Quilt U Road Map
Learning to quilt is not like taking a superhighway. You do not get on at one end and drive straight through to the destination. Many paths branch off along the way. Our road map will help you navigate as you take the side roads. Classes are grouped in general categories, but there is a lot of crossover from one group to the other.
Classes that can be taken without reference to other classes are not listed.
Piecing
- Starting from Scratch - If you are brand new and want to learn to piece traditional blocks with a rotary cutter, this class will ground you in all the basic skills, giving you instruction in rotary cutting, accurate seams, block assembly, basic color and all the aspects of assembling a quilt.
- Hand Piecing - a starter class for piecing by hand with several small projects
These classes will continue the exploration of block construction, some using traditional methods, others employing shortcuts
- Sewfasst
- Fast, Fun, Fabulous
You can practice your basic skills with a number of project classes. These also contain hints and tips for improving. There are many ways to do patchwork and each teacher will share her own approach. If you are already a proficient quilter, you may just enjoy creating these projects for yourself.
- Jane Was Nuts
- Stack & Whack Hexagon Star
- Tessellating Stars
For slightly more advanced patchwork projects:
- Border Workshop - techniques and design
- Feathered Star
- Shattered Angles - strip piecing
Some classes are an in-depth look at a particular quilt style. They often involve learning to design or draft your own pattern or quilt layout. Some of these are not patchwork. Always read the descriptions.
- Attic Windows
- Bargello Seasons
- Bargello Blues (advanced) - includes designing
- Bargello Twist - (advanced)
- Crazy Quilt Piecing
- Crazy and Sane - design with crazy pieced techniques
- Exploring Log Cabin
- Reversible Quilts - hand and machine, quilt as you go technique
- Seminole Piecing
- Watercolor Wizardry - includes designing, color
Variety
Many classes cover more than one technique, combining patchwork with appliqué or foundation piecing. Always read the description of the class.
- Bodacious Blossoms
- Fabric Pages - many techniques for saving memories
- Printing on Fabric - includes thread painting on printed photos
- Super Sue - making fabric paper dolls
- Whisper Felting
Paper or Foundation Piecing
- Paper Pieced Paradise (beginner level)
- Elegant Angel
- Firm Foundations - A-Z approach to foundation work
- Ozark Garden
- Pineapples Plus
- Strip Mine! - cloth foundation
Appliqué
Beginners who wish to learn the basics by hand will enjoy
- 2 Fabric Appliqué
- Hawaiian Quilting 101
To learn to appliqué by machine
- Triple Treat Tulips - three methods
- Drunkard's Flowers (three machine methods & two hand methods)
These classes will please those who have learned the basics. Some are by hand, others by machine. Generally, you can choose to use the method you prefer, even if the instructor has chosen to teach the other method.
- Baltimore Basics - handwork
- Broderie Perse - machine
- Stress-free Celtic Tablerunner
- Make Your Own Hawaiian Quilt - includes designing
- Miniature Landscapes (machine only)
- Stack & Whack Fan - pieced fan appliquéd to background
- Too Easy Stained Glass - fused, machine appliqué method
For more adventurous or complex appliqué classes
- Arabesque - includes trapunto, beading and embroidery
- Layered Machine Appliqué
- Upside Down Appliqué
These classes may include design work or more complex appliqué or surface techniques
- Artists Revisited
- Elements in Fabric - non-traditional materials
- Filament Fantasy
- Fireworks! - includes beading
- Flower Power
- Home Building
- Machine Embellished Surfaces
- On Land and Sea - includes designing
- People in Places - includes designing
- Playing with Paint
- Realistic Fabric Portraits
- Silk Ribbon Flowers
- Still Life
- To Bead or Not to Bead
Classes with Curves
- Curved Piecing
- Going in Circles
- Drunkard’s Flowers (appliqué and piecing)
- Wheel of Mystery
Quilting
Learn to quilt by hand the traditional way
- Hand Quilting
Learn machine quilting on your home machine. We have no classes at this time for long arm or home quilting systems.
- Machine Quilting (home machine - no frame)
- Quilting Designs (no sewing)
- More Machine Quilting - advanced techniques in trapunto, thread drawing, wholecloth quilt design and execution, free motion feathers
Color
Color and color theory is the focus for these classes.
- Color Companions - sewing
- Creative Color - no sewing
- Gradations and Transparencies - sewing
Design
Simple fusing is used with surface stitching for small format expressive works:
- Journal Quilts
- Using Fusing to Express Yourself (good starter class in this category)
Simple Sewing based in design or color
- Darned Quilts - design and color
- Multiple Magic - extensive designing
- Structured Fabrics - creating fabric, designing
Drawing, some with sewing
- Art for Quilters (sewing exercises)
- Artist's Toolbox
- Designer Pinwheels
- Crystal Quilts
- Goodbye to the Grid
- Fractal Fragments
- Inspired to Design
- Playing with Lines and Shapes (beginner)
- 15 Lines and a Squiggle (intermediate)
- Reflections
- Viewpoints
Computer Aided Quilt Design
Electric Quilt classes. Beginners should start with classes by Fran Gonzalez.
- EQ7 Building Blocks - learning to design and color blocks
- EQ7 Sampler - getting started with the program.
Patti Anderson's class begins on a more advanced level. You should be comfortable with the material in EQ7 Sampler, including familiarity with the PatchDraw drawing table before taking her classes.
- EQ6 Appliqué Design - Further exploration of PatchDraw
Dyeing
- Dyeing with Tea and Spices - no experience needed, natural stains
- Cotton Dyeing Basics - starter class
- Quilter's Palette - more advanced cotton dyeing
- Silk Dyeing
- Gutta Resist
- Batik it
- Shibori
- Shibori II - advanced - requires Shibori (invitation only)
- Thick and Thin - using dyes to paint
- Three Ways to Dye - requires at least one of Marjie's dyeing classes
- Wool Dyeing
Painting and other Surface Techniques
- Fabric Painting
- Freeform Screen Printing
- Fun with Paintstiks
- Painted Landscapes
- Playing with Paint
- Waves and Waterfalls
- Winter Wonderland
Garments
- Investigations - techniques and design
- Mermaid Lagoon Jacket - specific pattern
Using Embroidery Machines
- Beginning Machine Embroidery - the very basics
- Embroidery on Patchwork - for those with some experience
- Digitized Quilting - need experience with module
- Embroidered Appliqué - for experienced users
- Beyond Digitizing - advanced