A Touch of Improv!
Just for Fun, No-Stress Classes
Even the quilt police agree there is no room for them in these classes in which you'll throw away the rules and let loose. Neither class requires a ruler, and one doesn't even need you to have a rotary cutter. These are the perfect classes for you if you like to improvise or if you're finding you're stuck in the same-old, same-old quilting patterns and practices. There's nothing conventional here. Sign up for fun. Sign up to de-stress.
Fabulous Freeform
4-hour class
This improvisational cutting and piecing technique created by Pam Rocco, formerly a columnist for Quilters Newsletter, is fun and quick. Each student’s quilt will be a unique creation. Cutting out this quilt is simple. You’ll freehand rotary cut 1”-3” wide strips with gentle curves without using a ruler. Then you’ll stitch the strips together with no pinning. The end result is a high energy quilt that you can hang or drape over a couch or chair. It can also be used as a table or bed runner. The choice is yours!
Goodbye Ruler, Goodbye Rotary Cutter:
Free Cutting Caohagan-Island Style
One-day class
When the quiltmakers of Caohagan Island in the central Philippines learned to quilt, they didn't have rulers, pencil or paper. They did have fabric and scissors. Looking at black-and-white drawings of traditional quilt blocks from a Maggie Malone book, they began free cutting patches for blocks. Over time, they added appliqué to their quilting skills. They work with just scissors and fabric — no templates or patterns or pencils or marking pens.
In this workshop, you'll try your hand at free cutting Caohagan-Island style. You'll begin by free cutting and hand piecing a block of your choice. You can bring an image — black and white only, please — or select from images I’ll provide from a Maggie Malone book, just as was provided to the Caohagan Island quiltmakers.
In the second half of the class, we'll move to free cutting appliqué motifs as you design-as-you go a small quilt top that can become a pillow sham. You'll learn how the Caohagan quiltmakers piece some of their appliqués before putting them onto their quilts. By the way, there will be no irons, only finger pressing.
This class can be divided into two classes: One on free form cutting and piecing of blocks and one on free form cutting for appliqué. In this case, each class is a half day.