Inks and thread painting

    Fabrics inks are a great way to add color and splash to your fabric. I’ll show you the easy way to use them.  But that’s not the only thing I’ll show you how to do in this class! Let’s toss in a little thread painting to add details and texture to that design. I’ll show you how to make an object look real by how you blend thread colors and which direction you stitch the thread in. Lots of tips given here so join in!

Piecing, borders and binding OH MY

   You can do all of these on your longarm!  No kidding! I’ll show you how to do strip piecing on the longarm along with designs to fill up those strips. Next we will add the borders and finish with the binding. It’s all so simple and easy it will send you running to your machine to try this .

Running Amuck with Paints

 So… they do not make the fabric that you need? Make it your self! It’s easy and you do NOT need to be an artist! Please let me show you by using kitchen sponges, scrubbers, dusters, plastic wrap, bubble wrap and what ever else is lying around how you can create stunning fabrics. I’ll show you how you can create landscapes and fabric for flowers. Please wear old paint clothes and bring a longing to play.

Thread, Tension and Design

    Thread is the backbone of our work- tension the bane! In simple understandable English, I’ll guild you in how to choice the thread you need to use for any project you may be doing. I’ll guide you step by step in choosing the proper needle and tension setting to make that thread work for you so you don’t have to run screaming from the room.

    Did you know about how the kind of thread you use, the color and thickness can make a huge difference to your project?

    What quilting design works the best? Would curves, straight lines, feathers or geometrics be better?

   I have tons of examples to show you so that you can SEE what may or may not work.

   Be prepared to take lots of notes and gets tons of info. I suggest that you sleep well the night before class!

Book of ideas

   In class we will create of book of ideas for you to use in the future to help you make creative choices for your work. I’ll bring all the supplies and you bring your joy of learning. We will paint fusibles, Timex, Tyvek, fabrics and more to create a base. I show you how to use inks and paints to liven up your feathers and other quilting designs.

But Wait There’s more… backgrounds!

Tried of just doing a meander? Bored with grids?

 Never fear ideas are here! I’ll show you how to create stunning textures that will add sparkle and punch to your quilts. I will show you many tips on how to create these designs as well as how to create your own. I’ll show you how to decide which design would look best in your quilt.  This is a class crammed full of ideas so gets lots of sleep!

Running Amuck with Creativity

 Soar above the everyday quilting and garment making. Please come on a journey with me to help unleash your creative energy to create an exciting world of texture and design. Do you need to make dragon skin, tree bark, leaves , flowers or rock wall that beg to be touched? You can create back ground fabrics with fabric paint, wonder under and foil that will rival the old masters. Play is another word for this class!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      We’ve Only Just begun…

 To quilt that is. That big, wonderful longarm machine is sitting in your studio and you’re thinking “now what? “Have no fear, help is here! I’ll share my secrets on how to avoid the mistakes I made when I started out years ago on this quilting journey with the longarm. We will start with getting ready to quilt. That means proper pressing, measuring and squaring up the backing. How to float a top and stabilizing the top before you do all your detailed quilting that may cause the quilt to go out of square. We will be doing how to start and stop a line of quilting, how to do in the ditch quilting and free motion quilting. I’ll share tons of tips on what tools you need, how to mark a quilt and how to find quilting designs. I hope to have time to discuss how to come up with quilting ideas for your quilts so please bring a quilt top or a picture to share.  See you in class!

Fun with Dissolvable Fabric

   Come and jump into the wildly creative world of using dissolvable fabric. Please let me show you how to make needle lace, thread appliqué, thread fabric, buttons, trees and more. It’s amazing what you can do with bits of threads, yarns, ribbons, chiffons and more. You really have to see and DO this to believe what wonderful works you can create to add to your quilting stash of ideas.

I can do THAT on my longarm

 Longarm machines are for more than just quilting! Beautiful textures can be created quickly with a few simple fabrics and exciting Yarns, ribbons and bits of left over fabrics. I’ll show how to create fringing and flash and trash to cover up raw edges.  Create stunning textures with capturing bits and pieces with netting and pleating and floral designs with silk flowers and thread. Make your own thread appliqués fabric and needelace to add to your list of what you can do. If I can, I’ll even show you how to make the kitchen sink.

Where did you get that idea!

   Have you ever looked at a quilt and wondered “Where did they get that idea?” I don’t have all the answers but please let me show you a few tricks that I have come up with. We will use books, magazines, picture and good old Mother Nature to glean ideas from. From there I’ll show you how to compose different aspects of a design for a quilt, select fabrics and techniques on how to get those fabrics to work for you. We will finish up with how to square up a quilt and do the binding. This is a class on how to get you creative juices flowing and how to make that picture in your mind come to life. Chocolate always help here.

All the above classes can be taught on a longarm or domestic(home) machine.