Chiatanya Designs

Celtic Inspirations Quilt

This workshop is suitable for all skill levels

Workshop description:

In this workshop you will create your own version of Fiona’s Celtic knot quilts, Your Celtic knot can be subtle and somewhat indistinct (as though hidden and mysterious) – as Fiona has chosen to do in her quilts, or it could be in contrasting fabrics which make it stand out strongly from the background.

Although Fiona’s quilts feature pieced backgrounds, it is also possible to make this quilt using just one piece of background fabric if you prefer. You can even make it without the non-straight edges, if you wish (though playing with non-standard quilt shapes is an enjoyable feature of this workshop.

Some additional information:

In this workshop you will make the quilt top only, though if you generally work fast you might get up to the quilt sandwich stage. There will be discussion (and some demonstrations) of finishing techniques, including suitable types of machine quilting.

Fiona has designed her own Celtic knot for participants to use in this workshop (and she has a few other knots to choose from as well). If you prefer to bring your own Celtic knot instead, make sure it is approximately 15 – 17 inches (38 – 43 cm) in diameter. You may find that you need to make photocopy enlargements of your chosen design in two halves, each on A3 size paper, then join them together with tape.

Your fabric colour choices for this quilt could be similar to the sample pictured above, or perhaps autumn tones or brights, etc. Whatever you like! If you have time prior to the workshop, and you choose to have a pieced background in your quilt, it would be helpful if you could create your pieced background and bring it with you to the class on the first day. Instructions for making a pieced background the same as in Fiona’s Celtic Inspirations quilt will be supplied with the requirements list. Workshop participants can also create their own pieced background design if they wish – however it would be helpful if their finished pieced backgrounds are similar in dimensions to those in Fiona’s pattern.

Topics covered in this workshop:

• Raw-edge appliqué
• Making bias strips using the Clover Fusible Bias Tape Maker and Clover Mini Iron (for the Celtic knot)
• Using a pieced background
• Creating a quilt with an unusual outer shape, including binding options
• Discussion about suitable machine quilting styles to finish the quilt at home, e.g. echo quilting

 

 

Collage-a-riffic Wall-hanging Quilt

This workshop is suitable for all skill levels

Workshop description:

Create a luscious wall-hanging quilt using themed fabrics and oh-so-easy collage techniques. In this workshop you will use your choice of themed fabrics to design a pleasing arrangement that will be stitched to a simple background. Quilting options for this wall hanging range from super-simple wavy lines over the whole quilt to more detailed raw-edge appliqué, or any other style of quilting that you choose for your quilt. Discover how much fun it is to create eye-catching collage layouts that really pop!

                                    

Topics covered in the workshop:

• Selecting appropriate themed fabrics for the collage
• Arranging cut-out shapes for a pleasing effect
• Free-motion machine quilting (from the simplest wavy lines to more complex raw-edge appliqué or other styles that suit the quilt – the tutor will guide those participants who are unsure which style of quilting would suit their quilt).
• Binding with mitred corners

 

 

Curvaceous Squares Quilt

Workshop description:

This workshop is suitable for all skill levels

Fiona’s Curvaceous Squares technique involves piecing squares together to make two new pieces of fabric, which are carefully layered, and then cut using freehand rotary cutter techniques to create curves. Add insets of contrasting fabrics in colours that work with your two colourways. Make your own continuous bias tape to cover the cuts and add drama to your quilt. The result is a quilt with curvaceous flowing lines but no curved piecing!

 In this workshop you will make the quilt top only, but there will be discussion of finishing techniques, including suggestions for machine quilting.

NB: The unused pieces from the freehand curved cutting will also fit together to create a second quilt if desired, though the proportions will differ from those of the main quilt. In some instances – depending on the size and shape of the curved cuts made by participants – the unused curved pieces will be too slim to create a second quilt in the same manner as the first one.

Some sewing – making the two pieced fabrics – is strongly recommended prior to attending the workshop. However, participants who do not feel confident or comfortable in creating their pieced fabrics prior to the commencement of the workshop are welcome to simply pre-cut some squares as requested, and the tutor will assist them in fabric choices and placement at the start of the workshop. However, this may mean that the participant cannot complete the curved cuts and inset pieces during the workshop.

Expanded information for this workshop – including pre-cutting requirements, fabric choices, and full requirements list – is included in two additional documents (this will be forwarded to shops, groups or guilds etc. who make specific enquires about this workshop).

