IN PERSON: Making Your Own Fabric for Your Own Quilts with Mike McNamara

Making Your Own Fabric for Your Own Quilts: A Day of Curved-Piecing Techniques

IN PERSON: Class, Saturday, October 21st, 10AM - 3PM PST 

This class will be held at Bay Quilts

In the class you will be taking fabric, cutting it up and sewing it back together - the process is familiar, but the approach is less strict with measuring, and more focused on improvising, being surprised, and making leaps of faith.

You will be introduced to gentle curved piecing. If you're used to curved piecing already, feel free to join and share your experiences. Act I: We will start with making quarter circles, so have four fat quarters ready to be cut up. Act II: We will make a river (or long letter S), so have two pieces that contrast: both should measure 18" wide selvage-to-selvage in length. Act III: We will be making hearts, so have four fat quarters handy.

Once techniques become second nature, the more exploratory your designs - YOUR designs - present themselves. Add a dash of humor (or if you choose trauma) and:  Violà - you have made your quilt with your fabric out of your thoughts! (I've a typo in my head).

The techniques and teachings Mac will be showing are from taking classes with Nancy Crow, Rhoda Cohen, Sylvia Einstein, Ann Schroeder, and others, and modified to my needs. I also have been influenced by making panels for the NAMES Project, aka the National AIDS Quilt.

Skill level: ✂️✂️

You have used a sewing machine and maybe have a few projects under your belt. You already know how to thread and use a sewing machine and you're ready to learn some piecing and quilting skills.

Supplies: You will receive the fabric requirements once you sign up. Bay Quilts is glad to help you select fabrics for your quilt.

Sewing Machines and Equipment: You will need to bring your sewing machine and basic sewing supplies to class. The specific tools you need will be included in the supply list.

About the instructor: 

Mike McNamara goes by Mac. He made my first quilt in 1976.  Later in Boston, he worked on the NAMES Project - an ongoing memorial of sewn panels for people who have died of AIDS and made many panels for friends and loved ones, along with helping other folks make panels for their loved ones.  He joined a small quilt group which was true influence on my quilt-making, later joined the local quilt guild, and is still a long-standing member of the Quilters' Connection in Watertown, MA.  He moved to California and is a member of the Pajaro Valley Quilters' Association of Santa Cruz, CA.

Other quilt-making influences come from friends and associates and certainly other teachers, such as: the incredible Rhoda Cohen, Ann Schroeder, Sylvia Einstein, Nancy Crow, Nancy Halpern, Nancy Crasco, Sandy Donabed, Tafi Brown, Paula Nadelstern, Tracey Brookshier, Susan Else, Billie Street, and the inimitable Joe Cunningham.

Location:

This class is being held at the Bay Quilts located at 5327 Jacuzzi St. 3-C, Richmond, CA 94804. Bay Quilts is run by Sally Davey and her daughter, Abbey-Shane  a team of lifelong artists and crafters who have been in the quilting industry for over 30 years. They opened Bay Quilts to share their passion and knowledge with the vision of creating a community where artists, crafters, quilters, and makers of all ability can learn, grow, and create together.  This unique fabric shop is so much more than a store - from consignments quilts and gifts, and cloth figures to monthly gallery exhibitions and artist receptions to workshops.  Bay Quilts is a sanctuary for creatives of all skill level. Bay Quilts is generously offering a 10% discount to students on the day of the class.

The classroom space is on the 2nd level so you will need to be able to climb a flight of stairs. There is a convenient caddy so you don't have to carry your equiptment up the stairs.

Cancellation Policy:

Class fees are non-refundable. However you may transfer the class to a friend if you let us know in advance.