Exciting LOCAL Classes

 My Fall schedule is set with local  classes. Friends and students can take great classes, at home, without having to travel to away places and incur all those extra costs.

It's been a while and due to popular demand, I am teaching two of my MOST FAVORITE classes. These classes will not be taught again locally any time soon so sign up now or miss out.

TWO-FOR-ONE:

Queen Size, using 12 sets of fabrics

Twin Size, using 6 sets of fabrics

Want to learn the process but not ready to make a bed-size quilt? Using 1" strips, you get .5" squares and a Teeny Tiny Two For One: 

Teeny Tiny 2-4-1, made with 1" strips, 21" x 28" 

Sign up online at Southern Charm Quilting  then contact me for a detailed fabric selection guide. Class is 10 hours of instruction, over two Saturdays. Sure to be one of your most favorite quilts.

ANTIQUE ROSE STAR BY MACHINE: 

When you learn the "MAGIC METHOD" for the dreaded Y-Seam, you will be amazed how EASY this quilt is. Every time I teach it to quilters around the country I want to come home and make another. So far, I have made 3 in various sizes. Students have made beautiful quilts in class and you can too. 

Sign up at  Patches & Stitches once they announce the Fall Schedule. This class is one session, Saturday October 8, 9-3. You will learn so much and be on your way to an amazing quilt.

BLUEBERRY HILL: 

I needed a quilt for a man's gift and his favorite color is blue. When I saw this pattern on Instagram, I knew it was perfect. The pattern is really called Blueberry Kisses but since I have a professional relationship with this person, I made a change to the name. Find the pattern at Thimbles and Needles.   The designer has several great patterns. 

NOTE: for this class you will need to have purchased the PDF pattern download before coming to class and know where you put it on your device. Or print yourself a copy. 

Two color quilts are so wonderful for scrap quilts or even carefully planned quilts. Any two colors you like will work or, three colors, like Red, White and Blue, or Team colors--whatever you like will work great. All the blocks and sashing/cornerstones are made from 2.5" strips so your best Jelly Roll is a good candidate too. 

Sign up online at Southern Charm Quilting--this is the ONLY time this class will be offered because when the quilt is gifted, I won't have it any more. Don't miss out all you can learn in this class: the cutting, sewing and the pressing as well as so  much more.

I still love teaching BEGINNERS TO LEARN TO QUILT  and this Fall I have two offerings at local shops. If you know someone who wants to learn, PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION ON.

START QUILTLING--SOUP TO NUTS:

This day-time class is 18 hours of  instruction over 3 weeks, on Tuesdays starting September 20. The past students in this class have loved being able to learn and sew all day, then go home to work on their project until the next week's class. By the 3rd session they were all quilting their quilts! 

Sign up online  at Southern Charm Quilting today to be sure you get a spot. It's so much fun and I guarantee you will learn a lot.

QUILTMAKING 101:

My heart is in this class. I have taught beginners how to quilt at Patches & Stitches for almost 35 years,. That is almost two thousand students. The class has changed from completely hand made in the early years, to completely machine made today.  After this Fall offering the class will change yet again--it will no longer be offered at night and will be a different pattern. 

SO, if you took this class and loved it, please spread the word to friends who want to become as passionate about quilting as you are, take this class now or miss the chance:

Sign up at Patches & Stitches when the Fall schedule is announced. This  class will be 5 sessions, Tuesday September 20, 27, October 4, 11, and 18, 5:30-8 pm.

As usual, a lot of time and effort goes into offering these classes, both by the local shops and by the teachers  who offer them. If the classes don't fill, the classes won't be offered. Each class/shop has a minimum number of students required to make the class possible. So, don't delay--if you see a class you like, at any local shop, sign up right away so more classes will be offered in the future.

My traveling schedule makes it less likely I will teach lots of classes locally. I hope to see you in one of these, while we all  have the chance to learn, share and laugh together.

To see great STUDENT WORK from past offerings of these classes, use the SEARCH BOX above left--type in the name of the class to see previous posts about these quilts.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

LOCAL CLASSES--DON'T MISS OUT!

 LOCALS--Here are a few offerings for you to take at our local shops. You don't have to travel to take great classes--I am here. 

I changed a NEW class offering from two full days to one. That lowers the cost in both time and money. YOUR NEXT QUILT, features only ONE BLOCK--really. Beginners will learn how to cut, sew and press accurately. More experienced quilters will learn to play with colors and design. 

