ELLY SIENKIEWICZ

FAMILY HISTORY BLOCK – A MEMENTO OF OUR CRUISE SHIP!

TUE, JUNE 22

8:30am to 4:00pm, Lunch Break from 11:30am to 1:00pm

You need this block! Its geometry spices up any album’s set. Its spiky outline teaches the “Dogtooth border” – appliqué’s easiest and most dramatic classic border for a full size quilt. A worn-through antique quilt reveals its construction technique beneath each triangle – make that secret yours to share! Learn all the basic appliqué techniques including “reverse” appliqué. A kit will be offered that will include not only a photo print of our cruise ship, but also a sheet of “Printed Treasures” to make your own photo center.

Skill level: All levels

THE STAR RUCHED ROSE – BRILLIANT TECHNIQUES!

THU, JUNE 24

8:30am to 11:30am, continued

SAT, JUNE 26

1:00pm to 4:00pm

This gorgeous block (so dramatic with its diagonal gesture) makes one of those classes that just seem to unfold perfectly. Begin so simply by doing the main stems from a single swatch of cloth (by Cutaway Appliqué and Needleturn) – then when you know how easy it will be to finish this greenery, move right on to the magical roses, gathering up their petals by stitching in a rare 6-pointed star path. Thread pulled, the path becomes a rose! As you stitch, we’ll talk about the wee tulip and the printed leaves which dance among the graceful stems, connected to them by the embroidery’s finest detail. You’ll smile the while, knowing you can finish this beauty – perhaps by trip’s end!

Skill level: All levels

THE GOODE SHIPPE ZION

MON, JUNE 28

8:30am to 4:00pm, Lunch Break from 11:30am to 1:00pm

Did you know? There are multiple interpretations of most Baltimore antique blocks – as if it were the block’s subject which was wanted & sharing patterns was limited. The Zion is unique among Baltimore ship blocks – She appears only once elsewhere as “The Albion.” More intimate, less imposing than the more formal Clipper blocks, she sails the stormy seas of bygone Baltimore – herself a visible sign of the societal Revolution that produced these gorgeous quilts! Ink or embroider the gun whale and gun deck’s details – usually circles inside trompe de l’oiel window frames...or find the perfect print (as this needlesister of yore did with her bit of plaid) to evoke them. Try stencil-shading the billowing sails with oil pastels in class. Fly the flag of your choosing; ink the portholes, and rig your ship with ink or embroidery. Can you see the motifs quilted into this antique block: Sea, sea, cloud, lightning streak, star and cross? Journey into our past, stitch our cultural roots, stand aboard this Baltimore Clipper, sailing the high seas of an opening World as we take our own journey across the seas.

Skill level: Intermediate to advanced

PAULA NADELSTERN

SIMPLE SYMMETRY

TUE, JUNE 22

8:30am to 4:00pm, Lunch Break from 11:30am to 1:00pm

The instinctive charm of Simple Symmetry is based on a simple fact:  one single fabric is responsible for all of the elaborate patterns in one quilt.  Learn how to use one single template and one symmetrical, intricately patterned fabric to achieve a complex quilt filled with dramatic impact.  This class explores and exploits the virtues of bilaterally symmetrical fabric.  You’ll feel like you’re making magic with fabric when motifs connect to their mirror images, creating effects more wonderful than you imagined.

Skill level:  Advanced beginner and intermediate

PUZZLE QUILT –SIMPLE BLOCKS AND COMPLEX FABRICS

THU, JUNE 24

8:30am to 11:30am, continued

SAT, JUNE 26

1:00pm to 4:00pm

Paula has distilled twenty years of complex quilt making into simple theories that explain her patchwork sensibility and defines her way of thinking about fabric.  A Puzzle Quilt is a clever vehicle for combining these elements into a sampler with a secret:  Each block design is used twice.  By using totally different fabric combinations, an illusion is created:  Each block appears unique.  The “puzzle” is to pick out which two are the same.  Paula promises you will see possibilities in fabric in a whole new way.  This is a good class for the quilter who wants to embrace the potential offered by a wide range of fabric choices rather than be overwhelmed by it.  The focus is on design, specifically learning to use fabric to create unexpected results.

Skill Level:  Advanced beginner, Intermediate to Advanced

NEEDLESTARS

THU, JUNE 28                       

8:30am to 4:00pm, Lunch Break from 11:30am to 1:00pm

This class is a simplified version of Paula’s complicated kaleidoscope techniques. It  incorporates the kaleidoscope configuration, radial symmetry, which allows students to explore design possibilities using bilaterally symmetrical fabric.  Plus it covers the unique machine-piecing technique Paula uses (which she will demonstrate through samples) and how to make incongruent templates align.  Students will quickly learn the above, make templates, begin cutting and then be prepared to sew their own fabric.

Skill Level:  Intermediate to advanced 

CINDY WALTER

FABRIC PAINTING SCOTTISH STYLE

THU, JUNE 22

8:30am to 4:00pm, Lunch Break from 11:30am to 1:00pm

Learn to paint your own contemporary fabric for any quilt or sewing project.  Working with paints is amazingly easy and not messy using Cindy’s technique.  Explore several of the most popular color wash application methods including wet or dry, scrunching, salting, spaying, heliographic and over-painting.  Even left-brain thinkers will feel artistic after using these fail-proof techniques.  In the afternoon we’ll touch on direct painting, using one of Cindy’s easy as painting-by-number painted quilt patterns.  You’ll see how easy it might be to paint your own Scottish landscape to have as a memory of our trip!  Beware, painting on fabric is addictive!  A kit will be offered that includes paints to use for the day and other hard to find supplies.

