Visible Hand Piecing (1-5 days)

This exciting and relatively fast approach to hand piecing is an area where Heidi really shines.  Using a thick and visible thread, students will learn to piece curves and straight lines with an appliqué-inspired approach, using large and small pieces of fabric.  As time allows, we will focus on the running stitch, whip stitch, and ladder stitch, along with Korean Patchwork jogakbo/bojagi techniques, hand embroidery, and clever and poetic solutions for ‘innie-corners,’ acute angles, and finished edge textiles like handkerchiefs and napkins.  Check out examples of this exciting work with #VisibleHandPiecing. 

 *Depending on time, this workshop can promote piecing with a ‘vignettes’ approach by adding blocks to each other, and/or with a wholecloth approach by adding appliqué to a single large base fabric. 

**This could also be a half day class, focusing exclusively on technique.

Wholecloth Hand Piecing (1-5 days)

Beginners welcome! We will start with a large piece of fabric, and then add to that with visible hand piecing, appliqué style. (Also known as ‘free form applique.’) We will learn to add small and very large pieces of appliqué with a variety of stitches including running, ladder, and whip. We will also cover embroidery for our quilts with the running stitch and backstitch to add elements of drawing and text with your own handwriting on the quilt. This approach to quiltmaking is appealing because starting with a base fabric, our work is not about reaching a specific size. Instead, our work is about composition! Heidi will show students how to avoid common pitfalls like bunching & puckering, working with and without an embroidery hoop, and will suggest ways to maximize negative space.

Fabric Vases (1-2 days)

Unique, and perfect for repurposed scraps from a favorite quilt, fabric vases can be both functional and decorative. Heidi will demonstrate all steps of creating a fabric vase, from selecting a recycled glass jar and using batting scraps to create a shape of your choosing, to hand sewing techniques that add detail and visual interest, and final touches. This is a great class for both beginners and experienced sewers. Depending on the time available, this class can focus on a small vase or a larger or more complicated vessel.

*The on-demand version of this class is offered at a discounted group rate in the guild shop here.

Framed Quilt in a Day (1-2 days)

Learn to hand piece a small patchwork, quilt it, and then stretch it on a frame like a painting.  This succinct workshop introduces the concepts of visible hand piecing and improv hand quilting in a clear and easy to complete way that will inspire students, and allow them to feel successful right away!  A two day version of this class can feature a larger frame, and additional hand piecing techniques. In addition to standard quilting supplies, students will need wooden frames, staples, and a staple gun in class.

*The on-demand version of this class is offered at a discounted group rate in the guild shop here.

Improv Hand Quilting (1-2 days)

This workshop is both conceptual and technical.   Heidi will begin with a trunk show, during which she will explain both why and how she quilted as she did.  Stitch density, exposed or hidden knots, overlapping lines of quilting, and color choices will be expanded upon.  Heidi loves to quilt with pearl size 8 thread for its high visibility and strength.  Students can work with an existing quilt top or a ‘wholecloth’ single piece of fabric.  We will cover basting, quilting with a tabletop and a heavy book to create tension, hand positioning, hand care, thimble use, and a variety of ways to balance planning with improv.  We will not use pens to ‘mark,’ our fabric, but will learn a few tricks to anticipate our stitching.  Heidi is an expert at creating areas of visual interest and activating the quilt top with the quilting functioning like a ‘drawing’ on the surface of the fabric.  Students will not complete their quilt in class, but will get a solid foundation on improvisation and hand quilting.

*The on-demand version of this class is a wonderful follow up to a quilt top class, and it’s offered at a discounted group rate here.

Layered Quilts (2-5 days)

Heidi’s quilts: But, was that me?; But, I Tried to Remember; But, What was it Like; There’s Something Between Us; and her works for the Double Happiness Project in Seoul are all made with a layering technique.  These quilts contain a backing, batting, pieces of fabric, and a transparent scrim over the surface.  Learn how to complete this process without glue, and to maximize the meaning behind a transparent layered quilt.  Heidi will share insights on the conceptual strategy behind composing quilts like this, and will provide technical insights around this innovative technique.

