At The Stitchin’ Post
$185*
(includes lunches)
Friday-Sunday, February 24-26, 2012
9-4 pm

Let the flowing forms of nature inspire you in this design exploration workshop. Land, water, sky,rocks; details in leaves and wood can all be starting points for this process. Line is the focal point of design in this workshop. Warm up exercises will build confidence in piecing, color, value, and design skills. New material will be presented each day for ideas and inspiration for present or future projects.

*Book purchase recommended: Intuitive Color and Design by Jean Wells
($27.95 less15% class discount)

Additional $3 Lab fee payable to instructor at class.

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Karla Alexander Workshops

March 22-25, 2012

Karla Alexander is the author of seven books. Her newest book, Dynamic Quilts with Easy Curves, will be released in February 2012. Karla’s philosophy regarding quilting is to enjoy the process, learn from your experience and apply what you have learned to the next project. As a teacher, Karla enthusiastically inspires students to discover and create their own individual style in their quilt making journeys. With all the many things in life to worry about, Karla believes quilting shouldn’t be one of them, but rather a time to experience the “creative flow” and enjoy!

(Please note: These are the correct days - the class schedule was incorrect.)

Wavelength At the Stitchin' Post $85* (includes lunch) Fri, Mar 23, 2012 9-4 pm Learn a fabulous way to cut and sew curves that are perfect every time ~ only one pin is required when making these beauties! You’ll learn several techniques for making blocks that can be as simple or complex as you like. While we begin with specific sizes, you’ll find throughout the class that you can shake things up (if you want to) by adding more fabric, creating a new layout, or finding your way with different colors. You will also go home with tips and tricks that will help you master future projects. You’ll never be afraid of curves again…and you will become fearless when you see the amazing designs you can create by simply using your stash! [Sign Me Up]

*Book purchase required: Dynamic Quilts with Easy Curves by Karla Alexander ($24.99 less 15% class discount.)

At The Stitchin’ Post
$125
(includes lunches)
9-4 pm

Working intuitively is a fun approach to quilt design, which can lead to astounding results. Students will explore design options through exercises with new techniques and discussions on color. Individual growth begins as students work “Outside the Lines” and challenge themselves to work with a new color palette.

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Barbara Shapel is an award winning art quilter from Washougal, Washington, who is best known for her “threadpainted” quilts and machine quilting. She has won countless prizes for her artistic quilts, including “Best of Show” in the first juried quilt show she entered! Barbara enjoys the challenge of integrating the quilting line and making it an important part of the overall design of a piece. Another challenge Barbara sets for herself is creating two-sided quilts, where the back of the quilt is a reflection of the quilt front and offers the viewer a different perspective of the same piece. Barbara focuses full-time on creating fiber art and teaching others the joy of quilt making.

Waterdance At The Stitchin’ Post $195* (includes lunches) Thursday-Saturday, April 5-7, 2012 9-4 pm Sun or Moon? Water or Sand? You get to choose! This pattern can be interpreted either way, depending on the fabrics you select. By using a freezer paper machine appliqué technique, this complex looking design is actually easy to make. Barbara will also teach students how to make this a two-sided quilt and her quilting instructions help to make the “water” really come to life. *Pattern purchase required: Waterdance by Barbara Shapel ($16.50 less 15% class discount.) [Sign Me Up]

Help us celebrate “you” at our 5th annual Customer Appreciation Days celebration on April 19, 20 and 21. There will be free demonstrations, refreshments, and drawings for SIX $100 gift certificates (good for Twigs home accessories, yarn, fabric, books, patterns and notions.) Place your name in the drawing for a sewing machine from Morrow’s Sewing Center. Also, we will announce hourly specials throughout the event.

Laura Wasilowski

Laura Wasilowski is both contemporary quilt maker and creator of hand-dyed fabrics and threads. Her pictorial art quilts, made from fused fabrics and hand embroidered or machine quilted, are collected and exhibited internationally. Laura’s narrative quilts begin with her unique hand-dyed fabrics and are inspired by stories of family, friends, and home. The whimsical wall pieces often chronicle her life. Owner of the dye shop, Artfabrik, Laura is also a lecturer, surface designer, quilt instructor, pattern designer, and author of Fusing Fun and Fuse-and-Tell. To see more of Laura’s unique work, go to www.artfabrik.com.

