• Category Archives Events
  • Another Class at NW Quilting Expo

    Another day – another class to promote. Today, I will promote my 3-D leaves.

    These leaves are fun to create and make wonderful ’embellishments’ for quilts and garments . With a good batik as a starting point, they look surprisingly real. Adding to the realism is the design source, I use real leaves as the patterns for these leaves.

    In the class, we will explore the basic process  of stitching, cutting and shaping the leaves.

    You can find the class registration on the website for NW Quilting Expo along with more information on cost, supply list etc.

    Lovely ruffled Ginko leaves grace a nature quilt
    Lovely ruffled Ginko leaves grace a nature quilt
    Autumn comes and the oaks shed their leaves
    Autumn comes and the oaks shed their leaves
    Flaming maple leaves drift on the wind and carpet the forest floor
    Flaming maple leaves drift on the wind and carpet the forest floor

  • My Classes at NW Quilting Expo

    Good morning everyone. I’m delighted to tell you that I will be offering several classes at the 2015 Northwest Quilting Expo taking place in September at the Expo Center in Portland Oregon; follow the link for more information on the show and classes.

    For the next few days, I will be posting details and pictures of the projects in the classes I am offering – pictures fill classes and as most venues, the expo registration only had room for one image per class so I’m taking the opportunity to share more images and a more thorough description of what you can learn in the class and the possible applications for the techniques.

    The class I’m profiling today is Hand Lettering on Fabric ; offered on Thursday September 24 from 1-5 pm.

    If you are like me, you may have experienced the ‘trailing letter syndrome’; this is where you don’t plan your letting well and you either run out of room (or don’t center a block of writing well) or perhaps a line of lettering looks good for the most part and then takes a dive at the end of the sentence. The method you will learn in class will allow you to create neat, well balanced lettering, explore unusual fonts or create your own special letters and add artistic drawn graphics – even if you are convinced that you can’t draw.

    The applications for this are varied ranging from creating unique lettering  or graphics as a part of your artistic design on the front of the quilt to making the very special label on the back of your quilt. You will also discover a world of free design resources if you are among the ‘artistically challenged’ when it comes to creating original designs.

    This class is suitable for beginners and more accomplished quilters and fiber artists alike; you may create your own label for a quilt that you have made or make a sample project with graphics and a quote from some resource templates I will have. I have posted several images ranging from unique quilt labels I have created to lettering on the surface of a quilt – even a custom drawn ‘fabric’ I created for a quilt when no suitable commercial prints were available.

    A masterpiece quilt deserves a masterpiece label. A 'parchment scroll' graphic label tells the story of Sarah, the mournful subject of the quilt.
    A masterpiece quilt deserves a masterpiece label. A ‘parchment scroll’ graphic label tells the story of Sarah, the mournful subject of the quilt.
    I made this label for my Aztec Sun Calendar quilt. The graphic design is the central figure from the stone carving that was the inspiration for the quilt.
    I made this label for my Aztec Sun Calendar quilt. The graphic design is the central figure from the stone carving that was the inspiration for the quilt.
    This lettering appears on the front of a small Art Journal Quilt I created to commemorate the teenage summer i spent trying to master the Gordon Lightfoot song that I loved so much
    This lettering appears on the front of a small Art Journal Quilt I created to commemorate the teenage summer i spent trying to master the Gordon Lightfoot song that I loved so much
    Many years ago I made an Egyptian themed quilt that I wanted to include a 'papyrus' scroll design. There was no such fabric available and so I had to design my own using an authentic ancient papyrus as the source design. The hardest part was to put all this work into the drawing and then to tear and distress this finished panel to mimic an ancient fragment scroll
    Many years ago I made an Egyptian themed quilt that I wanted to include a ‘papyrus’ scroll design. There was no such fabric available and so I had to design my own using an authentic ancient papyrus as the source design. The hardest part was to put all this work into the drawing and then to tear and distress this finished panel to mimic an ancient fragment scroll
    This butterfly shaped label was created for my collage butterfly quilt and goes beyond a standard rectangular 'business card' type of label
    This butterfly shaped label was created for my collage butterfly quilt and goes beyond a standard rectangular ‘business card’ type of label

  • Oregon Coastal Quilters May 2015

    Home from the coast and I miss it already. I was born with salt water in my veins and a trip to the seashore replenishes my soul.

    Siltcoos Lake
    Siltcoos Lake

    When that trip can be combined with a teaching opportunity – so much the better. Last week I spent several days at the Oregon coast, staying with a friend in a lakeside cabin in Florence and then commuting up to Newport on a couple of days for a lecture and workshop.

    To the right is the lovely view from my friend’s living room window, imagine waking up to this every morning.

    Seascape quilt by student Jean A.
    Seascape quilt by student Jean A.

    The turnout at the Oregon Coastal Quilters’ meeting for my lecture on Asian fabrics was excellent, several members commented to me that the meeting was more crowded than usual. This is the second time I’ve lectured and taught for this lovely group of ladies (and gentlemen too!). It’s been several years since I was last there teaching a Landscape Quilting class and that program and class went well too. To the right is a picture of a gorgeous seascape quilt one of those students made back then and graciously shared with me on this trip. I’m guessing that as they invited me back, I must have made them happy the first time.

    This time around, the workshop was on my Animal Totems and the workshop filled to capacity. The students were enthusiastic and the projects they created quite impressive. Most of the time, students in this class start with a simple Seminole band pattern I recommend as it is one of the easier ones to piece, but a couple of students in this workshop forged ahead and tried other patterns or modified the one I suggested. This did not surprise me as the last time I taught for them, I was impressed by their quick creativity. Below are posted a few pictures of the workshop and one of me lecturing and showing my Asian fabric samples.

    Asian Fabric Lecture
    Animal Totems workshop
    Animal Totems workshop (samples on wall are mine)
    Animal Totems workshop
    Animal Totems workshop
    Seminole pieced strip
    Seminole Turtle Totem in progress
    Deservedly proud students show their work. Way to go ladies!!!

    A successful, satisfying class and trip in my opinion, hopefully in the students’ as well. During my trunk show, several students commented favorably about a Garden Windows quilt sample I brought to show and expressed a desire to take that class. I do hope this means I may again visit the Oregon Coastal Quilters at a future date to teach and lecture again.