WEEK LONG WORKSHOPS (5-6 DAYS)

Some of the classes below are offered in a week-long format at the Haliburton School of the Arts. For example, The Art Quilt Series will be offered there the last week of July 2011, and Uncommon Threads the first week of August 2011. Each year I also usually offer one of these classes at a local community centre in Ottawa over a period of six months (one class per month). I would also be happy to deliver any of these multi-day classes to your group.

THE ART QUILT SERIES (5-6 days)

Instruction will inspire your creativity and enable you to produce original works of art in the quilt medium. The goal is to enable you to experiment, take risks and create original work as you discover your voice, your style, and what you want to express. Instruction and exercises in colour as well as the elements and principles of design and composition will give you the background to make visually dynamic work. Explore the process of dyeing your own fabric, the techniques you might need to construct the work itself, and how to finish it off. Learn how to create a pattern for your original design and discover freeform construction methods. You will have the opportunity to complete two small works using both methods and begin to make plans for a larger art quilt.

Topics for each of 6 days are as follows. When offered in 5-day format, topic 5 (Surface Design) will be omitted.

1. Finding Inspiration, Finding your Style/Voice, What do you Want to Express?

2. Colour, Design & Composition

3. Creating Fabric for your Quilt: Fabric Dyeing

4. Planning your Quilt

5. Surface Design

6. Finishing Techniques

It is highly recommended that you read the following two books ... you will learn so much and get more out of the class if you do. These books will also be a wonderful resource in your art quilt library for a long time to come.

1. The New Creative Artist: A Guide to Developing Your Creative Spirit by Nita LeLand

2. Color and Composition for the Creative Quilter by Katie Pasquini Masopust and Brett Barker.

NEW! DYE HAPPY! (5-6 days)

Are you “dyeing” to try your hand at the many ways to use dyes on cloth? If you’ve been feeling a little unsure or intimidated by the many processes, then let Elaine guide you. All processes in this class involve the use of Procion MX Fibre Reactive dyes for natural fibres. Fabric dyeing requires far less space than painting fabric and never changes the hand of the fabric. Topics include low-water immersion and parfait dyeing, shibori (bound, pole-wrapped & stitch-resist)) soy wax batik, flour paste resist, dye painting, and discharge. You will have the chance to dye cotton, silk and silk/rayon velvet. The title of this class says it all! Don’t miss this fun and information-packed class!

NEW!! SERENDIPITY STRIPS AND CURVES (5 days)

Please note that any day of this five-day class can be scheduled as a one-day class. See One and Two Day Classes for descriptions and photos of the one-day classes. Classes included are Reflections, Free-Form Curves, Flip and Sew Curves, Liberated Strip Piecing, and Liberated Radial Piecing.

In this very hands-on class, you will be introduced to a different method of free-hand cutting and piecing each morning. The instructor will also show samples and options for each method. You will work for the rest of the day cutting and sewing, with guidance available from the instructor. This class is all about free and serendipitous quilts. Minimal use of rulers, measurements, and pinning! Each morning students are invited to post works from the previous day for feedback and discussion.

NEW!! UNCOMMON & UNFORGETTABLE THREADS (5-6 days)

Uncommon” = above the ordinary, exceptional, remarkable. Unforgettable = memorable and not to be forgotten.

Discover many wonderful ways you can use both commercial and hand-dyed threads in your quilts. Lighter weight threads can be used through the needle, heavier ones for bobbin work, couching, and even some textured hand-stitching. Dye some luscious threads to increase your options and add to your stash. Then try some thread sketching, a little thread painting, some machine quilting, and a little couching and bobbin work. Learn when to use a stabilizer and/or a hoop, how to master any type of thread, what needles to use, and how to get your sewing machine to cooperate. Gain new skills that will make your quilts uncommon and unforgettable. Most processes will require a reliable sewing machine with the ability to drop or cover the feed dogs.