Design to Quilt 5 week online course

This is a 5 week course to get you creating abstract quilts.  For the first two weeks we will create various designs using four different techniques.  The third week is spent refining your designs and choosing one to make into a quilt (you can always make more – it isn’t restricted to just one!).  The fourth week we will explore different ways of making the quilt top before finally quilting and finishing our quilt in the final week.

It will be delivered online, via a series of videos and pdfs released each week on the Monday for the five weeks plus 3 Zoom calls.  All the videos and pdfs are available to download, so you can watch as many times as you like, even after the course is finished.

Content

Week 1
Creating totally abstract designs from mark-making and painting

Week 2
Abstracting imagery to create semi-abstracted designs from photos or other imagery

Week 3
Taking our drawings and developing them into patterns

Week 4
How to make a quilt top from your pattern, including using bondaweb and raw edge appliqué

Week 5
Quilting your abstract quilt and finishing ideas

Facebook Group

There will be a private Facebook group where you can post your work and any queries and I will be active in the group for the 5 weeks giving feedback, advice and adding extra ideas.  The group will be there as long as it is being used, but I can’t guarantee to be as responsive after the course ends.

Zoom Calls

There will be 3 live Zoom calls on the course to discuss ideas, issues and progress.

They will be on

• Tuesday 24 October at 5pm
• Friday 10 November at 5pm
• Friday 24 November at 5pm

All of the calls will be recorded and a link to the recordings will be sent to all participants. If you are not able to attend in person, you can always send your questions in advance so they are covered during the calls.

Who is this course for?

Want to design your own quilts, but not sure where to get started?  Looking for some new inspiration for your quilt designs?   Then this course is perfect for you!

This course will not teach you detailed patchwork and quilting techniques, so some basic knowledge is assumed.  However, you will generate lots of ideas which can be turned into quilts either during the course or afterwards.

What do I need?

Shortly after you sign up, you will receive an introductory email, giving a full supplies list.

In brief, you will need paint, paper, tracing paper,  fabric, wadding and normal sewing kit.  Depending on how you choose to develop your quilt, you will also need Bondaweb (or other fusible webbing) and perhaps some stitch’n’tear.  The key thing you need is plenty of enthusiasm and a desire to ‘give-it-a-go’.  You will surprise yourself at some of the resulting quilt designs, which you never imagined possible before.

A starter kit of A2 paper, tracing paper, paints, fineline pen, pencil and brushes can be ordered when booking for an additional £15.50 plus postage.  It will be sent a week before the course starts.  Other materials such as bondaweb, stitch’n’tear and wadding are available to order on this site.

You will need to choose your own fabrics.  You can create your designs based on what you already have or use it as an excuse to increase your stash.

A camera and access to a printer will also make the process significantly easier. Some students have used a copy shop to make their designs, but I just use my home printer.

This course is equivalent to a five day in-person course in my studio, which would cost at least £350.  Unfortunately, I can’t provide the soup lunches for online courses, but you do get the videos which you can watch again and again!