Invest one day to improve your skills and create a really fun quilt. Sign up online today: Sweet Home Quilting Class is Thursday May 26, 10-4. 

This won't be offered again this year so I encourage you to jump onboard now:

Made with sixteen 12" blocks, 48" square

Then I played with 6" blocks--24" square before borders:

At  Patches & Stitches there is a fun, one day class, It's A Puzzle, Saturday June 11, 9-3. Hard to figure out the layout, easy once you know it. Blocks can be 3" or 4", your choice:

Also at Patches, a NEW beginner class, two full days of instruction on all the basics of patchwork, the cutting, sewing and pressing. Designed for new quilters, 9 Patches So Fast is also a great refresher for more experienced quilters. It makes a great baby quilt. Friday June 10 and 24, 9-3, fee $75: 

In July there is a three-day beginners' class at  Southern Charm Quilting. Start Quilting--Soup to Nuts, provides instruction on the complete process of making a quilt--all the way to the quilting and binding. The last session this was taught all the students were quilting their quilts at the third class, check them out here: Soup to Nuts. Tuesday July 5, 12, and 26, 9:30-3: 

Many of you are experienced quilters. If you know someone who wants to learn, let them know about these offerings now, so they don't miss out.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Start Quilting--Soup to Nuts

 I teach beginning classes at three local shops and have 3 different projects., one for each shop. 

Start Quilting--Soup to Nuts was offered at Southern Charm Quilting It just wrapped up last week--3 sessions, 6 hours each, and that worked well. Students have lots of space and we started with how to select fabrics and ended with how to quilt and bind their finished tops. 

The project comes from a great little book by my friend, Alex Anderson: 

The reason  I chose this was simple--the sample was made by the shop owner, she used to teach it in California, and it was doable for beginners. It also lent itself to the 18 hours of class time I wanted to spread over just 3 days, one a week for 3 weeks. The class sample already made:

This turned out to be an excellent beginner project, with great pacing. Seven students started and six finished. Those who had their tops done at the last class were able to pin base their tops and start quilting at the third session.

Here is what they did:

Debra

Sandie

Betty

Dianne

Abbe

Lisa couldn't make it to the last class but she did great too.

This class will be offered again at Southern Charm later this year.

Up next is a beginning class at Patches & Stitches --where I have taught beginners for almost 35 years. It is the second class for this project this year--the first was full with a waiting list so we put together a second class. It starts Tuesday February 22, 2022, 5:30-8 pm, 5 sessions over 6 weeks. There a few spots left--call the shop today to sign up: 256-533-3886:

Quiltmaking 101

The third beginning class will be February 26 and March 5, 9 hours total, over two sessions. Learn to Quilt--Fast and Fun is a great way to learn the very basics--how to cut, piece, sew, and how to finish your quilt. There are only a couple spots left in this offering, call the shop today to sign up: 256-325-1840:

Learn to Quilt -- Fast and Fun

Coming up May 12 and 26 is a very good NEXT project for those who want to stretch their wings a bit after learning the basics. YOUR NEXT QUILT is two session, over two weeks, 12 hours total. Find the info at Sweet Home Quilting:

Your Next Quilt

Each class offers something a little different and I hope will appeal to all those who want to learn how to quilt or how to improve their quilting. While I teach much more challenging quilts too, I love teaching beginners. I have 3 goals for each beginning class I teach:

1. At the end of class I want students to feel their time and money was worth it.

2. I want them to finish their project.

3. I want to addict at least one of them completely and totally to quiltmaking so the art lives on. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Local Classes and Cruising

Local quilters can take a fun class I love to teach: Saturday February 12, 2022, 9-4, at Patches & Stitches:

CHARMING SAMPLER:

This one day class teaches 4 different blocks and fun and easy NEW ways to make them. The class was offered in the Fall but only had a couple people signed up. Now is the last time it will be offered locally so don't miss it. I have taught it to several groups as a traveling quilt teacher and students have loved it. 

Call Patches & Stitches to sign up and get the Supply List. 256-533-3886.

Quiltmaking 101--the beginning class I have taught at Patches & Stitches since 1989 is being offered again as the first class that started in January was full with a waiting list. It covers everything from selecting fabrics to doing a beautiful binding. I love teaching this class and many students go on to become dedicated quiltmakers after starting with this class.

