The development of building quilts through blocks came about as a solution to the cumbersome task of wholly sewing a large blanket from the center to its edges. Building quilts block by block made quilting much more convenient, and led to an absolute explosion in variation of designs and patterns.
Perfect for the beginner, our Quilting Primer Series aims to demystify the act of hand sewing a quilt block through a sequence of diverse forays into block constructing. While rooted in quilting’s history of using scrap fabrics to make beautiful coverlets, this series gathers contemporary voices and techniques to give the new sewist a set of skills and the confidence to take on existing patterns or personal compositions.
Exposure to seven unique teachers affords any sewist, seasoned or novice, the opportunity to witness varied approaches even within the same technique. Experiencing the series as whole is sure to provide a solid foundation and will get you well on your way in a joyful practice of hand-sewn quilting!
The blocks from each class can then be assembled in any way you wish, to represent a sampler of skills, and your unique journey through our course. They would also make great pillows or patches for other textiles.
We hope you can join us in expanding our TATTER programming to take a deeper look into the diverse practice of quilt piecing.
The Series
Precise Appliqué
with Sarah Nishiura
Appliqué, the art of stitching shapes to the surface of a fabric foundation, has been used throughout the world for thousands of years as way to embellish and add meaning to textiles. This workshop will consider appliqué’s use throughout history in various textile traditions and introduce students to the ways that the technique can be used to create their own unique block.
Improv Appliqué
with Heidi Parkes
This class highlights turned edge appliqué, in a small and large scale. The large scale appliqué can deceptively look like piecing, and it can be used for piecing too! Heidi will share about the ways she uses improv hand piecing in her quilts, and will share a few examples of variations on the technique. We will also get nerdy and cover several areas of good craftsmanship in areas like the innie corner, acute angle, and curves. We will cover the running stitch, ladder stitch, and whip stitch, along with three favorite knots. This technique can easily scale up or down, so that this class will give you the skills needed to make a quilt block or a large quilt top.
Precise Curved Piecing
with Tara Faughan
Using the Drunkard’s Path quilt block, students will learn the basics of hand piecing and sewing curves. In this class we will cover how to create templates and mark fabric for sewing, as well as how to use color and value to create movement. We will also look at various ways to arrange the block to create a dynamic design.
Improv Patchwork
with Zak Foster
This course will explore improvisational patchwork, a method of piecing quilts that has a long and complex history that largely starts in Gee’s Bend, Alabama in a black rural community whose work is now exhibited around the world. We will touch on this cultural context and its implications for modern makers, as well as covering basic sewing techniques like the running stitch, the back stitch, the quilters knot, and a small basting stitch. Perfect for beginners or those looking to get a more formal training in traditional hand-stitching techniques.
Kkekki (깨끼) or Gopsol (곱솔)
with Youngmin Lee
Kkeki is a beautiful and tidy seam technique for use with sheer fabrics. The finished seam is fine, neat, and sturdy.
Using sheer and lightweight fabric, Youngmin will teach how to use this technique to make narrow seam lines.
Embroidered Quilt Block
with Ekta Kaul
In this workshop led by artist Ekta Kaul, you will be invited to explore rhythm through stitch. Rhythms are around us and within us. Seasons, tides, circadian cycles are all examples of rhythm in nature. Stitch is a wonderful tool to create rhythm on cloth, inviting the viewer’s eye to move along the quilt in a harmonious way. Ekta will guide you in creating stitched rhythms with a focus on line and composition, drawing references from a varied vocabulary of fundamental stitches including heritage ones like kantha.
Manx Patchwork
with Aaron Sanders Head
In this workshop, participants will learn to make a folded Log Cabin Quilt Block, or a Manx Quilt Block. The quilt block is a unique take on a log cabin block, utilizing a series of unique but easy measurements based on the hand of the maker, making each block unique to the person who created it. Traditionally the fabric was torn, not cut. A simple folding technique gives this block a gorgeous, textural, heavy finish and stitches up quickly.
Dates
Precise appliqué with Sarah Nishiura- Thursday, October 6th, 2022
Improv appliqué with Heidi Parkes- Thursday, October 13th, 2022
Precise curved piecing with Tara Faughnan- Thursday, October 20th, 2022
Improv patchwork piecing with Zak Foster- Thursday, October 27th, 2022
Kkekki (깨끼) or Gopsol (곱솔) seam technique with Youngmin Lee- Thursday, November 3rd, 2022
Embroidered quilt block with Ekta Kaul – Thursday, November 10th, 2022
Manx Patchwork with Aaron Sanders Head – Thursday, November 17th, 2022
Time
All classes are from 12pm – 2:30pm ET*
*Participants will also have access to recordings of the live sessions in case you cannot attend.
*Access to these recording will be available for one month after the date of the live session.
Materials
A materials list is posted on each class page. An optional materials kit is available for purchase through Tatter.
Tuition
$60 for one class. $350 for the series.
*This session will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to all those who register following the live session. This link is live for one month for you to watch at your convenience.
We have two scholarships available for this experience. To be considered for the scholarship please email [email protected] with some information about yourself, your making practice, and why you would like to participate.
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