Topics covered in the workshop:

• Creating the two pieced fabrics (only if participants have not done the pre-class sewing)
• Selecting appropriate fabric for the bias tape and inner border
• Making continuous bias tape
• Using Clover Fusible Bias Tape Makers and Fusible Tape
• Freehand rotary cutting techniques
• Appropriate placement of inset sections
• General construction techniques for the Curvaceous Squares technique
• Discussion of appropriate machine quilting styles for this quilt
• Discussion of general finishing techniques for this quilt, including binding with mitred corners
• Discussion of possible uses for pieced fabric sections left over after freehand cutting procedures – if not used to create a second quilt
• Discussion of possible variations for this technique

 

Jagged Stripes Quilt

This workshop is suitable for all skill levels

Workshop description:

Create your own hand-painted fabrics using Procion dyes, and then cut and layer them to make a wall-hanging with optical illusion effects. You should very nearly complete this wall hanging in the two days. Fiona’s technique for this wall hanging is simple and fun!

Topics covered in the workshop:

• Hand painting fabrics using Procion dyes
• Raw-edge appliqué (free-motion machine quilting using zigzag stitch)
• Binding with mitred corners

 Quilt – Paint – Stitch

This workshop is suitable for all skill levels

Workshop description:

Create a wall-hanging quilt that incorporates mixed media techniques to show off a funky or traditional machine-quilting pattern. Start with a ‘quilt sandwich’ (wholecloth or pieced background), and then create a suitable machine-quilted design. NB: Participants who prefer not to do free-motion machine quilting could instead use a walking foot to create straight quilting line in an intersecting pattern.

Use fabric paints to paint within some of the quilted lines. Then embellish the quilt with some simple embroidery stitches. The result is a one-of-a-kind creation with plenty of wow-factor!

            

Topics covered in the workshop:

• Selecting appropriate background fabrics
• Selecting or designing a suitable free-motion (or straight line) quilting pattern for this style of quilt
• Free-motion machine quilting (or straight line quilting with a walking foot) to allow for painted areas
• Painting specific areas of the quilt with fabric paints
• Embellishing with simple embroidery stitches for additional texture and pattern
• Binding with mitred corners 

Silk Shards Wall-Hanging Quilt

This workshop is suitable for all skill levels

Workshop description:

Have fun learning how to hand-paint fabric with Procion dyes and how to make your own silk “paper” in this enjoyable two-day workshop. You’ll also do some simple free-motion machine quilting, and raw-edge appliqué. You can control the colour scheme of your finished quilt through the dye colours and silk “paper” colours that you use. The finished size of the quilt is approximately 80 cm x 100 cm.

            

Topics covered in the workshop:

• Hand-painting the background fabric using Procion dyes
• Making silk “paper” using silk fibres
• Free-motion machine quilting (very simple wavy lines—this is no-stress quilting! – or do the kind of machine quilting that you like to do on your quilts)
• Raw-edge appliqué
• Attaching the silk “paper” shard shapes with hand or machine stitching
• Binding with mitred corners 

Two-Part Harmony Wall-hanging Quilt

This workshop is suitable for all skill levels

Workshop description:

Create a wall-hanging quilt based on the design and/or techniques used in Fiona’s original quilt ‘Six-Part Harmony’.  You will either select two of the adjoining panels from Fiona’s quilt to make, or design your own two panels which relate well to each other. Make each panel separately—as a ‘quiltlet’  (mini quilt). Each quiltlet is just 11.5 inches square. Then machine-quilt the background quilt with a pattern that will meet up with the pattern in the quiltlets, prior to stitching the quiltlets to the background quilt.

This workshop provides the option of designing a pair of quiltlets with simple yet effective organic shapes which relate to each other and the background quilt to enhance the overall design. The tutor will assist any participants who wish to design their own quiltlets but need a little guidance with this.

      

The above photos shows Fiona’s original Six-Part Harmony quilt plus a Two-Part Harmony sample.

Topics covered in the workshop:

• Designing suitable quiltlets—which relate to each other—using lovely organic shapes (optional—participants may also choose to use two of the adjoining panels from Fiona’s original Six-Part Harmony quilt)
• Selecting appropriate fabrics for the quiltlets
• Raw-edge appliqué of shapes to quiltlets
• Selecting or designing  suitable free-motion quilting patterns for the quiltlets and background quilt, including areas of quilting that appear to flow from the quiltlets to the background quilt
• Attaching the quiltlets to the background quilt
• Facing-style binding