The class is 5 sessions, Tuesdays February 22- March 29, 2022, 5:30-8 pm. Call the shop now to sign up and get the Supply List 256-533-3886:

Upcoming is a basic class at Sweet Home Quilting--designed for real beginners:  LEARN TO QUILT: FAST AND FUN, February 26 and March 5, 2022. For those with little experience who want to learn to piece a quilt perfectly. Sign up ONLINE

Coming up later this year is a NEW class for those beginners who want to move on to bigger and better things. YOUR NEXT QUILT: May 12 and 26, 2022, 10-4 at Sweet Home Quilting. We will explore color and design and several ways to make this simple yet intriguing quilt. Sign up ONLINE

Now, the BIG news--Quilting Cruises with Stitchin' Heaven are back! 

The long delayed Harmony of Quilting Cruise will happen March 11-18, 2023, on Harmony of the Seas, a beautiful Royal Caribbean ship. The project I am teaching is Scrappy Plus, a bright, modern pattern with color and contrast, shown here on my design wall almost two years ago when I made the top. It is now a finished quilt--Kits will be available for those who want to sew all day at sea, for several days. You will still have 3 great Port Days to explore new places.  I hope you will join us next year as we sail away...

Sign up NOW, spaces for these cruises fill quickly: Harmony of Quilting Cruise:

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Teaching Beginning Quiltmaking

 At a local shop Sweet Home Quilting, I recently taught a 9 hour class for beginners. The project is fairly simple, and the 3 class sessions are about right for beginners to get the hang of making their first quilt. I call the class Learn to Quilt--the Basics, Fast and Fun:

39" x 48"

This time, I did session 1 and 2 in the same day--so the students had 6 hours of instruction the first day. For true beginners, just learning to cut fabric and the basics of piecing a block can take 3 hours--then it's time to pack up. This worked very well. Everyone got all the instruction they needed, as often as needed, and all went home the first day with at least 4 blocks complete. 

A week later they returned for the third session, 3 hours of instruction on how to finish their quilt--whether they will quilt it on their machine, will pay to have it longarm quilted, or will rent time on a longarm and quilt it that way. They also got detailed instruction on binding their quilt.

Four of the six students returned for the last class. The other two were unable to make it. Leila used luscious Cherrywood fabrics for her blocks. While not a true beginner, Leila knew she could benefit from learning tips and tricks and she was very pleased with her improvement in  piecing:

In the 3rd session we also discuss selecting borders that really add a great touch to the quilt. This Kaffe Fassett fabric is absolutely perfect for Leila's blocks and navy sashing:

Betsy chose a beautiful, soft palette and made several sets of blocks at home. She has just ordered a brand new Bernina 770 sewing machine and is eager to step up her quiltmaking a notch when it arrives: 

I have taught almost 2000 beginner students over the past 35 years. Many of them make beautiful first quilts in the classes, quilts that impress me with their workmanship or color choices, or a design element added.  I am not usually totally gobsmacked by a student's quilt but Ida did that. 

I love everything about this quilt. She chose a line of fabric, so everything blends nicely. But it is her choice of a small print for the sashing and the geometric outer border that just did it for me. Remember when we learned "you don't wear stripes with polka dots"?  It's kind of like that for me--my sashings tend to be solids. Ida used a lovely small vine-like print for her sashings. Then she knocked it out of the park with the terrific geometric print for the outer border. To cut that accurately, she had to cut one layer at a time--she figured that out on her own. Great job, Ida!:

A close-up: 

I love teaching beginners or those who are learning on their own and want to enjoy the process more by being more successful in their efforts. Now I look forward to seeing these lovely women again in future classes.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Love Beginning Quilters

 I just finished teaching a 3 week Learn to Quilt--Fast and Fun class locally. We had 11 students, about half of whom were totally new to quilting. The class was  held at Sweet Home Quilting.

My sample gives you the idea--simple 9-patch blocks, the basics of Cutting, Sewing and Pressing, and then how to assemble a quilt top, and the basics of how to complete the quilt, whether you want to quilt it yourself or "quilt by checkbook"--i.e., pay someone to quilt it for you:

Approx. 38" x 48"

The students who attended the last class are on their way:

Mother/Daughter team Tori showing hers

Tori showing her mom's Inez

Kim is making a bed size for her son

Pat was told what colors to use for this baby quilt

Shelia made great strides in class

Joyce loves playing with bright fabrics

I can always tell a class is successful when the students all say "What's your next class?" I showed them several options I am thinking of offering in a couple months and there was great interest. Love to see the excitement in a new quilter as she realizes "I can DO that!"

Let's quilt.

