Workshops with Laurie Tigner - Nov 2017
Our goal for our Pinhole Quilting workshops is to find excellent teachers from around the world and the UK that enable you to reach your creative potential.
When Handi Quilter Ambassador Laurie Tigner said she would love to come over to the UK and be our first International teacher for Pinhole Quilting we were delighted. It's a big trip - she is actually missing Thanksgiving to be here so that says everything!
We'd been recommended to look at Laurie's work by a couple of our own award winning Handi Quilter owners who have their finger on the pulse of who to look out for next. They felt that Laurie could introduce new techniques and ideas that either aren't currently being taught or at least not in the same way in the UK.
We've put together a varied programme together for four days at the end of November. Three of those days are hands on with our Handi Quilter Longarm Machines. The workshops are held just north of Worcester at a lovely venue - the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust Centre. Students can pick which days they are interested in.
It should be stressed that these aren't classes about setting up your quilt, adjusting your tension and getting the bobbin tension set right. We do that on our Foundation and Intermediate classes. Neither do you have to own or have used a longarm before. We have a number of assistants in the class who can help you. We'll be setting the machines up and you get to play.
The final day does not involve quilting at all - it is for anyone who would like to drawor paint on fabric using Inktense pencils.
These workshops are about techniques and most importantly - having fun while we're learning! There will be lots of hands on and the opportunity to take pictures and videos while the class is in progress. This can help your learning if when you're back home you need to replay particular techniques learnt during the day.
So, what's on the programme?
Lots of people love feathers.
Laurie will teach you the skills you need to quilt feathers using her easy, methodical way. The combination of drawing and hands-on quilting takes the mystery out of feathering.
Please note, that we are sold out for Day Two, which is the Intermediate/Advanced Feathers class. If you have some distance to come and would like to do the Beginners Feathers and follow with the Round Robin and Inktense there are some interesting places around Worcester and in Worcester itself to visit on the Friday.
One of our most popular elements of our Handi Quilter classes at The Cotton Patch was "How do I quilt my quilt?"
So, we've got a fun and interactive way to design, collaborate and then stitch out quilt designs. You'll be doing it in groups. Laurie tells me that the fear factor of a blank sheet of paper soon goes away when you set pen to paper!
We'll use the longarm machines and by moving between the machines and the drawing we'll be further inhibiting the "I don't know what to do" feelings because you'll already have drawn the possibilities and will be choosing what looks best.
It is a great way to step outside the box and learn control and balance.
At the end of the round robin session we take pictures of all the samples and everyone goes home with many potential quilt designs from the collaborative process.
You are encouraged to bring drawing paper or a notebook and to take video and photos throughout the class.
We'll split our Inktense Masterclass with Laurie into two sections. There is no Hands On Element for this final day.
Morning
Inktense. Soft or Crisp?
Laurie will cover two ways of using Inktense Pencils to colour fabric, using either water or fabric medium to get a soft, watercolour look or a distinct, brighter effect.
Select from one of two patterns and watch and learn both techniques through demonstrations and practice.
Afternoon
Cameo Wholecloth with Pro Stitcher Pre-stitched Design
In this innovative class you will use the Inktense Pencils to colour in a small pre-stitched wholecloth design using a "Cameo Technique". We will provide you with a small but intricate design on white fabric that has been stitched out on our Pro Stitcher in advance.
We won't be doing a quilt as complex as this one shown below! However, you'll learn the techniques and will work on your own wholecloth sample.
Customers can stay in one of the local B&Bs or at the nearby Premier Inn just off Junction 6 of the M5. It is only 5 minutes from the Conference Centre.
Longarm Machines
For each of the Hands On Classes (Days 1 to 3) the following machines are available for Hands On Learning.
Student to machine ratio will be a maximum of two students per machine for standup. The standup machines are a mix of Simply Sixteens with Little Foot frames and Avantes with Demonstration frames.
For sitdown machines there will be a machine for each student. The sitdowns are a mix of Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteens and Pfaff Powerquilter 16's.
We hope that you can join us for one or more of the days - we would love to share the knowledge and skills of this talented quilt artist.
To find out more about Laurie you can visit her Facebook Page and this link to the Handi Quilter site. Gallery of a selection of Laurie's quilts. Some of these are created using techniques that she will be teaching in class.
