Hello my friends!
Next to books, quilting classes are my other favorite thing and topics! I have taken so many and I have taught so many… and love them both with my whole heart. Because, learning new things, surrounded with like-minded, enthusiastic people, creating and chatting – is there anything better? And I meant that from both prospectives – as a student and as a teacher!
I took many, many classes over these 25 years and really – there has not been one class that I was unhappy with! I may have learned more or less in each, but I always learned SOMETHING and I always had fun!! If I think of some of the most impactful classes, I realize that list of teachers is almost the same as the list of books I wrote about yesterday!
I distinctly remember exhilaration in 2 day class with Ruth McDowell, how much fun I had creating my fantasy butterfly (image above) in class with Susan Carlson and of course the whole amazing experience playing with colors in class with Joen Wolfrom. And in between are so many more amazing classes – like hand quilting with Alex Anderson, curating your color palette of many fabrics with amazing Karen K. Stone, scrappy fun a great piecing techniques with Bonnie Hunter, innovative techniques and amazing skills of Sharon Schamber and machine quilting with Sue Nickels or Karen Miller.
And this is mentioning just a few… Seriously – how fortunate am I !? And equally as grateful for it all. So I can tell you all, wholeheartedly – if you have a chance and whenever you have a chance, take a class! You will learn, have fun and be inspired! And if you are new to quilting and wonder who are all these names I mentioned – look them up! A lot to see there… 🙂
But just as much I was inspired by classes I took, I was maybe even more inspired by classes I was teaching. I LOVE TEACHING! And my special joy was teaching absolute beginners. See those smiling faces above – those are just some of my beginner quilting students and every single class I did, I was amazed and inspired with their enthusiasm, patience and amazing quilts they made at the end! (do not miss that they did all the staples of quilting – HSTs, strip-piecing, mitered borders, quilting and binding…. )
Aren’t these above just beautiful? Again – made by complete beginners! My students were just amazing and I am so proud of each and every one of them! <3
I loved teaching more experienced quilters too and showing them some new techniques or fun tricks and tips – isn’t this “faux bargello” just amazing? Teaching is really so much fun and I hope some day to do it again.
What is your experience with quilting classes? What would you like to learn next in a class? I would really love to know!
Stay healthy and safe and see you back here tomorrow,
Love,
Marija
PS – Here is one of my quilts I used as inspiration and class sample for “faux bargello” technique. I call it Still Waters.
Dear Marija:
Where are you located and where do you teach your classes? Your “Still Waters” quilt is gorgeous! The student’s quilts are also very beautiful!
Roxy in Hudson, WI
Dear Marija:
Your “Still Waters” quilt is gorgeous! The student’s quilts are also very beautiful! Where are you located and where do you teach your classes?
Roxy in Hudson, WI
Hi Roxy, thank you so much for your kind words! I live in Buffalo NY and right now I am not teaching, but I am slowly working to maybe have some of my classes as videos (specially this one!)