I’ve been teaching patchwork, quilting and free motion embroidery now for more than 20 years. I LOVE sewing machines, though over the past 8 years I have learned to love handstitching, too, as a result of teaching at Strathclyde University’s Centre for Lifelong Learning.
Originally I trained as a primary school teacher, and any handouts used in class are clear with step by step instructions, so my classes are easy going and fun: I’m confident that no matter how far stitchers get in class, they’ll be able to complete the piece at their own pace at home.
Requirements lists with any pre-class prep notes will be sent out in good time as email attachment so that notes can be forwarded on to all participants.
For some classes there will be a small additional charge for patterns: this will be advised in advance. If I’m teaching from a design by another quilter, his/her book or pattern will be a class requirement. Again, that would be advised in advance.
Fees available on request: contact me at bonnie@bonniesworkshop.com
Stained Glass Rose
This ever-popular stylised design is a perfect choice for stained glass patchwork. I will show you how to prepare your own ¼” bias tape from batik fabric and fusible web (Clover ready made fusible bias is now only available in black, gold or silver), and let you decide which layout you prefer before surrounding it with more ‘leaded’ strips.
Elemental Mariner’s Compass
This simple Mariners’ Compass makes an ideal small wallhanging, cushion or bag front: I’ve chosen Christmas fabrics for this piece, but have made it in several different colourways. One of my favourites to give as a gift because it’s so easy to make.
Here I’ve added dimensional Flying Geese patches
made from the scrapbag.
Free motion Quilting
This series of classes has been designed so that sewers can choose one, or use the series as building blocks to gain confidence with free motion machine quilting
Free-motion Machine Quilting 1 Sampler
There’s more to free motion quilting than stippling!
Create a sampler of different styles of stippled stitches: this is a fun introduction to dropping the feed dogs on your machine. You’ll be surprised just how much fun you can have when fear is banished.
Free motion quilting 2 Traditional Quilt Patterns
Using my favourite Fibonacci grid, you’ll learn to fill block spaces with traditional patterns. This can be a lovely sampler in it’s own right. I combined this and companion contemporary piece to make a quilted sampler which I use as a blockbinder ‘book’ to carry pieces and patches to class.
Free motion quilting 3 Contemporary Quilt Patterns
Using my favourite Fibonacci grid, you’ll learn to fill block spaces with contemporary patterns. This can be a lovely sampler in it’s own right. I combined this and traditional piece to make a quilted sampler which I use as a blockbinder ‘book’ to carry pieces and patches to class.
Free Motion quilting 4 Twist and Turn Panels
This time we’ll be filling panels with larger patterns, making panels which can be put together to make a Hoku bag or bound and used as table runners.
Quick and easy machine Piecing
Originally made using Quilt in a Day patterns, many of which are still available and to be recommended, these little quilts are made using basic rulers with the odd plastic template
Jewel Box Quilt
A perfect way to use up some of those scraps! Combining Half Square Triangles and Four patches, this is an ideal baby quilt, easily expanded to make a king size quilt. I’ll share instructions for sizing up (and down) so that you can make the most of your stash of too-good-to-toss scraps.
Trip Around the World Quilt
My favourite quilt to give away! Every quilter should be able to pull out this fun, fast quilt for a baby present, housewarming gift or to make a students’ flat more homely. Using 5 Fat Quarters and ½ metre for the border, I’ll show you how to make a quilt top in a day. Marking, layering and quilting will take another day. Instructions include sizes to make from 13” – 33” square quilt top.
Dreamcatcher
Combining Half Square Triangle patches and Four patches with Flying Geese and Triangle in a Rectangle patches, it’s all down to colour choices. No curved piecing is necessary to achieve the impression of curves in this lovely pattern.
Rainbow Diamonds
I designed this wall hanging after sewing and teaching a much more complex bargello quilt from Marge Edie’s book ‘Bargello Quilts’, which could never be completed in a day workshop. My aim is to introduce you to the techniques for sewing a beautiful, complex-looking piece. Batiks work particularly well in this quilt-as-you-go method.
Bags!
I love bags for many reasons: here are a few of the favourites I’ve designed to teach…
TumshBag
The best bag to take to quilt shows or as a baby bag – holds so much. Using 4 log cabin blocks as a starting point, lots of walking foot quilting, pleating and stitching turns this into a big round bag. Great way to use up scraps of fabric and wadding. Shown alongside is the one I made from my childrens’ outgrown jeans, with no wadding, though I always add wadding when I make it from delicious craft cottons and batiks.
(This is my favourite to take when I do one day trips to Quilt shows: holds so much and works as carry-on luggage)
Good-to-Go Bag
I love travelling long distances for work and for pleasure. I designed this bag to have the multiple pockets I need for passport, purse, money, cellphone, tickets, file of all the essential paperwork for hotel, car hire, insurance etc – and of course, good book (nowadays, iPad!) Make the bag, and travel stress-free, like me…
The project has also been designed to help you make the most of your sewing machine, with full notes on the right needles and threads to use at each stage of construction. I aim to encourage you to use many of those accessory feet in the box, and to change tension and stitch settings without fear
Quick Crazy Patchwork bag
Make a crazy patchwork block then turn it into a pocket on the front of a really useful shoulder/cross body bag. This is an ideal introduction to making crazy patchwork which can be sewn on a basic sewing machine. Add charms, buttons or embroidery motifs, and pretty threads for embellishment to create something unique to you.
Applique
So many styles of applique, and almost as many methods to create lovely pieces
Basic Celtic Lovers’ Knot class
Beth Ann Williams wrote a lovely book ‘Celtic Quilts: A New Look for Ancient Designs’ from which this small wallhanging was developed, using woven cotton tartan to make bias strips for the design.
Little Landscapes
Using applique and small pieces of fabric, I will show you how to make a simple landscape embellished with small sections of free motion embroidery. You can go on to use the techniques I’ll teach you to take your own photographs or favourite calendar pictures and make pictorial quilts.
Kit available for the picture section
Sunset Swan
This small piece was designed from a photograph taken at sunset on a small lochen.
I’ll show you how to create sheer applique elements to add to a very simple pieced background using my pattern