Korean Patchwork (1-5 days)

In 2015 Heidi learned jogakbo and bojagi techniques from Ssamzisarang in Seoul, South Korea.  In 2021, she participated  in her first Korean exhibition, the Double Happiness Project, an international invitational exhibition.  Heidi is familiar with traditional Korean patchwork, and has also adapted the approach to fit the materials and aesthetic connected to her own quilt making style.  Heidi will lead students in understanding the traditional principles of Korean Patchwork, and will then guide students in exploring the approach for themselves.  Silk organza, the whip stitch, a bone creaser, ruler, and an appreciation of lines over shapes are some of the secrets to this class.

Mending (1-5 days)

Heidi specializes in mending clothing to maximize comfort. Participants will learn her philosophy and approach to mending in this workshop, with an emphasis on making the clothes we love last longer, and feeling proud of our mended clothing. Mending is done by hand, and there is a focus on visible mending more than invisible.

Pleating (1-2 days)

This exciting technique is simple in theory: fold the fabric, sew near the crease, and open it up! Yet, in this workshop Heidi’s examples and excitement about the application of this technique will be electric. A machine and/or hand ‘piecing’ workshop, students will walk away with loads of sewing completed, and their imaginations exploding. Yes, you can make a beautiful and dynamic quilt top exclusively with pleating.  This technique is also an exciting addition to a quilt made with a variety of techniques.  Beginner friendly.

Vignettes Quilt: Exploring Art Concepts In Quilting (2-5 days)

Curious about improving your art vocabulary while having fun? Heidi’s instruction quilts are known for giving guidance in improvisation, while simultaneously pushing the maker into exciting creative decisions of their own. This popular instruction quilt pattern will teach students about art concepts like rhythm, unity, balance, line, color, texture, etc, as they complete each step of the pattern. The instructions will be playful and will spark creativity as students develop their artistic vocabularies and push the boundaries of each prompt. The pattern is intended for hand piecing or machine piecing, and students will have some flexibility in the scale of their quilt. The quilt will be assembled one art prompt at a time, resulting in a pile of ‘vignettes’ that Heidi will guide students in assembling together in this practical approach to quilt construction. See examples of quilts made with this pattern at #VignettesQuilt on Instagram.

*The on-demand version of this class is offered at a discounted group rate in the guild shop here.

Thematic Workshops: Storytelling, Travel, Diary, Habits, Nature, Domestic Life, Longing, Cycles, The Moon (2-5 days)

This workshop will focus on one of the above themes, and guide students in making a quilt top that explores that topic.  Heidi will introduce a variety of hand piecing (and, if applicable, machine piecing) techniques, along with a conceptual approach to investigate and expand on the class topic.  Heidi will share details on her own quilts on these topics, and will engage the class in conversation that will stretch the imagination. 

Yoga:

For an in-person workshop, I am happy to include yoga sessions for students and/or the guild. Yoga can also be included in virtual workshops; we’ll add that to our itinerary. It’s especially appropriate for multi-day workshops. We can focus on hand yoga, chair yoga, yoga as a break while quilting, yoga for eyes, neck & shoulders, etc. I love to teach people how to support the repetitive movements of quilting with yoga, and I’m certified in both vinyasa flow yoga and yoga therapy.

I share lots of hand yoga tips on YouTube, and guilds are welcome to stream my public hand yoga videos alongside any on-demand class, or even as a ‘regular’ hand yoga break during future guild meetings.

Diary Quilts: Documenting, Storytelling, and Intuiting with Stitch (2-5 days)

Have you ever tried to keep a paper diary? Sometimes it’s easier with cloth! Learn about several of Heidi's diaristic quilts that tell her stories of travel, time in quarantine, and love of nature. A Diary Quilt is very similar to a story quilt.  It can be made in ‘real time’ or as a reflection on past events.

This workshop features instruction on visible hand piecing, hand applique, hand embroidery, and hand quilting. Students will learn to sew with a thick, visible pearl cotton thread so their handwork can be easily seen in the quilt. Depending on your group, you can opt to include some machine sewing. Care will be taken for students to rest their eyes and practice hand yoga. Heidi will provide instruction with powerpoints, hands-on demos, and printable instruction booklets. 

Heidi will insert strategies for efficient stitching, ways to balance abstraction and precision, and will guide students in riding the line between personal and public in our quilts. Her clear, yet gentle teaching style allows students to follow their own pace, reflect, intuit, and ultimately: create their own unique quilt top.  On the morning of our final class together, we will make plans for quilting and discuss strategy around quilting style, thread color, and overall layout.