QuiltCon 2015 classes.

I can’t believe that it’s almost time to register for QuiltCon. It’s pretty crazy how fast time has flown since the last one, and in many ways I hope it continues to fly, because I’m ready for round 2. The first QuiltCon was truly a special and inspiring event, and I’m flattered and excited to be teaching at this next one. Plus, Austin is an amazing place and well-suited host city for us fun-loving creatives. Since registration is fast approaching, I thought I’d do a quick summary of what I’ll be teaching, and I hope to see you there!

 

+ Houses . Thursday, February 19 . 9am-5pm 

 

 

Designing my Local quilt was a lot of fun, and since it’s release I’ve been asked many times how to design your own (house) block. Well, this class is a take off from that. I’ll be designing a special Austin/QuiltCon house block that we’ll make in class (so you’ll learn to paper piece), but I’ll also walk you through the block-design process.

 

Since I’ll be teaching with the Austin MQG in August, I’m looking forward to doing some local recon for this special project ahead of time. I want this project to be a commemorative, Austin-themed block for the class, and I’ll be documenting the entire process so that you can see exactly how I did it. Then I’ll make sure to work with everyone in the class on building their own.

And hey, if you sign up for this class, maybe you’ll want to bring a picture of your house or a special house in your life, and I’ll give you some pointers on turning it into your own special quilt.

 

+ Emphasis . Friday, February 19 . 9am-5pm 

 

 

 

Emphasis is series of projects as well as a major design tool that I talk about in my new book, Savor Each Stitch. The basic idea with emphasis (the projects and design tool) is that you can do so much just by careful decisions in how you use your block. This is something that I love about quilt making. We’ll be breaking down the idea of a quilt block to explore how block strategy and manipulation can give you so much to work with, and how we can use it to impact our final designs.

 

As for the project itself, you’ll also learn to paper piece, and we’ll talk a lot about fabric and quilting strategy as well.

 

 

+ Architecture, Quilts + Us . Saturday, February 21 . 4pm-4:45pm

 

 

 

 

Alright, so this is a lecture, and I’m not gonna lie that giving my first formal lecture in a large hall scares me just a little bit. But, I am pretty excited and passionate about my topic. So there’s that. Plus, I’ve had this talk on my mind for quite a while now, and I’ve got some time between now and then to get lots of practice in.

 

So, Architecture and Quilts…

 

For me, I see a direct correlation between the two, but I know that may not be super obvious to most people. This is surely why I get asked so often if I miss architecture or when I plan to go back to it. The answer to both of those questions is that I don’t feel like I ever left it, OR, maybe more true, is that I feel like what I am doing now is a more fitting continuation of what I enjoyed most about architecture that I didn’t necessarily get while working in the field.

 

But, why does this matter? Or, why should a room full of quilters care about what I think about architecture and quilting? Well for one, I know that I am not alone, and I know this because I meet tons of architects, engineers, and other folks with design backgrounds through quilting all the time. So much so, that it’s not really surprising to me anymore, and the reasons why this is true is relevant to all of us. There are some really strong parallels between architecture and quilting that we can look at and use to make all of us better quilters.

 

Another focus of the talk will be on modernity (a relevant topic to highlight and discuss at the Modern Quilt Guild’s flagship event). I think that there are some interesting connections to be made between modernity in architecture and modernity in quilting that I am excited to explore.

 

So anyways, that’s kind of what’s on the docket for this talk. I promise to also provide some beautiful slides, to talk directly from my own experience, and to provide a look at quilting through a slightly different lens, which is something I always think can be a helpful thing to do.

 

+ Aerial Grove . Sunday, February 22 . 9am-5pm

 

 

 

Aerial Grove is another project from my new book, and color is a huge part of this project. I know for a fact that color is a main attraction for us quilters, and I also think that how we use it can be really powerful. In class, we’ll focus not only on working with color but also on developing your own color stories and how working with prints and pattern can play into the mix. Technique-wise, you’ll learn my favorite way of needle-turn appliqué (it’s fun and easy!).

 

I really want this class to be hands on and fun, with lots of attention paid to helping you find your own unique sense of working with color.

 

So that’s the list of what we can work on together. I tried to put a lot of time and attention into my offerings at QuiltCon, because I do think it is such a special event. I know that everyone involved has to set aside lots of time, money, and energy to attend, and I definitely want it be mindful of that to make it a worthwhile and fun experience for all.

 

You can find the full QuiltCon schedule to download here.

 

Here are the important QuiltCon registration dates:

+ June 24, 2014: Registration open for all MQG members 11am EST/8am PDT

+ July 1, 2014: Registration open to non members

 

They’ve also put together this helpful video for how to register. You can find it here.

 

I hope to see you there!