Bella Bella Quilts
Detail: Bella Roma
When I visited the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice I was delighted
and enthralled by the floor! As literally hundreds of tourists passed
by, necks arched to study the magnificent mosaic ceilings; I scrambled
to make sketches of the incredible inlaid patterns under their feet.
I've now learned that these designs were created centuries ago from
marble scavenged from the ruins of ancient Rome. The rare materials
and colored marbles were set off with more readily available stones
to create beautiful patchworks. One family of tile makers who specialized
in circular patterns were know as the "Cosmati" and their
work is adaptable to quilting. The Victorians too appreciated Cosmati
work and used many of the patterns to restore churches and cathedrals
in Britain in the 19th century.
I offer 4 classes related to this topic for guild/shop workshops:
Drawing in the Round, Sewing in the Round, St.
Marks Wallhanging ( an abbreviated version of Venice Rose), and Cosmati Rings I.
Other quilts in the book can be taught at retreats and conferences.
Complete, pre-printed foundations to use with the book are available
in my shop.
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St. Mark's Wallhanging
This workshop will show you how easy it is to make this stunning
quilt! Day 1 covers the many design options for this pattern,
preparation for foundation piecing and foundation piecing.
Day 2 covers curved seam piecing, assembly, and machine appliqué.
Each quarter of the quilt takes about a day to assemble. The
appliqué and final assembly take about two days more
and you have a really special quilt top!
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Drawing in the Round
This workshops shows students simple, step-by-step, NO MATH
techniques for building patterns. Instead of the usual grid
of squares for making patchwork designs, these grids are simply
a set of circles and spokes. Easy techniques are used to divide
a circle into slices with inexpensive tools like a compass
and pencil. Once the "grid" is drawn, the possibilities
for designs are only limited by your imagination.
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Sewing in the Round
This workshops can be accomplished in several ways from traditional
templates to freezer paper foundations to a combination of
techniques. My pattern, "St. James Rings" is used
to show students two of these techniques. When both "Drawing"
is included, students may choose to work with their own pattern.
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Cosmati Rings I
This workshop introduces ring foundation piecing using two easy “blocks.” The center roundel can be a compass, plain fabric, or an applique design (those variations are available for class) making this a very versatile pattern. Easy methods for making multiple foundations for the pieced border are included. Construction for the curved corner sections is readily accomplished use a few clever tricks and the large curves are easily machine pieced. Beginners can make this quilt!
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Sweet Sampler Quilt
This workshop teaches the basics of piecing and machine applique while it allows individual students to design a quilt uniquely their own. This project is perfect for a retreat or conference, or for a series of classes. Blocks used in the quilt can be mixed and matched to fit 9” x 18” spaces or an 18” square. This project also allows the beginner to learn about secondary patterns, something traditional single block samplers do not do. Included in the class are suggests for design variations to enlarge or reduce the size, for machine embroidery to create woven effect, and for quilting design. |
Fees and Requirements
For fees and requirements, send an email,
or call me, (805) 962-8511.
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