Lectures:

• 1. Scrap Cities: Wedding cake and Jenga buildings.   I've made quilts inspired by Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City and many fantasy lands. We'll go on a whirlwind tour with photos of real buildings, and how they inspired fun, mostly pieced (some applique) fabric versions. The lecture includes my unique technique for turning edges during piecing, so the finished building is ready to place anywhere. With this approach, you won't need to piece the background into the building, and you can overlap buildings as much as you like. It gives complete freedom in designing your scene. This lecture stands on it own, or can be the opening of my workshop on the subject. I've written two books about cityscapes, "Scrap Cities" and "Quilted New York." For Guilds in or near Los Angeles, the program will include lots of local buildings.
• 2. English Paper Piecing Revival. It's at least 300 years old; and it's raging in the quilt world now, for good reasons. I'll talk a lot about the history of EPP, starting in England and then moving to the US-- but now the innovative center of EPP is in neither of those countries (you'll learn in my lecture where it is!). Ill show my EPP quilts, small and large, and many by other artists that I admire. I'll also talk anout 3D stitched EPP projects, especially Polyhedron that become bowls, purses, toys, etc. (My book on EPP for quilts is "Hexagon Star Quilts, 113 Paper Pieced Star Patterns to Piece and Applique; my Polyhedron book is  "Stitch-a-Polyhedron; English Paper Pieced Polyhedron Gifts and Accessories to Sew".  Machine vs. hand sewing options. How I use children's blocks to design quilts. This lecture stands on its own, or can be the opening of a workshop on the subject.
• 3.. Examples from my 30+ years of quilting adventures with vintage fabric of all sorts, including mid-20th century prints, embroidered household linens (like pillowcases and antimacassars); lace; hankies, orphan quilt blocks and pieces; and of course worn clothing (denim jeans, silk neckties, tee shirts, etc.), Ideas for combining new and old elements, and cautions as well when working with potentially fragile textiles.

Workshops:

1.   Improv Log Cabin Triangle Kaleidoscope Quilts
   
    Improvise stitch-and-flip triangles on scrap paper. This is NOT English Paper Piecing or foundation paper piecing -- it's much more relaxing! Piece triangles into a sparkling Kaleidoscope. Learn to cut and piece triangles accurately and easily, and also learn when NOT being accurate -- improvising small differences -- can make your quilt more exciting! In a 6 hour class you'll get a good start on a table mat; pillowcover;  wallhanging; or the start of a larger quilt. My on-demand class has 30 videos to take you through the entire process. I work with guilds to give their members access to the videos, plus a work session during which I'll show the most important techniques, and guide people as they progress. Participants will also get a (free) copy of my 54-page PDF book.
   
   2. Scrap Cities Workshop
   
   Learn techniques that will help you make many different types of buildings and cityscapes (or townscapes!), based on real buildings, or fantasy, or both! Buildings you make in this class building can become a small wallhanging; or the start of a small or large quilt, for adults or children (for the latter, choose bright colors and fun characters to put in windows.)
   
   During class time I’ll show short prerecorded, basic technique videos, and students choose what they want to play with. Lessons include
   
   -- Log cabin architecture
   
   -- Bargello buildings
   
   -- Wedding cake and Jenga buildings (cantilevered) buildings, with my unique technique for turning edges under during piecing. With this approach, you won’t need to piece the background into the building, and you can overlap buildings as much as you like. It gives you complete freedom in designing your scene!
   
   -- Creating perspective with stripes and geometrics
   
   -- Use your orphan blocks.

Interesting buildings in the Los Angeles area that you can incorporate

Putting the scene together with a combination of applique and piecing.

In addition, students are invited to send me a photo building or cityscape that intrigues them. This is optional, but if there is time, we’ll brainstorm together ways you might represent it. (Email it to me a couple of days before class).

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Updated:

11-21-2025

Renewed:

Y