Machine Quilting Skill Building Seminar
With Joanie Zeier Poole
March 17, 18, 19, 2107 (Friday – Sunday)
CLASSES HELD ATJulie’s Sewing Center
1230 W College Ave
Appleton, WI 54914 920-734-8262
Stitch this beautiful table runner orLetter Safe while learning many background patterns
and techniques that transfer to your future machine quilting.
WHAT you will LEARN
Join award-winning machine quilterJoanie Zeier Poole as she shares 15 years of machine quilting experience at this comprehensive event. Spend 3 uninterrupted days learning exceptional machine quilting techniques and good habits to use every day!
The seminar will feature demonstrations on essential machine quilting techniques. We will cover the ENTIRE machine quilting process from prepping the fabric through the final binding stitches, using both walking foot and free-motion techniques. In this is a hands-on experience, using your own machine, you willlearn skills to use for all of your future quilts regardless of their size.
WHO this is for?
This seminar is designed inspire both traditional quilters and contemporary quilt artists of any experience level. Machine quilting is not dependent on proficiency in other skills; rather it is a completely separate skill that anyone, experienced or new to quilting can achieve. Your desire to learn, as well as a machine that is in good working order are more important to your success than previous free-motion experience. A committed true beginner will become confident, and students with experience will improve their skills to master all three machine quilting techniques. Our goal is for you to go home knowing how to use machine quilting for your future projects.
Are you not quite sure if you are ready for this?
If you have been looking for the promise of a successful machine quilting future and this seminar sounds interesting, but you just are not sure if you are ready,Joanie has written some further information to set your mind at ease.
On her website, you will find: Am I ready – How to prepare for class document. Read on to find out how to best prepare for class to assure successful results. You might also familiarize yourself with machine quilting lingo by reading Joanie’s Glossary of Frequently used Terms for Machine Quilting. Learn a ton of great ideas that make the job easier by reading Joanie’s Machine Quilting Tips. And finally, read past posts on Joanie’s Blog.
What is included in the fee?
The price of the seminar is $335.00 per person. You will receive 3 full days in the classroom, 3 lectures, a kit with patterns, fabrics and batting, informative hand-outs, stitch and practice guides. Joanie is preparing kits for the project so there is little additional expense plus more time to stitch in class.Participants must sign up for the entire event. (Thread will be available to purchase on site)
Food:
Past events have been so enhanced by sharing in fellowship during meals together. Having students bring one soup, desert or salad for a lunch on one of the three day makes the event extra special and allows Joanie to focus on the students. The size of the serving will depend on the number of students. You may suggest a dish when you registerand Joanie will coordinate the menu. If you prefer to have a dish purchased for you, $12.00 can be added to your fee.
How to sign-up?
Joanie is handling the registration for this session. E-mail your interest to . You will be notified to proceed with registration process by filling out the registrationform and mailing it with your entire fee for the March 2017 event.
Synopsis for the 3-day Workshops
Day One:
Begin at 10:00 a.m. (Plan to arrive no earlier than 9:30)
Opening lecture: summary of the workshop, what to expect each day, how to use this information in your plan for quilting any quilt top. Overview of machine quilting, understanding the three techniques: Straight-line using a walking foot and free-motion quilting when following a marked line or freehand free-motion quilting.
•Glossary of terms
•Machine preparations and process
•Supply choices, fabric and thread, keeping the bundle lightweight
Joanie shows stitched samples of many machine quilting techniques using various thread weights.
Break: lunch
Afternoon: Lecture – Marvelous Machine Quilting with Walking Foot
Students are introduced to the wonderful possibilities available when they understand the process of machine quilting when using a walking foot. Learn to bring up the bobbin thread, and to lock the stitches using the stitch length setting of the machine. They will learn to create a quilt-as-you-go project that will be quilted using techniques including “stitch in the ditch” and free-motion quilting. Joanie shows stitched samples of anchoring with a walking foot, many results of quilting with a walking foot and possibilities for using it for future projects.
The registration fee includes the fabrics, batting and instructions needed for this project. However, students choose thread for project to purchase in class, Soft Touch 60/2 cotton – $3.00, or 100/2 silk – $6.00.
Time to Stitch: Learn to draw, mark a square grid. Set up machines for practice exercises to perfect tension and stitch a grid with a walking foot.
Practice exercises to perfect tension and stitch a grid with a walking foot.
