wobbly, swoopy, etc.) and how to sew them. Experiment with using lines to "draw" shapes and designs, using lines to fracture the surface, and juxtaposing different densities of lines. After you find your favorite style of line work you'll make an original composition. Studio sessions will also involve group discussion and critiques.
Improvisational Rail Fence -- 1 or 2 days
Use a concept -- the traditional rail fence block -- as the springboard to make a quilt, or a dozen, without a pattern, each one totally different. Consult the examples and suggestions from my book, "Pattern-Free Quilts: Riffs on the Rail Fence Block."
Use a concept -- the traditional rail fence block -- as the springboard to make a quilt, or a dozen, without a pattern, each one totally different. Consult the examples and suggestions from my book, "Pattern-Free Quilts: Riffs on the Rail Fence Block."
Improvisational Log Cabin -- 1 or 2 days
Use a concept -- the traditional log cabin block -- as the springboard to make a quilt, or a dozen, without a pattern, each one totally different.
Improvisational Strip Piecing -- 2 or 3 days
Make several strip-pieced panels, then slice and reassemble them to make a quilt. Learn how to audition and refine a composition on the design wall and how to sew it together.
read more about this workshop here and here
Color Experiments -- 1/2 day
Use a concept -- the traditional log cabin block -- as the springboard to make a quilt, or a dozen, without a pattern, each one totally different.
Improvisational Strip Piecing -- 2 or 3 days
Make several strip-pieced panels, then slice and reassemble them to make a quilt. Learn how to audition and refine a composition on the design wall and how to sew it together.
Color Experiments -- 1/2 day
Bring five small color swatches from your own stash, combine with those from other participants, then explore the many combinations and permutations to see how colors work together to make pleasing palettes and convey mood and emotion. No sewing, no cutting.
Improvisational Curved Piecing -- 2 days
Learn how to cut and stitch curves that fit together perfectly without a pattern, then make two small improvisational quilts using your new skill.
read more about this workshop here
Gourmet Leftovers -- 1 day
Make a work of art out of your tiniest strips, bits and leftovers. Learn different design techniques for combining bits and pieces. Learn how to audition and refine a composition on the design wall and how to sew it together.
Magic Cross Stitch -- 1/2 or 1 day
Learn Kathy's secret method for improvisational cross stitch that looks complex and painterly but is really very simple to stitch. If you can thread a needle you can do this exciting and surprising embroidery method. $5 supply fee covers all materials (fabric, embroidery floss, needle).
Learn how to cut and stitch curves that fit together perfectly without a pattern, then make two small improvisational quilts using your new skill.
Gourmet Leftovers -- 1 day
Make a work of art out of your tiniest strips, bits and leftovers. Learn different design techniques for combining bits and pieces. Learn how to audition and refine a composition on the design wall and how to sew it together.
Magic Cross Stitch -- 1/2 or 1 day
Learn Kathy's secret method for improvisational cross stitch that looks complex and painterly but is really very simple to stitch. If you can thread a needle you can do this exciting and surprising embroidery method. $5 supply fee covers all materials (fabric, embroidery floss, needle).
When taught in person, this workshop involves a fair amount of hands-on help, with heads close together over the fabric. Let's save this version for post-pandemic!
Pandemic update: This workshop is also available as a PDF tutorial, so you can learn at home. The direction of stitching is vitally important both in getting good results and in avoiding wrist agony, so the tutorial comes in two versions -- right-hand and left-hand. Lefties can read their own instructions and see illustrations of actual left-handed stitching, instead of being the by-the-way afterthought to the "standard" instructions.
Pandemic update: This workshop is also available as a PDF tutorial, so you can learn at home. The direction of stitching is vitally important both in getting good results and in avoiding wrist agony, so the tutorial comes in two versions -- right-hand and left-hand. Lefties can read their own instructions and see illustrations of actual left-handed stitching, instead of being the by-the-way afterthought to the "standard" instructions.
To purchase the tutorial, email me at artwithaneedle@gmail.com and tell me if you are right- or left-handed.
Lectures
Bits and Pieces -- how my passion for sewing a bazillion tiny bits of fabric together has kept me sane for decades, produced a lot of art and won me a free trip to Japan.
The Flag Junkie Makes Art -- although my quilts are primarily abstract, I have used the American flag as a recurring subject in my quilts and photography for many years; I'll talk about my affection for the flag and its meaning in my work.
Becoming an Artist -- how I progressed from a hobby quilter to an artist, with lots of show-and-tell examples; how you can gauge where you are in your own journey, and what steps come next.
My Life in Fine Lines -- for the last dozen years I have been making quilts where very fine pieced lines break up a background; I'll show the many different processes and design approaches that I have used in making more than 50 such quilts.
Daily Art is Good for You! -- for the last 20 years I've been doing daily art in various different mediums and techniques including hand-stitching, collage, quilting, photography, drawing, calligraphy and mail art; I'll tell you about my projects and why I think the discipline and format of daily art is great for anybody who wants to improve artistic skills and sensibilities.
For more information about workshops, email me at artwithaneedle@gmail.com
Lectures
Bits and Pieces -- how my passion for sewing a bazillion tiny bits of fabric together has kept me sane for decades, produced a lot of art and won me a free trip to Japan.
The Flag Junkie Makes Art -- although my quilts are primarily abstract, I have used the American flag as a recurring subject in my quilts and photography for many years; I'll talk about my affection for the flag and its meaning in my work.
Becoming an Artist -- how I progressed from a hobby quilter to an artist, with lots of show-and-tell examples; how you can gauge where you are in your own journey, and what steps come next.
My Life in Fine Lines -- for the last dozen years I have been making quilts where very fine pieced lines break up a background; I'll show the many different processes and design approaches that I have used in making more than 50 such quilts.
Daily Art is Good for You! -- for the last 20 years I've been doing daily art in various different mediums and techniques including hand-stitching, collage, quilting, photography, drawing, calligraphy and mail art; I'll tell you about my projects and why I think the discipline and format of daily art is great for anybody who wants to improve artistic skills and sensibilities.
For more information about workshops, email me at artwithaneedle@gmail.com
I’m trying to get a copy of your article “Face It!” Or watch a tutorial. Can you help me please. I called the AQ magazine and they needed more info. Marian. Mcbeildeck @gmail.com
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