My Online Crazy Quilting Classes enrolments are open

The big news this morning is that the online classes have been announced at joggles.com, the details are here . So if anyone wants to drop heavy hints for a Christmas present – even if you have to get out the sledge hammer you may want to point them in that direction.

In case you missed the news a few weeks ago I will be teaching a series of classes on Crazy quilting scheduled to begin on Thursday February 16, 2006

It is a six week series of online lessons that not only tackles the techniques of crazy quilting but also the key design elements applied to crazy quilting. Since Crazy quilting is a ‘no rules’ technique means that its strength is the very thing that stumps many people when they start.

I will be aiming the class at beginners to intermediate stitchers with an emphasis on design. By this I mean issues such as fabric selection and block assembly, colour selection decisions and the basic composition tricks applied to Crazy quilting. The next step in the process is and embroidered seam treatments and embroidery that consolidates the composition of a block. From there I will be building on basic hand stitching techniques, such as how to develop combination stitches and add variety, texture and interest to a crazy quilt block. This series of workshops will also include such things as motif selection, size, balance and placement and building up visual texture by working with lace, ribbons and braids. Finally comes encrusting a block with more embroidery and beading while learning how to handle the design implications of highly textured areas in crazy quilting.

For anyone who has not seen the style of encrusted crazy quilting, take a look at the I dropped the button box crazy quilt and these 8 inch blocks to get an idea of what I do. It’s heavy handed, over the top, highly embellished form of contemporary crazy quilting which is not to everyones taste but for those who like this encrusted style and are interested in how to juggle so many elements and challenges on a block you might enjoy the online class.

For your money you will get lesson instructions that are written with care, illustrated with a step by step guide of the process. If you have not encountered my stitch dictionary take a look at it as an example of the way I describe and illustrate the practical aspects of stitching.

Teaching is a complex skill. It involves the ability to inspire, facilitate conversation, pass on little tips and tricks, and being able to step in and assist at various points in the process. These are all reasons why people take workshops. There is no online substitute for working with a teacher face to face however at joggles.com students are invited to register at the forums. These forums are where communication takes place. Students post messages and instructors answer questions and students have the opportunity to interact with other students in the group as well. Although this may seem like a shallow substitute for a living breathing human being the advantage is that you can read the interaction in your own time, at your own pace and if you want to, store the answers digitally in a file.

Anyway as I said if someone in your family is belly aching about not being able to think of what to give you this holiday season point them to the details of my class here . So over the next few weeks I will stitching up a storm as I plan to include fresh samples in the lessons so now, with that, I will get off the keyboard, pick up my digital camera and disappear into my work room.