Sessions

Learn to make The Shift Dress from the book "Skirts & Dresses For First Time Sewers," with author and patternmaker Christine Haynes. A perfect garment for sewers of all levels, this simple dress will introduce you to basic clothing construction, including bias-finishing the neckline, and hand gathering the cuffed sleeve, as we cut, assemble, and finish our garments with professional results. Please note: this pattern is sized from 0–18 and is for bust sizes 31"–45". If you fall outside of that range, please consider making it for a friend as there will not be enough time for pattern adjustments in class.

In this three hour crash course, you’ll work through your personalized ‘maker to making a living’ workbook, filled with tools, tips, activities and financial formulas. (Yes, financial formulas. Fear not, you’ll be fine.) You’ll also have access to additional top secret online resources to continue working on your own after the event. This is a hands-on course, for both new and existing businesses. It’s also perfect if you haven’t started your business and are in the dreaming/ planning/ exploration phase. Attendees will be guided through lectures, exercises and activities focused around the development of their business. At the end of the workshop, you will have a custom plan to transition from where you are, to where you want to be, successfully balancing your personal craft philosophy with the realities of marketing, selling and profiting from your creative business.

Learn to love handwork with this architecture-inspired project. This graphic design from Carolyn’s pattern line is a great project for picking up and refining your needle-turn appliqué skills. Learn how decisions in fabric selection and block placement can impact the look of the design and the flavor of your project.

Piec-lique is an innovative technique that makes any curved seam possible. In class, you'll learn how to piece the fun curves of Circle Maze, without the fuss of special sewing machine feet or a ton of pins. This simple technique will give you confidence with curves and add many new skills to your quilting "tool box."

Wool is a beautiful material for appliqué. Often seen in a more traditional setting, this workshop teaches the technique with a modern design and color palette. Students will learn wool appliqué basics, get exposure to materials, and set up a project to work on in class, with an opportunity for individual instruction. The project can them be finished as a mini quilt, pillow, or bag panel.

Students will learn the process of reverse appliqué, using jersey knit and cotton fabric, through the creation of a block that can then be made into a mini quilt, pillow, or bag panel. Students will learn the basics of raw edge reverse appliqué: setting up the design, stitching and knotting, and finishing the edges. Hands-on work time will allow students to get a good start on their projects and will provide time for individual instruction.

Needle Turn Applique made easy! Sarah's fun, modern technique for hand needle turn will help you achieve perfect circles, steep V's a sharp points with ease and confidence. Begin a block from one of Sarah's new quilts that can become a medallion or a full size quilt. A six-hour class will cover all the skills you need to complete the block yourself at home.

Learn how to needle turn Hawaiian applique the modern way using one of Sarah's striking but simple blocks. These blocks on their own make a stark and visually appealing quilt, or make a start on the Centenary quilt from Sarah's new book, "Old Quilts New Life."

Are you using your design wall to design? Or is it just a place you store blocks and scraps? I would rather be without my sewing machine than give up my design wall; come and learn how I think about and use my favorite tool. Participants in this class will learn to make blocks for an Arne quilt (pattern is provided in class); those blocks will be pooled and played with collectively as we explore the joy of the design wall.

Explore a variety of ways to translate your color inspiration into modern quilts. We will start with quick and easy color theory exercises to create palettes, move onto the design wall to test out different combinations using simple quilt blocks, and finish up with small sewn color studies. You will leave class with greater confidence in how to put together colors in your quilts.