Walk on the Wild Side

REQUIREMENTS

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Classes are regularily held at the following venues around Canberra. Contact the business for dates and book your self a new expereince in sewing.

Hobbysew, Belconnen - 6253 0011
Sew Simple, Phillip - 6282 7144

Below is an email I received 2nd September 2005 from a student who attended my Free-Motion Quilting Skills Class at Hobbysew in Canberra.

Hi Helen,
I recently attended your “free-motion quilting” class with my sister, Wendy when I was in Canberra visiting for the weekend (12th August). I really wanted to let you know how much I got out of your class and how much I enjoyed it. I thought that your teaching methods were really inspirational and quite effective and was “blown away” by your quilts.
It was a bit of a rushed trip to Canberra for Wendy’s birthday and to attend the quilt show while I was there. Just lucky it was all on the same weekend. I really didn’t know what to expect when Wendy said she had booked us into a class but was happy to attend. I was pleasantly surprised to see the quilts “in person” that I had pawed over and admired in magazines. So much better to see them close up and in person, and lovely to meet their creator. I particulary loved the Masai quilt, the crab quilt and the peacock….ooops…. that was about all of them
It was so funny to go to the quilt show in Canberra and see the Walzing Matilda quilt on Sunday prior to the class and name it as one of my favourites, then to show up at a quilt class on Monday with it’s maker!!! Glad to hear it has been another one of your successes.
Anyhow, just wanted to pass all of this on and let you know how inspirational I find your work and enthusiasm is for this craft. You really are a talented artist and teacher and I will make sure I look out for your work in the future. Great to see you in in DuQ.
Heather Badger

More Liberation from the Ditch.

For students that have already attended Helen’s first Free-motion class. This workshop uses the skills from the first class and puts them into practise with more advanced styles and lots more experimenting and fun.

Students will produce a Sampler style quilt on a whole cloth. A grid of twenty-five (25), 8” x 8” squares of different techniques and styles of Free-Motion Machine quilting. Students will also go home with a reference booklet of quilting designs that they create in class.

This project explores the magic and freedom of free-motion quilting to take students so far Beyond the Ditch that they never want to turn back!

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For students that have already attended Helen’s first Free-motion class. This workshop uses the skills from the first class and puts them into practise.

Students will produce a small wall hanging or cushion top, that incorporates free-motion machining to do raw edge applique and decorative quilting on their piece.
A choice of 7 different simple patterns which demonstrate the use of “positive and negative” design elements to create a stunning piece.
The project explores the magic of free-motion quilting to take students beyond the ditch and revealing the freedom of design opened up by raw edge applique.
Students select from 7 different designs - dragonfly, butterfly, autumn leaf, flannelflower, Christmas dove, fish or star or they can design their own block with a little help from Helen.

• REQUIREMENTS
• Sewing machine with DARNING FOOT. Check your manual so you are prepared. You must have your machines DARNING FOOT to do this class. Please bring your machines sewing table to extend the sewing area if you have one. Bring your normal straight sewing foot too.
• 1/2m black homespun, cut into 2 x 20” squares. (or substitute another 20” square for the back of your project )
• 20” square of batting or flannel.
• 4 x Fat Quarters. The minimum you need is four, 5”x 5” charm squares. Choose 4 fabrics that tone together say 4 blues/greens, 4 pink/purples, 4 autumn tones, 4 jewel tones….choose strong colours not pale, that look good as a group on black. To help with your fabric selection, the 7 design choices include Autumn leaves, butterflies, fish, stars, flowers, Christmas/Peace dove and Helen’s favourite dragonflies.
• Variegated thread to match your selected colours or just coloured threads to match your selected fabrics and black. Metallic thread is also an option but you must have a metallic or topstitch needle too.
• Approx. 12” square of Vlisofix/iron-on webbing….enough to use with the four, 5” x 5” charm squares
• An envelope to keep your cut pieces for safe keeping
• Fabric chalk and lead pencil
• Ruler, rotary cutter, small sharp scissors
• A handful of medium safety pins for sandwiching your squares.
• Spare machine needles 80/12 or 90/14.
• General sewing supplies.
• Enthusiasm to “give it a go!”

