Classes to Make Dana's Designs

I most often design my quilts. In these classes, I'll share my design processes as you make your take on my quilt designs. Each quilt includes techniques that may be new to you or touches that are among my signature design favorites. And there will be lots of tips on tools and tricks to enhance your quiltmaking.

Peace Cranes Over Hiroshima

6-hour class, best offered as two 3-hour classes

This is my most popular class. I designed and made “Peace Cranes Over Hiroshima” after a visit to the peace park that is at the epicenter of the World War II atomic bombing site in Hiroshima, Japan. This foundation-pieced quilt is based on an Origami folded peace-crane image from the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Experience with foundation piecing (machine paper piecing) is needed for success making this quilt. You’ll learn a lot about color value as value is key to creating this quilt’s three-dimensional look. The pattern and foundations for the quilt are included in the class fee.

Will It Go Round in Circles

6 hours in two 3-hour sessions

I designed this quilt as an assignment for a color class I took at City Quilter in New York City. The assignment was to make a quilt in three colors I really don’t like. That meant working with avocado green, harvest gold and hot pink. At the same time, I was preparing to teach a class on insetting circles and needed to make a class sample. There wasn’t time to make two quilts so I combined the tasks and came up with this quilt. In this two-session class, you’ll first piece the background learning several ways to make the ¼” strips. In the second session, you’ll learn to inset the circles. You don’t have to work in colors you don’t like but if you want to add the challenge, feel free to do so. The pattern for the quilt is included in the class fee.

Geese Over Manhattan

One-day class

I fell in love with Marcia Derse’s first fabric collection — I still love her designs — when I first saw it. My initial challenge was to design a block using every fabric in the collection. That included a panel, not something I usually work with. I soon realized I could fussy cut a center square for my block from the panel. Voila! All fabrics used. I liked the block so much, I made eight more and created this quilt. Upon completing it, I realized it was a design that could be used whenever you have a fabric with images you want fussy cut for the centers. So sign up for this class then begin looking for what you’ll use in the center of your blocks. You’ll learn several ways to make flying-geese units, how to sew precise ¼” strips for narrow borders and partial-seam piecing.

Whose Red Line?

6-hour class offer in two 3-hour sessions

You’ll design your own quilt using simple vertical and horizontal straight lines of varying widths then piece your design using two colors to achieve a woven look. We’ll discuss how to plan open areas where quilting can be the star.