Supply List  •  Classroom Requirements

Learn to design, draw, and piece colorful, luminous, freeform designs as well as precision pieced designs using Caryl's simple and direct methods of piecing on paper from a full size drawing. Emphasis will be on sewing techniques as well as color and design composition. Caryl will lead you through a series of design development exercises. You will then be able to design and create 3-4 small original design wall quilts, using various piecing, design, and color methods.

BEYOND THE GRID:
PERSONAL EXPRESSION WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES

Four-five days
intermediate to advanced
studio design class

Supply List  •  Classroom Requirements

See what we did in this workshop in Kauai, 2001

The goal in this studio class will be for each participant to design and create a full size original work of quilt art, that goes beyond the traditional grid format. You may come with a design idea in mind, or you can plan to develop a new idea in the class. The focus will be on techniques for developing original designs. Design exercises will be geared toward finding your personal visual vocabulary, and then effectively translating your inner vision into concrete viewable form. A number of machine techniques for creating freeform designs will be demonstrated as vehicles for greater freedom of expression.

CREATIVE MACHINE QUILTING AND DESIGN

Three-five day class  •  all levels

Supply List   •   Classroom Requirements

Learn the secrets of successful machine quilting. Various methods of machine quilting will be demonstrated in the class, and you will have a chance to make a sample of each one. Major emphasis will be on free-motion (feed-dogs down, hand guided) quilting.   This is your chance to really expand your personal "vocabulary" of quilting patterns.

There will be an opportunity for group feedback on a finished quilt top that you have brought with you, and help in planning a quilting pattern that will enhance your top and add an important additional dimension to your design.

The class will include several inspiring slides presentations, with lots of technical details included.

Class projects:

Three day:   You will have time to make a series of samples, trying out various approaches to quilting and designing.  These can be made into a cloth reference book or they can become a series of miniature whole cloth quilts. 

Four-Five day:  
You may want to design and complete a small whole cloth quilt during the class. 
You will have time to make significant progress a quilt top you have brought from home.  
You may want to make a series of miniature quilts, and try out the many different methods of designing and drawing with thread.

Subjects that will NOT be covered in the class:

• How to manage disagreeable threads like rayon and metallic.
• Trapunto
• How to use your machine.  You must know how to operate your machine, and it must be in good working order before the beginning of the class.

Subjects that will be discussed in the class include:

• How to manage a large quilt with a standard sewing machine.
• How to avoid physical exhaustion and repeat motion stress injuries when machine quilting
• How to plan a quilting design after the quilt top is completed
• Contemporary whole cloth designs
• Enlarging and simplifying your drawings or photos to make them into quilting designs
• How to make free-hand filler designs that look complex and are really easy.
• Basting for machine qulting
• Batting choice
• Needle and thread choice
• Marking and transfering your design to the quilt top
• Couching with heavy cords and yarns
• Design and composition in quilting designs
• Shading with thread
• Blocking, squaring up, and machine binding.