Day one ends at 5 pm
Day Two:
Arrival: 9 am
Morning lecture:
Lecture: Free-motion quilting: How to follow a marked line and free-hand techniques
- Machine set-up and accessories
- Tension adjustments for various threads
- Locking the thread ends, jump stitches and retracing
- Joanie shows stitched samples of free-motion quilting, free-form and formal.
The entire process for making the a free-motion sampler including marking and basting, review the machine and work space set up, and Machine Quilting Essentials, Locking Stitches, Retracing and Jump Stitches, plus Divide and Conquer! Joanie’s anchoring the quilt layers process and navigating the quilt surface for Follow a marked Line and Free-form Fillers.Joanie shows stitched samples of many machine quilting techniques using various thread weights.
Time to Stitch:
Set up machines for practice exercises to perfect tension for free-motion quilting. Feathers: Students will mark the design, baste the layers, and stitch a feather design.
Break: lunch
Day 2 afternoonTime to Stitch:
You will learn to stitch straight and curved lines, anchoring with free-motion, follow a marked line foundation, follow outlines of quilting designs and free-form background fill patterns.
Students continue to stitch on their project with Joanie’s instruction for all of the background fill patterns.
Day two ends at 4 pm.
Day Three:
Arrival: 9 am
Morning lecture:
Choosing, Adapting and Using Quilting Designs – Explore where to find quilting designs and resize and manipulate them to fill blocks and multi-size borders, selecting marking pens and quilting paper, and Joanie’s process for planning on paper templates.
Open discussion:
•Supply choices, fabric and thread, keeping the bundle lightweight
•Assembling an accurate quilt top; stabilizing and pressing for success
• Basting: pins and frames, batting
•Handling the big quilt, on a small machine
•What size to make the top for machine quilting
•Finishing the quilt
Time to Stitch:
Students continue with project and practice exercises
Break: Lunch
Afternoon:
Time to Stitch:Open Lab
Students choose to either:
•Continue free-motion lessons for feather, echo and stippling.
•Or plan the quilting designs, marking process, and stitching strategy for their own quilt top
Departure at 3:00 pm
Email any questions about equipment or supplies well in advance of class, I won’t be available for questions the day before the events!Joanie Zeier
Tentative Supply List for 3-day Seminars
* Students in past sessions have a message for YOU! Read the supply list all the way through and then read it again. DO NOT wait for the night before you travel to assemble the items.
Joanie is preparing a kit for the project.Students purchase two spools of thread in class, cotton 3.00, or silk 6.00Note: Thread used in class is wound on a stacked spool intended to be placed on an upright spool pin or on a free-standing thread stand.
Bring Basic Sewing Supplies, (A small curve blade EZ Snips will be available to purchase in class)
NO cutting or pressing supplies are necessary for class, all prep is done before class.
Four 18” square practice bundles; muslin or light colored solid fabric for top and backing, any batting. Be sure fabric is transparent enough to see lines for tracing.Leave 2 bundles unpinned and pin-baste 2with 16 pins. Bring extra basting pins (Tiny safety pins available in class).
How to prepare fabric for bundles: Pre-wash your fabric. Use spray starch to stabilizetop and backing fabric before you cut the pieces and to avoid stretching during the marking, basting and stitching processes. Choose any commercial brand, mix your own form corn starch or liquid starch. Use a generous application for both the top fabric and backing fabric. Press with the strait of grain with a hot dry iron until it is completely dry.
Bring your BEST machine, the machine you intend to use for machine quilting (this is not the time for your tiny, lightweight classroom machine) in good working order with:
Smallest open-toe free-motion and/or darning foot, walking foot, extension table or slide on tray extra empty bobbin, and owner’s manual, the machine cords, an extension cord and foot pedal. If you have a single hole throat plate, bring it.
Sewing machine needles, size 70 Microtex (available on site)
2 or 3 empty bobbins
Other supplies:
- Water-soluble marking pen (new, wide line preferred)
- Rulers: Drawing or Quilting Style will work, one 6″ and one 18″ to 24”
- Masking tape (not painters tape)
- Note taking supplies
Optional:
- A lightbox (if you already own one) some will be supplied to share
- Quilters gloves if you use them.
- All feet that you own for darning or quilting, walking foot, the screw driver for the machine, we will be changing feet.
- Any lightweight thread you may wish to experiment with.
- We use lightweight thread so bring a light and any magnification you need.
- Ask the shop if you may bring your own sewing table, chair and chair pad if you wish.
- One quilt pattern, layout or small assembled top to discuss how it will be quilted.