Skill level:  All levels 

NORWEGIAN OR SCOTTISH LANDSCAPE

THU, JUNE 24

8:30am to 11:30am, continued

SAT, JUNE 26

1:00pm to 4:00pm

Impress your friends with the pictorial Snippet Sensations quilt you’ll make as a memorabilia of your trip to the Norwegian Fjords and Scotland.  In this class students will work on projects of their individual choice.  Collect photos during the cruise or ahead of time from travel magazines of the areas you’ll visit, or use one of the teacher’s photos.  Snippet quilts look like a lot of work, but Cindy will make them a breeze and you’ll feel like you’ve cheating once you’ve learned the secrets and realize how easy the technique really is.  Creating with Snippets is truly fun and easy!  Cindy will show several Snippet quilts for inspiration and cover the steps of turning a snippet top into a quilt. 

Skill level:  All levels

SCOTTISH MYSTERY QUILT!

MON, JUNE 28

8:30am to 4:00pm, Lunch Break from 11:30aa to 1:00pm

You’ll start the morning with clues to hand-piece a small mystery block using fabrics that are stamped with Scottish flowers.  Cindy bought this beautiful cotton fabric from Scotland and will provide everyone with a free fabric kit for most of their mystery project.  Hand piecing is a time honored, relaxing technique to enjoy while traveling.  Then in the afternoon learn to master the art of hand quilting.  If you already hand quilt and would like to perfect your stitch, this class is also for you.  A lot of one-on-one attention is given, and with Cindy’s tips and secrets, you are sure to be successful!  The tools of the trade, basting and marking tops, will also be discussed.  The mystery project will unfold as the day progresses and the hand-quilted piece will combine with the hand-pieced block will make a wonderful project that will always serve as a memory of your visit to Scotland!

Skill level:  All levels

SHARON PEDERSON

COLOR FOR THE TERRIFIED QUILTER

TUE, JUNE 22

8:30am to 4:00pm, Lunch Break from 11:30am to 1:00pm

Color choices don’t have to be intuitive, instinctive, or inborn – there is a step-by-step way to choose colors for quilts. This class will teach you the steps necessary, focusing on the color wheel and how to use it, the importance of value, and how intensity will affect the look of your quilts. Working with mock-ups and fabric, start to create your own color manual as you acquire confidence choosing the right fabrics to achieve the look you want.

Skill level:  All levels

SOLAR FLARE

THU, JUNE 24

8:30am to 11:30am, continued

SAT, JUNE 26

1:00pm to 4:00pm

Using paint sticks and fusible web create your own version of this beautiful sunset - add a cruise ship and make a beautiful reminder of your visit to the Norwegian Fjords & Scotland. We will be working with Sharon’s friend Valerie Hearder's beautiful book (with her permission, of course) which is full of wonderful ideas about creating landscape quilts.

Skill level:  All levels

ROSE OF SHARON with SHARON PEDERSON!

MON, JUNE 28

8:30am to 4:00pm, Lunch Break from 11:30am to 1:00pm

Explore the many possibilities of the beautiful Rose of Sharon block with your own Sharon to guide the way. Using a variety of techniques you will design your own blocks using a stress free approach and your digital camera. In this sewing-machine free class you will prepare the appliqué pieces and then either start hand appliquéing them on board or tuck them away to be machine appliquéd when you get home. The focus of the class will be to prepare the appliqué pieces and design the blocks not the actual sewing in place. Hand appliqué instructions will be given, however machine appliqué techniques will be discussed. Remember, Sharon is the one who wrote Machine Appliqué for the Terrified Quilter.

Skill level:  All levels

CHRISTINE PORTER

MIDSUMMER GARDEN

TUE, JUNE 22

8:30am to 4:00pm, Lunch Break from 11:30am to 1:00pm

Using reversible appliqué technique and fusing, we will make a small pretty wall-hanging of triangles and three-dimensional flowers. An interesting border gives a zippy look. Embellishment will be achieved by adding decorative stitching and buttons to complete your own Midsummer Garden!

Skill level:  All levels

SUNBONNET SUE GOES NORDIC!

THU, JUNE 24

8:30am to 11:30am, continued

SAT, JUNE 26

1:00pm to 4:00pm

Adding to Christine’s Sunbonnet Sue series made especially for the cruises, Sue will be enjoying the mountains in Norway and Scotland with a little downhill skiing! Fusing and appliqué together with decorative stitching will complete the inner part of the quilt top, which will be finished with a border of fir trees.

Skill level:  All levels

VENETIAN FLOOR TILES IN MINIATURE

MON, JUNE 28

8:30am to 4:00pm, Lunch Break from 11:30am to 1:00pm

Christine is an acknowledged expert in creating quilts inspired from decorative floor tiles. Her latest book, Viva Venezia! due out in Spring 2009 has many floor tile quilt projects. We will be sewing a miniature version of the Square-in-a-Square design based on a pattern found on many floors in Venice laid in the 1400s. You can choose either to make it in original floor tile colors or go for a version in contemporary colors. Simple piecing will be the order of the day.

Skill level:  All levels

CLASS NOTE:
Holding a quilt seminar on a cruise ship is a unique experience.  Sometimes there are space and time challenges that prevent our being able to be “project oriented” and we must concentrate more on process.  It is very unlikely that you will have an absolutely finished project at the end of a class.  It is helpful if your expectations match these realities.  But regardless of how far you are able to progress, our instructors are professionals -- some of the best in the quilting world -- and we know you will learn many new techniques and have a wonderful experience.