Stitch After Fusing At The Stitchin’ Post $105* (includes lunch) Thursday, April 19, 2012 9-3 pm

A well-placed embroidery stitch on the surface of fabric brings a quilt to life. It lends the surface additional color, pattern, definition, and texture. In this workshop you will make a small flower quilt from a pre-fused fabric kit. Basic embroidery stitches are reviewed using brilliantly colored pearl cotton threads (also part of the kit). Learn to entice the viewer closer to your art with free form, unfettered embroidery. No sewing machine needed. *$25 Kit fee payable to instructor at workshop. [Sign Me Up]

Tiny Homes At The Stitchin’ Post $105* Friday, April 20, 2012 9-3 pm
In this workshop, students explore the many techniques of fusing: free cutting, layering, collage building, improvisational design, and more. The result is a whimsical neighborhood placed in a colorful landscape setting, made from beautifully hand-dyed fabrics. No sewing machine is needed. * $20 Kit fee payable to instructor at workshop. [Sign Me Up]

Lecture: So Many Chickens, So Little Time: Diary of a Serial Quilter At The Stitchin’ Post $10 Saturday, April 21, 2012 11 am Explore the artist’s quirky mind with this lecture about quilt making in a series. Enjoy the revelation that one chicken quilt will surely lead to a second, third or fortieth. And discover what drives a person to create multiple quilts about a blue chair, garden implements, or unsung kitchen appliances. All is revealed in this exposé, the Diary of a Serial Quilter. After the lecture, which includes dramatic renditions from Songs of the Fuser, Laura will display her “miniseries” quilts and offer a trunk show of hand dyed fabric and threads from the ARTFABRIK dyers. [Sign Me Up]

Overleaf Lodge, Yachats, Oregon
$195*
(Price does not include lodging)
Thursday-Sunday (checkout at 11 am)
April 26-29, 2012

Each year this retreat just keeps getting better. Get in on the fun and bring your sewing, knitting, or reading and join us at Overleaf Lodge in scenic Yachats, Oregon. Enjoy the many nearby coastal attractions and enjoy walks along the gorgeous rocky coastline. All of the Overleaf rooms have spectacular ocean views. Take advantage of the Overleaf inhouse spa and be spoiled by the “good fairies” available to help you with your projects. Be sure to bring one of your quilts for Show and Tell.

Sorry, this class is currently full,
but we are taking names for the waiting list.

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*Price includes 4 days access to the Overleaf Conference Center, three lunches and snacks. You will be responsible for booking your own room(s). Rooms begin at $67.50 per night based on double occupancy. Check in 3 pm; check out 11 am. For more information, go to www.overleaflodge.com.

At The Stitchin’ Post
$295*
(includes lunches)
Monday-Friday, May 7-11, 2012
9-4 pm

Let the magic “Of the Earth” be your inspiration as you explore design possibilities in an abstract-like process of simplifying what actually exists. Capture the essence of your subject and find your own voice through a series of mini assignments. Move on to interpret what you feel about the earth.

*Book purchase recommended: Intuitive Color and Design by Jean Wells ($27.95 less15% class discount)

Additional $3 Lab fee payable to instructor at class.

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Sorry, this class is currently full,
but we are taking names for the waiting list.

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At The Stitchin’ Post
$400
(includes lunches)
Monday - Friday, August 13 - 17, 2012
9-4 pm

Judy Robertson of Just Imagination has been marketing her hand-dyed fabrics since 1994. Over the past 17 years, she has developed techniques that result in vibrant, saturated color. This five day workshop is designed for all skill levels, from beginners to experienced dyers. Students will experience using a low water method of dying a variety of cotton fabrics with varied results, how to produce saturated color, and creating several values of the same color. Come play all week with Judy and go home with beautifully hand-dyed fabric ready to use in your next truly unique project.

*$90.00 Lab Fee payable to instructor at class.

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At The Stitchin’ Post
$175
(includes lunches)
Saturday & Sunday, September 22 & 23, 2012
9-4 pm

Participants will create an abstract design while improving their machine embroidery and appliqué skills. The class begins with a segment on design principles and advice on how to choose stunning and effective color combinations. Breaking up the background into many smaller segments, students move on to decorate the surface of each one with a myriad of shapes, providing extra detail with machine embroidery. Towards the end of the class, instruction is given for ‘easy to master’ construction techniques and quilting designs will be discussed. Based on the skills used to create “Kimberley Mystique,” the wall hangings produced in this workshop will definitely be ‘one of a kind.’

