GUILD LECTURES

NEW! A Brief Moment in the Q-niverse
Do you know those moments in our quilt history that allowed us to evolve to where we are today? Do you know who our grandmothers and grandfathers of the cloth are and how they impacted today’s quilting? And why is this even relevant to what we do today? Come learn about our interesting history, our quilt industry and how it affects us today, and you’ll leave feeling a little more inspired and proud to call yourself “quilter.” Entertaining PowerPoint and live quilts.

Stepping into Creativity
Many quilters are happy following a pattern and duplicating a quilt. Others are fearless at deviating from a pattern and making a design all their own. What is it they have that other quilters don’t? Together we’ll walk through the towns of Creativity and Innovation where I hope to inspire you to quilt and create out of your comfort zone. Creativity is not a talent some of us have and others don’t; it’s a gift we are all given and a muscle to be exercised. Let me lovingly show you how small changes in how you handle a project can lead to big impressions and pick up some tips to keep the creativity flowing.

Make Mine Modern
The Modern Quilt movement seems like it came out of nowhere and now modern is everywhere we turn. But Modern Quilting has its roots in traditional quilting and fine art. Jake will explore this quilt evolution with live quilts and a fun PowerPoint presentation. (Yes, you CAN have a FUN PowerPoint presentation!) Find out why Modern Quilting it important for ALL quilters and how it can help you to be more creative.

Making Quilts that Care
Quilters are the most generous crafters imaginable. What guild does not have at least one group of members handling charity projects? Explore some of the more innovative projects aimed at people who are ailing with specific illnesses. From Alzheimer’s disease and other brain impairments to tiny baby quilts destined for the neonatal intensive care unit, these quilts can lend comfort and joy to strangers and loved ones alike. I’ll give you tons of tips on how to organize your philanthropic efforts in your group, and other info not always considered, like how photos and labels can help in your projects.

12 Steps to Recovering Money from your Fiber Addiction
Do you wake up thinking about quilts? Do you feel like you’re going through de-tox when you can’t get to your sewing machine for a few days? Are you afraid to face the music of your own addiction when looking at your fabric stash? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, you, too, ARE a fiber addict. The good news is that you don’t have to go cold turkey and lock your sewing studio. I’ll show you ways to earn money from your addiction so you can keep the cycle spinning and reassure your spouse or accountant at the same time. Quilts ARE featured (so we have something to oohh and aahh over).

Cost for lecture: $350 (with product sales allowed) plus travel expenses. See discount information below when a lecture and workshop to the same venue are booked together!

SIX-HOUR WORKSHOPS

NEW! Stitch & Swap
What could be more fun than to make and complete a sewn project during the course of a workshop, except to then swap it with a friend–old or new? We will work from one type of project of your choice (pincushion, placemats, tote bag are some suggestions) and a basic pattern that can be altered to each participants’ unique style. We’ll draw anonymous partners who offer some suggested preferences and then sew away! At the end of class, we’ll reveal our partners and swap our projects! Basic supply lists allowing a lot of flexibility will be provided, and additional materials will be available for optional purchase. Students will also have the option of working on their own choice of swap project within the category chosen for the swap. The key to having fun here is being flexible and generous. Prizes will awarded for a couple of “Best Of” categories too! Based on Jake’s latest book, Stitch & Swap: 25 Handmade Projects to Sew, Give & Receive (StashBooks, 2014). (Discounted book will be available for purchase, but not required.)

NEW! I CAN Teach You to Paper-Piece without Tears-PROMISE!
Paper-piecing (also called Foundation Piecing) is one of the most useful special quilting techniques, and one of the most terrifying. It’s because we’re taught to make quilts with a specific order of steps, and paper-piecing reverses that order until we’re often ready to shoot our poor, blameless sewing machines. There are tips and tricks to conquering paper-piecing and we will celebrate them together, with humor and kindness. I will provide the Sailboats pattern, but I’m open to students bringing a pattern of their own, with pre-approval. (Some paper-piecing patterns are not well-done so I’d like to weigh in on it first.)

NEW! You Hexy Thing, You!
Hexies are ALL the rage these days! And creating this very contemporary and modern shape from the most traditional of techniques (English Paper-Piecing) is simple and satisfying. No machines are needed for this class as we’ll work with cardstock templates and hand needles. We’ll learn how to make our hexies, how to join them and what we can do with them when we’re done. Optional kits will be available for purchase.

The Original Cover Art Class
We will transform any type of book, album, binder, eReader, iPad into a work of quilted art! We’ll follow techniques from my first book, Fast, Fun & Easy Book Cover Art (C&T Publishing 2006), to make a pattern for whatever item you bring and then turn it into a quilted cover. Because we customize the pattern to the item, your participants will be delighted by the variety of covers created! And, most participants will leave with a completed project. This is a great workshop for guild’s to host to make boutique items for later sale or fundraising. It’s also a great pre-holiday workshop because these charming, pretty covers make excellent gifts. Before you know it, you’ll be covering your world with your quilt art!

Northwinds Quilt: Ode to Sharyn Craig
Based on Sharyn Craig’s fun and easy piecing techniques and with her full blessing, I’ll guide you through the construction of a traditional Northwinds quilt and I promise there will be no tears, only smiles! This quilt can be made with any kind of fabric and the results are always stunning. Templates and handout provided in class.

Cost for a six-hour workshop: $500 plus travel expenses. A $50 discount on the workshop is given when a workshop scheduled within two months of the lecture is booked at the same time.