Goodbye to the Grid

“Class was great…even beyond my expectations.
I learned so much and her method was so easy…
I’m amazed at what I produced and
also at the designs the other students came up with.
Dena was the best!!! The material was very thorough and easy to understand.
She always responded quickly and gave detailed answers and coaching.
I want to take all her classes!!“

Students learn how to use a simple sketching technique – so easy a child can do it – to make their own drawings of one-of-a-kind quilt designs. Then they explore the potential for interpreting their original images as finished quilt tops.

Each student discovers his/her own personal artistic style, and finds the means of expressing it that leads to entirely new ways of thinking about design.

With an emphasis on construction, this workshop encourages students to resolve design and sewing challenges. It simultaneously builds students’ confidence by empowering them to make any quilt top they can design.

Focus of Class: Design, interpretation, machine sewing, embellishment

Number of Days: 1 or 2

Level of Instruction: Intermediate/Advanced

Maximum Number of Students: Approx. 20

Supply List (subject to change nearer the scheduled workshop date):

1 Day Class

• Adhesives:  1/2” cellotape or masking tape (optional)
• Adhesives:  Fusing agents like WonderUnder, Steam-a-Seam, Vliesofix (optional)
• Adhesives:  Glue stick (optional)
• Cutting Tools:  Paper scissors
• Cutting Tools:  Rotary cutter
• Cutting Tools:  Rotary cutting mat – 24″ x 36″
• Cutting Tools:  Sharp dressmaker shears
• Cutting Tools:  Thread snips (optional)
• Cutting Tools:  X-acto knife, blade #11, or other seam ripper (optional)
• Feet:  Applique foot (optional)
• Feet:  Cording foot (optional)
• Feet:  Embroidery or decorative stitch foot (optional)
• Feet:  Open toe foot (optional)
• Machines:  Straight stitch or zigzag sewing machine with regular foot
• Markers:  HB or softer lead pencil or mechanical pencil, eraser, sharpener
• Markers:  Permanent ink, medium/fine tip black felt marking pen
• Markers:  Tailor’s chalk, soap sliver or other temporary marker
• Materials:  2 yards or meters light/medium weight, stiff, non-woven fusible interfacing – Pellon 911 or Vilene H250 (not Pellon batting)
• Paper:  Inexpensive newsprint, sketchpad, tracing or brown wrapping paper, 24″ x 36″- 6 sheets
• Paper:  Notebook (optional)
• Pins and Needles:  Extra sewing machine needles to replace any you break
• Pins and Needles:  Straight pins
• Threads:  Decorative threads (optional)
• Threads:  Invisible thread – good polyester, not cheap nylon (optional)
• Threads:  Matching threads
• Threads:  Neutral color utility thread
• Tools:  Design wall (flannel or batting, 1 square yard or meter or larger)
• Tools:  Electric iron and board
• Tools:  French or other curve drawing tools (optional)
• Tools:  Small re-useable trash bag
• Top Fabrics:  8-12 x 1/2 yard or meter pieces of solid color and/or print fabrics, loosely coordinated and in a wide range of values from very dark to very light

2 Day Class Additional Supplies

• Adhesives:  Fabric glue for embellishments (optional)
• Backing fabric:  Enough of one fabric to back a quilt of approximately 1300-1500 sq. in. in area
• Binding Fabrics:  1 fabric for quilt’s binding, in sufficient amount to cut binding on crossgrain at 5″ width
• Feet:  Zipper foot
• Materials:  Craft size batting, 1/4″ thick, preferably cotton
• Pins and Needles:  Tacking gun and tacks, bent safety pins, or straight pins for securing quilt layers for quilting
• Rulers:  Rotary ruler – 6″ x 24″
• Trims:  Embellishments like beads, sequins, found objects, cords, tassels, ribbons, trims, even scrap fabrics (optional)
• Trims:  Optional selection of art supplies suitable for fabrics – acrylic fabric paints and brushes, dyes, crayons, rubber stamps and ink, in small quantities – whatever you have that will be easy and not messy to use

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