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At The Stitchin’ Post
$175
(includes lunches)
Saturday & Sunday,
September 29 & 30, 2012
9-4 pm

To create a series of three art quilts based on a grid structure, Sue offers many ways to work with rectilinear design using fusible web. This is a great workshop for developing new directions in color, working in a series, and experimenting with silk and other fibers. The techniques and ideas that Sue teaches in this workshop are the foundation for much of her work.

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Gwen Marston has been a collector of American Folk Art textiles for many years. From her collection, she has drawn inspiration for her career in quilting. From “liberated” quilt making to folk art appliqué, her quilts have a signature all their own. As a professional quilt maker and teacher, Gwen has written 21 books, including Liberated Quiltmaking (I and II) and Ideas and Inspirations: Abstract Quilts in Solids. Being in a workshop with Gwen always proves to be very entertaining.

Contemporary Medallions in Solids

At the Stitchin’ Post
$85
(includes lunch)
Thursday, October 18, 2012
9-4 pm

Medallion quilts are defined as quilts having a center area of interest surrounded by a series of borders. They first came to America with the Colonists and have an impressive history. In this one-day workshop, Gwen shows you how to modernize the Medallion quilt. Students will begin construction of a contemporary Medallion quilt using solid fabrics. Gwen will bring a bundle of Medallion quilts to help suggest design possibilities.

Sorry, this class is currently full,
but we are taking names for the waiting list.

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At FivePine Lodge
$270
(includes lunches)
Friday-Sunday, October 19-21
9-4 pm

Two of America’s most popular Contemporary Folk Art Quilters will be teaming up for an extended weekend retreat at FivePine Lodge in Sisters (just minutes away from the Stitchin’ Post!) The two artists have been working together to create some one-of-a-kind experiences for you that reflect the contemporary folk art movement. Gwen will focus on “liberated” piecing, as well as historical appliqué; Sue brings her talent for mixing wool, fabric, embroidery, and embellishment. Be prepared for fun and an exceptional learning opportunity.

Sorry, this class is currently full,
but we are taking names for the waiting list.

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Southern Africa has had a considerable influence on Sue’s life and creativity. Sue was born in Zambia and then, in the nearby country of South Africa, she received her education, trained to be a nurse, and later moved to England; this shift between two very different environments and cultures inspired many of her designs. Sue is particularly influenced by the energy and color of traditional African designs. All these early experiences combined to stir her love of “primitive” arts and crafts and grew into a focus on folk-art.

Sue’s dream of living in the United States was fulfilled in 1989, when she moved to Connecticut and subsequently to Tennessee, Utah and Ohio. Each new State presented sharp contrasts and stirred new ideas. With each move she met many new and wonderful quilt enthusiasts who have added abundantly to her knowledge and creativity.

Leaf Sampler

At the Stitchin’ Post
$85*
(includes lunch)
Monday, October 22, 2012
9-4 pm

In this fun hands-on embellishment class, students will study numerous ways to create leaves. Sue will teach you techniques including shadowing, beading, embroidery, ribbon play and dimensional art, using different stitches, threads and textural fabrics. Prior to class, students will receive a pre-ordered kit that requires some pre-class homework. The base of 16 leaves will be appliquéd down before class, giving students more class time for learning fun embellishment techniques.

*Pre-ordered kit required: Leaf Sampler comes directly from Sue Spargo ($32.00 no discounts apply.)

Sorry, this class is currently full,
but we are taking names for the waiting list.

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Rosalie Dace Returns!

Rosalie Dace is a full time quiltmaker whose work reflects her passion for color, pattern and texture. She has had a lifelong interest in textiles and embroidery and has a degree in Art and English. While she values the traditions from which our quiltmaking has come, she believes that a quilt should say something about its time and place in history. This belief, and her awareness as a South African artist, give her work its particular character. To learn more about Rosalie and to see images of her work, go to www.rosaliedace.co.za.

Signs and Symbols Monday-Friday, September 3-7, 2012 $380 (includes lunches) [Sign Me Up]