Ever since I found out about quilt patterns and classes (What? I don’t have to draft the pattern and work everything out all by myself?), I’ve taken classes whenever I have the chance. Some have been at local shops, some at national or regional conferences, and even some at shops in other cities. Many have been wonderful, but here are 3 of the classes I’ve liked best. (If I left your class out, just know that it was difficult to pare it down to 3!)
Binding with Susan Cleveland. I’ve taken more than one class with Susan because she is such a fine teacher. Her explanations are clear and precise, and her attention to detail is impressive. I don’t always aspire to the level of perfection she teaches, but she has many, many helpful processes and ideas. I particularly appreciate her binding techniques. Her Dynamic Dresden class was great, too. Both classes I took with her were in person, and worth the travel.
Dynamic Dresdens, made in class with Susan Cleveland
Binding sample using techniques I learned with Susan.
Color and Design with Tara Faughnan. I took Tara’s online “Block Studies” class a couple of years ago. It’s a 6-month commitment with lots of content. It wasn’t all my style, but her approach to color was useful and honest–she’s the first person I’ve heard say that color sense really has to be developed through experience! I skipped most of her video instruction on how to make the blocks, but it would make the class accessible to new quilters. Making a new block with a new palette each month was the fun part for me. I appreciated that she presented all her blocks as studies, not necessarily intended to produce a finished product. Here are a few of the blocks I made in Tara’s class.
Fused Art Quilts with Laura Wasilowski. This was an in-person class I took years ago, purely for fun. It was indeed fun and, while I’m not sure I did much new, I enjoyed learning her techniques and liked the little pieces I made in her class. I have used some of her ideas recently for the quilts one of my guilds makes for Habitat for Humanity.
Leaf, made in class with Laura Wasilowski
Do you have any teachers to recommend?
Beth Ann Williams teaches some wry basic classes online that have helped build my confidence, especially
Thanks! Good to know!
I’ve had in-person classes with all three of your favorite teachers! From Susan I learned corded binding… and don’t use that technique anymore. I too learned about color from Tara, and found it one of the best classes I’ve taken. Basically, as you said, I learned to trust my own color instincts. As well, “contrast” is most important when choosing a palette. While Laura was a good teacher, I didn’t much enjoy making collage quilts. But, that’s just me. One of my favorite instructors has been Ilka White, from whom I learned to make braided rugs (nothing to do with quiltmaking). And I’d say “Chaos With a Twist” workshop with Libs Elliot, about generative quiltmaking, was an extra-good one. What a good blog topic! Thanks for posting.
Thanks for your ideas. I would love to take a class with LIbs Elliot, but haven’t yet found one that fit the schedule. I’m currently considering improv classes with Susan Lantham.
Beautiful work, as always. All those classes have paid dividends.
And best of all, I have enjoyed the classes!
You’ve had some awesome learning experiences and I so agree that color sense has to be developed through experience. You can teach one color theory but you really got to get out there and experiment and play with it for quite a bit.
Indeed, the color wheel isn’t even a very good start for my money.
I’ve had two of your teachers, Laura Wasilowski and Susan Cleveland, and still remember tricks from Susan and seed-stitching from Laura (I’ve had two classes with her when she used to come out to Road to California, and one at Houston). Two teachers that impacted me greatly have gone on to heavenly things — Roberta Horton and Ruth McDowell — but you’re not asking for those! I tend to like “process” classes better than “project” classes, and lately I’ve only seen bunches of the latter. I should keep trying, though, to find a class or two; thanks for the inspiration!
It looks to me like a lot of the “big” teachers are doing week-long workshops at places like Madeline Island School of the Arts, so I’m saving my travel money for one of those.