Barbara

New Beginners

 Having taught beginners the basics of quiltmaking for more than 30 years. it is always fun when a class finishes and everyone is still in attendance. And they have quilts they like. And they say they learned a lot. My goal for EVERY student, in every class, is that they learn more than they expected to learn. Tips that will stay with them on their quilting journey.

Learn the Basics--Fast and Fun! I designed this class for the real beginner, but with interesting tips and tricks that the self-taught quilter would enjoy. This class had both of those kind of students. Ta-Da!:

Meet the class:

Diane, has been quilting for 3 years but wasn't satisfied with her results. She learned a lot of tricks and was thrilled with her piecing improvements. She made TWO Halloween quilts she will finish and donate to the NICU/Children's hospital:

Melissa has the outer border yet to add, life got in the way this week, and she has a beautiful quilt just right for a little girl:

Lou Ann is a friend of Melissa and she learned how to play with color, another great quilt for a young lady:

Marty is an enthusiastic new quilter and I see him really moving along in his quilting. He loved his fabrics and the process so much he is making 20 blocks, not 12, and found the grid fabric in the sashing to be a challenge to cut straight, one layer at a time, but well worth the effort. I look forward to seeing this quilt finished: 

I am always so happy to have a young student, we need to pass on our passion for quiltmaking to those coming up since none of us will live forever. Gina made this adorable quilt for her young daughter who told her when the blocks were made she didn't want it. Now that it is all together, young daughter has changed her tune and looks forward to Mom getting this finished for her:

Gina even "fussy cut" the cornerstones with motifs from the fabric--great job!:

Now, it is time for them to quilt, bind and LABEL these quilts. How about: "My First Quilt". Or  "In the time of COVID". Or "On My Way". Whatever they call their quilts, I just hope they keep going and make more. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Teaching New Quilters

 For more than 30 years I have taught beginning quilters the basics of quiltmaking. More than 1500 students have come through these classes. 

Some learn this is not the sport for them. Some get head-over-heels addicted and eagerly say "What's Next?!" And some of these folks, mostly women, become lifelong friends.

Choosing a project for the beginner is not easy. The quilt has to be interesting and inviting. It must teach some basic principles but not be too hard. And it must be able to be completed during the length of the class by most students. 

My newest class is being offered at a brand new quilt store in my local area. Sweet Home Quilting and Supplies. Owned by Robin Price, a student who became one of those lifelong special friends. Robin is an INNOVA dealer and will offer longarm services as well as rent time for people to quilt their own quilts in her store. Classes for projects, including some that use wool, will be offered, along with exciting new fabrics and quilting supplies. 

I wanted a Basic project, that can  be completed in 3 weekly classes, 3 hours each. Keep it simple! 

Twelve 9 Patch blocks will be taught by my favorite "sew first" method in the first session.  Simple sashing and borders follow in session 2. Finally, during the 3rd session we will discuss quilting, by domestic or longarm machine or even by hand. A binding demo tutorial will be discussed in the last class but must students won't remember that info  nor need it until the quilt is actually quilted.

A great follow-up to this Basic class is my much more comprehensive Quiltmaking 101 class taught at another local shop Patches & Stitches. When classes resume there, hopefully in January 2021, this 5 week class moves on to Half Square and Quarter Square triangles and lots more detail for precise piecing:

For many years this was the Quiltmaking 101 Sample--and it got lots of new quilters hooked. It is based on the Glad Creations pattern, Mix and Match Stars. It was a real stretch for most students to complete this top in 5 weeks but most did: 

Before that I had another favorite beginning quilt project. These 6" blocks were fast for students to make and they had a wide variety of blocks to choose from, making each quilt unique to the maker. It came from the book Blocks and Quilts Everywhere, by Debbie Caffrey, out of print now. 

There were a few other beginning class quilts over the last 30 years but I don't have photos of them and must have given them away because I can't find them either. 

The original class featured a sampler quilt many beginning quilters made in the 1980-1990's. It is from the book Teach Yourself to Quilt by Leisure Arts. My quilt is long gone, no idea what happened to it, but Ricky Tims made this in the early 1990's and had it on set a few weeks ago when he taped The Quilt Show. So here is Ricky's first quilt, the Sampler on the right:

If you took this class with me, oh, a hundred years ago, I would LOVE to see a photo of your finished quilt!

Do you still have your first quilt? Do you still like it? What did it teach you?

Some things change, colors and fabric styles go in and out of fashion, but the passion for quiltmaking lives on. We know that making quilts is just one of those things we MUST do, for lots of reasons. I love bringing more excited quilters into our Tribe.

Let's quilt.

Barbara