Longarm Quilting with Rulers: Beginner

If you are brand new to longarm quilting with rulers or would just like to improve your basic ruler/template skills, this is the class for you. The class day encompasses some very basic tracing and drawing as well as hands-on quilting in pairs or small teams. Everyone will get the chance to quilt a lot.

Students will learn proper safety procedures and the basics of how to hold rulers and coordinate moving the longarm quilting machine to quilt ruler-based designs. Many straight-line patterns like cross-hatching and dot-to-dot designs will be practiced as well as some gentle curves. We will also have a play session with a variety of specialty rulers. This is the class you need if you have been wanting to quilt with rulers but have been scared to start and just didn’t know how to begin. It’s tons of fun!

KIT: $30 (includes RULER WORK 101® acrylic ruler, drawing disc, design poster board and sharing of a printed class practice panel.)

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:

• Mechanical Pencil
• Ultra Fine Tip Sharpie Marker
• Optional Machine Quilting Rulers (must be at least 1/4″ thick). For the play session, you may bring your own machine quilting rulers from home or try some of my stash of rulers. You can also purchase rulers directly from me at the start of class or anytime during the class, if you would like. I will have plenty to choose from.

Longarm Quilting with Rulers: Advanced.

Designing the Mini Wholecloth Quilt

Feeling confident with your ruler skills and ready to take it to the next level? This class is for you.

A portion of the class will be dedicated to planning and drafting (don’t be scared). There will also be hands-on quilting for everyone!

Students will be reminded of proper safety procedures and the basics of how to hold rulers and coordinate moving the longarm quilting machine to quilt ruler-based designs. Students will stitch out an advanced border on a practice panel to get warmed up. Then they will plan out a mini wholecloth quilt design based on using a variety of straight and curved rulers, along with some free-motion fills. We will emphasize the concept of elements that protrude in our designs, elements that retreat, and how to use them together effectively.

 

 

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:

• Long Straight Drafting Ruler (rotary cutting ruler will be fine). Additional small straight rulers would be helpful.
• Items that Produce Curves when traced. These can be circle and curved rulers or household items that can draft curves (plates, saucers, lids, etc.)
• Marking Tools of choice (water soluble, heat vanishing, or chalk. Anything that can go away after quilting.)
• Mechanical Pencil
• Ultra Fine Tip Sharpie Marker
• Quilting Rulers (must be at least 1/4″ thick). You will want a variety of both straight and curved machine quilting rulers to have the most effective experience (but not required). You can purchase rulers directly from me at the start of class or anytime during the class, if you would like. I will have plenty to choose from.

FUSIBLE COLLAGE: A Value-Able Workshop

What makes a successful pictorial collage quilt? Some may say color. Some may say subject matter. But it is really all about VALUE (the perceived lightness or darkness of fabric). In this workshop, you will learn to separate fabrics into Michael’s value scale, then fuse it and use it as your palette of “paints” to create an 18” x 18” still life collage quilt, suitable as a small wall hanging or table topper. (We will be making the coffee cup!)

Techniques of cutting fabric shapes will be explored and practiced. You will learn how to deal with layered fused fabrics. You will gain an understanding of value placement and creative ways to create shape and form with many pieces of fabric. We will discuss ways to finish your project quilt (background, quilting, binding/facing, etc.) BONUS: You will also learn how to transform your own photos into a pattern for your future pictorial collage projects.

If you have ever wanted to take a break from pieced projects to “paint” with fabric, this is the workshop to test it out! Bring your own stash or purchase a workshop kit from me.

What you will need:

• At least 7 different fabrics in a range of light to dark for the main subject. You will want waaaay more than 7, but it can be done with 7.
  • The more fabrics you choose, the more dynamic your collage will appear and the less you will need of each fabric.
  • Precuts are fantastic for this project. Layer Cakes, Fat Quarters, Charm Squares, Jelly Rolls. Scraps are GREAT!
  • You will need a wide range of lights, mediums, and darks. Look for the lightest lights and darkest darks to add to your mediums if possible.
  • You may choose all monochromatic (same color family), or they can be of many colors and prints.
  • Batiks and busy prints lend themselves well to this technique (versus solids and fabrics that read as solid).
• A 22” x 22” square of quilting cotton that is white or light. It can be also be basic muslin. This will provide the “canvas” for fused fabrics to be adhered to. You may use Pattern Ease or other products marketed as a collage base if you prefer.
• A 20 x 20” square of background fabric of your choosing. The background should provide contrast. So if your subject fabrics are very busy, you’ll get best results from a contrasting solid or subdued background. If your subject fabrics are more tone-on-tone and almost read as solid, then perhaps a more active background could work.
• Pencil
• Sharpie
• Double-Sided fusing to adhere to your fabrics. (Steam-a-Seam 2 in the regular version recommended.) You will need 5-6 sheets of this or 2 yards of 15″ wide double0sided fusible on a roll.
• Iron and pressing surface
• Scissors for cutting small shapes.
• Masking or Painter’s tape
• Tweezers

Reverse Focus Quilts: Using Large Prints and Negative Space

The idea for this workshop stemmed from two passions: Using large scale prints and having lots of negative space to plan out quilting designs, which become the main focal point of the quilt. Using the large scale prints/piecing as background and the negative space quilting as focus reverses our common notion of traditional quilt composition. The results are wonderful and can satisfy both the traditional and modern quilter.

In this workshop, you will construct a 40” x 40” wall hanging/small lap quilt to put this concept into practice. You will choose one of several patterns to piece your quilt top. These patterns use very large pieces to show off your large scale print(s) and will sew together quickly. Once your quilt top is pieced, you will create your quilting design. We will walk through steps of how to plan for quilting that draws the eye in and how to effectively divide and conquer large negative space to create interest.

Because we are creating our own plan for quilting, this class will involve some drawing and drafting. Don’t be scared – It’ll be fun! Your quilting designs can be completely free form and loose, or they can be detail drafted and precise. The goal is to come up with a design that creates focus, but also complements the printed fabric that is taking the back seat on this one.

You will want to have either a set of rulers that include straight lines and curves OR bowls, plates, cups, saucers that you can trace around OR use digital templates I provide and cut out of template plastic or cardboard.

We will talk about threads and textures that beckon the viewer’s eye to take a closer look.

You will leave the workshop with your pieced top and the majority of your quilting design marked on your quilt, if not all of it. The actual quilting process will be on your own, but if you are a speedy one, you may end up preparing your quilt sandwich and start quilting before we are done.

FEE: $60

SUPPLIES:

Other than regular sewing supplies (sewing machine, thread, scissors, rotary cutter, cutting mat, iron, etc.)

• Pattern & Instructions – I provide, based on your design selection. Printable from home.
• Long Straight ruler for drafting (rotary cutting ruler will be fine). Additional rulers would be helpful.
• Marking tools of choice (water soluble, heat vanishing, or chalk. Anything that can go away after quilting.)
• Large Scale Print Fabric – 1.5 yards
• Solid Color Fabric – 2 yards

FABRIC KIT $35

Don’t have your own stash of large scale prints? No worries – I have you covered.

Details will be posted with currently available kits, specific to each workshop session.