Arty Farty Sunflowers

with Vincent Van Godden

6 hour art quilt project with Helen Godden

A class to take you out of your boundaries and abandon strict rules - Experience freedom and fun with an art style quilt.

We paint, we raw-edge, we stitch and we paint some more -

all using a prepared sunflower design, guidance, encouragement and a little inspiration from Vincent van Gogh.

• Calico...UNwashed...50cm x 1m

• Your choice of backing and batting...50 x 70cm

• Sewing thread for quilting in black, pale sky blue and cream

• A few hand dyed scraps in yellow/gold/orange and olive/green/leafy tones otherwise available at the store.

• Approx. 30cm square of Vlisofix/iron-on webbing

• Fabric chalk and lead pencil

• Small sharp scissors for cutting applique

• A handful of medium safety pins for sandwiching your piece

The following items will be available to “borrow“ in class or purchase at cost

• White plastic ice cube tray as a paint palette, available at most supermarkets.

• Paint brushes. 1 x square end chisel style shader approximately 10mm wide, and 1 x round pointed tip approx 8mm wide...synthetic is great such as Taklon.

• Artistic licence supplied free of charge.

Class fee includes the use of Helen's supply of Genesis Creations Liquid Radiance colours for use on the day with option to purchase a starter pack at the special price of $99.

 2 day workshop

Students must have completed Helen's Free-Motion Beginners class or equivalent .

Based on Helen's Canberra Quilters Challenge quilt, “African Elegance”, students will produce a 50 x 70cm wall hanging depicting 2 giraffes in black silhouette strolling across the Savannah. Students will be assisted to create a colour graded, strip pieced background in glowing sunset tones.

The background is then extensively free-motion stitched to create a stunning sunset design in preparation for the simple yet elegant raw edge appliqué giraffes to be stitched in place, then finished with lots of metallic thread detail in free-motion.

Fabric Requirements:

A variety of widths and colours of scrap strips to create the pieced BACKGROUND. Strips between 3 to 8cm wide (1” to 3”) and up to 50 cm (20”) long each. Left over borders and bindings are good. Fabrics should be a mix of tone-on-tone and prints that are still predominantly the one colour. If strips are shorter than 50 cm (20”) long they will be pieced and joined togther to create lengths so any strips are good*

• Sunset Sky – colours ranging from crimson/red/ orange/orange/gold/yellow/pale yellow strips, from dark through to light, measuring from 3 to 8cm (1” to 3”) in width, minimum 20cm (8”) in length and approximately 20 in total, more if they are short lengths.*

• Foreground – fabrics in dark to medium to light, think grassy dry yellows, sand/ fawn, add a bit of texture into these prints thru to distant hills. Again a variety of widths, minimum length 50 cm(20”) and approximately 8 in total. Scraps and strips are fine and students generally are happy to swap and share.

• 60cm plain black homespun for applique

• 60 x 80 cm fabric for backing.

• 60 x 80 cm thin batting or flannel.

• Iron-on webbing approximately 60 x 40cm

General Requirements

• Sewing machine with DARNING FOOT. Check your manual so you are prepared. You must have your machines DARNING FOOT to do this class. Please bring your machines sewing table to extend the sewing area if you have one. Bring your normal straight sewing foot and quilting gloves if required. Sewing machine with lowerable feed dogs and darning foot for free motion sewing, satin (or blanket) stitch foot and general sewing foot

• Fabric chalk / chalk clutch pencil

• Rotary cutter and rule and mat

• Sharp tipped small hand scissors

• Threads in fawn,orange red and black plus gold metallic.

• HB Pencil

• General Sewing Supplies such as saftey pins