Class Announcement: Intro to EPP with 'Lucy Boston' blocks! Gotham Quilts! (9/19)

I am once again teaching

a beginner-level English Paper Piecing class at Gotham Quilts!

We'll again be jumping in with 'Lucy Boston' quilt blocks.

The class is one 3-hour session

on Tuesday, September 19th

Students can sign up for either the afternoon session, 2:00-5:00pm

OR

the evening session, 6:00-9:00pm

This class is an introduction to English Paper Piecing, a traditional technique for hand-piecing quilt tops that dates back as far as the 1770's. This technique is simple to learn, addictive, portable, and can be used to piece an unlimited variety of designs. Students will learn the basic technique, and also experiment with different tricks and styles to find the way of working that is most fun for the individual. We will be learning the famous (and beginner-friendly) Lucy Boston quilt design (sometimes known as Patchwork of the Crosses).

Notes on experience level:

This class is designed for beginners, but any students interested in sharpening their E.P.P. skills, or exploring this fabulous Lucy Boston design are welcome. 

Details:

Again, this is a one-session class

held on Tuesday September 19th

Afternoon option will be 2:00-5:00pm

Evening option will be 6:00-9:00pm

Class will be held at 

Gotham Quilts

40 West 37th Street

(between 5th & 6th avenues)

To sign up

CLICK HERE

for the class page on the Gotham website.

Supplies:

Here's a list of things you'll need for class. 

- Precut paper pieces: 1" Honeycombs, "Small Pack" (not to be confused with regular hexagons OR elongated hexagons)

- Precut paper pieces: 1" Squares, 'Small Pack"

- Straight pins

- Needles for hand sewing (I recommend applique sharps)

- Fabric scissors (small ones are nice for this)

- Non-fancy thread for basting (whatever you've got lying around)

- Thread for piecing (I recommend 50 weight cotton in colors that either match the fabric you'd like to use or slightly duller. Medium greys are especially handy.)

- Fabric: quilting weight cotton - at least 1/8 yard of at least 4 fabrics that look nice together, and then 1/4 yard of one solid that will serve as a background.

- Notes on Fabric and Thread

More details and inspirations for fabric and thread selection will be discussed in class, and there will be time to shop! The selection at Gotham Quilts is great for this project. If you already have a bunch of thread and scraps and fat quarters and random fun fabrics that you'd like to use, go ahead and bring as many as you don't mind carrying! The more the merrier! I especially recommend bringing fabrics with interesting prints that repeat often, and stripes are tons of fun with this design. 

And that's everything I can think of to tell you about this class!

Let me know if you have any questions!

As always, thanks for reading!!!

All the best, 

Reyna

WHY could I not have reached down and removed that stray thread?! :)

Beginning in the Middle

Greetings, and thank you for reading!

My plan is to use this blog as a journal of my adventures in (and probably meditations on) quilt-making. I'm also an actor, and I often find myself straying into other mediums as well - I'm sure some of that will find it's way in here too. It might turn out to be a hot mess, but in my experience, art (like some kind of magical bacteria) thrives in hot and messy places - so here goes!

As this is my first blog entry ever, I am tempted to attempt beginning at the beginning, but then, I am immediately overwhelmed and confused; therefore instead of beginning at the beginning, I will begin where I find myself now - the middle.

My current quilting obsession is English Paper Piecing - specifically pieced hexagons. I've been doing some very classic-looking blocks, but my real interest is in improvising new and unusual shapes.

Here's a few blocks that I've recently completed:

Yes, that's my knee in the corner, I had to get up on the cutting counter to take this pic. :)

I've nicknamed this block Oregon Vortex after a very cool place near my hometown. (Firefly Fussycut FTW!)

I designed this block specifically to feature this strawberry print using a technique I've been calling
'Reverse Window Shopping'

If these blocks look familiar, maybe it's because they're currently on display at the City Quilter (NYC) where I'm teaching a class on making blocks like these. I've titled this class 'Hexatopia' - you might notice, 'Hexatopia' is also what I've titled this blog. (Consistency is the cutest among hobgoblins.)

It's my first time teaching ever! (Yikes!) I've definitely learned a lot about teaching (the hard way), but the students are all so positive and supportive, so I'm very much looking forward to our 2nd and final session this Thursday.

That's all for now.
Thanks again for reading!

Best regards,
Reyna