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The Whimsey Tree (Conference Class)
Supply List

Skill Level: Intermediate, but will be happy to help Beginners

Hang on to your sewing supplies - away we go, back to early America! In the early 1800s, it was the latest fashion to cut out flower motifs from imported fabric, then applique these to a solid background for the most stylish bedding of the day. The earliest trend featured a medallion-style quilt top with a whimsical tree in the center - the perfect setting for "non-biologically correct" motifs to be attached onto various branches.

Today's 20" x 23" wallhanging is inspired by these early designs of our quilting ancestors! You'll see how much fun it is to create your own whimsical version of a "tree of life," as we work and arrange small cut-out motifs of our own. Each tree can even include a bird, or maybe a fanciful peacock, sitting proudly on a branch with its colorful embellished tail!

We'll review basic needleturn techniques for precise and lovely applique, with special emphasis on the inner corners and outer points of pre-printed flowers and leaves. We'll place shapes into creative new arrangements. It's all food (or should I say "leaves"?) for the imagination! Playing with Broderie Perse is addictive and fun, just like it was for our 19th century quilting ladies.

To frame our masterpieces, we'll see how to get a beautiful oval frame to surround our tree background, with an outer rectangular area around that. It's easy, with no bias stripping involved!

As we work, we'll hear a few historical tidbits, from scandals to world news to home remedies of the time. Before we're done, we'll review time-period finishing techniques, such as appliquéd shark teeth and easy trapunto. We'll even try some pretty embroidery stitches to help fill out our original appliquéd designs.

I sure hope you can join me for a great Baltimore on the Prairie experience. After all, what would America be without its quilters?

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Urns and Ferns (Plus One Class)
Supply List

Skill Level: Intermediate, but will be happy to help Beginners

Let's head back to early America where our quilting ancestors were gathering to share the latest news, recipes, home cures, and quilting ideas!

It was all the rage to cut out flower motifs from expensive imported fabric, and then arrange these into original designs. We'll try our hand at this with fabrics and materials of today as we begin work on a pretty wallhanging, with an appliquéd vase and a "cut-out chintz" arrangement. Each quilter will create her own arrangement using motifs cut from reproduction fabric which I will provide.

The vase and flower arrangement fits just right into a 16" square turned on point, providing design options for the setting triangles.

This workshop is a great review of basic needleturn applique techniques. We'll put emphasis on working with inner and outer points of pre-printed shapes. We'll discover how fun (and addictive) it is to arrange cut pieces into entirely new designs and configurations! We'll touch on finishing techniques such as appliquéd shark teeth for a border, and easy trapunto.

We might even get a feel for what it was like to be a quilting lady of the early 1800s, hearing news of the latest fabric technologies, wondering who would be the next President, or perhaps planning a trip out west. I hope you can join me for an exciting day of learning, stitching, and fabric play!