Machine quilting has become a well respected art form. Good quilting can take a simple quilt top and turn it into a thing of exquisite beauty.
If you have learned most of the basics such as stippling, how to achieve tiny linked circles, know how to form smooth swirls and pointed stars then you’re probably ready to move on to the more complex designs of feathers and flowers. These two motifs are powerful designs and they can add a lot of interest and beauty to your quilts but they can also overwhelm the piecing.
In this class, Heather Thomas will not only show you how to stitch them without ever having to mark the surface of your quilt, she’ll also teach you when and where to use them and when not to use them.
You’ll begin the process with drawing practice and then move on to actual stitching on practice quilt sandwiches. Heather will show you how to fit feathers into borders, blocks and triangles and how to link flowers and leaves for all over designs in borders or sashing and how to use them as stand alone motifs in blocks etc.
This class is for anyone who wants to take their free motion quilting to the next level.
NOTE: You’ll receive this Class video instruction in two forms: As on-demand streaming video (in your NQC Account); and as a physical DVD, mailed to you.
Class Sessions
Session 1: Introduction
10:42
Here, Heather will show various quilts that use feather, flower and leaf motifs in their quilting and will talk about why those motifs were chosen for those particular quilts, how the size and scale of the motifs used were determined and what is working or not working with the quilting.
Session 2: Full Frontal Flowers
49:03
In this session Heather will use drawings and stitch outs to introduce flowers that have a variety of different petal shapes and center styles. See how how "full frontal facing" flowers fit inside a doughnut and how to use this idea to practice drawing flowers. You will be introduced to the idea of muscle memory with body movement and paying attention to that movement while doodling so that the same movement can be utilized while quilting. Heather will then redraw each flower showing the movement and stitch order of creating each one.
Session 3: Leaves and Vines
21:38
Heather will use drawings and stitch out to introduce a variety of different styles of leaves and reiterate the importance of muscle memory as students practice the shapes with doodling. Several leaves will be stitched out, from simple to complex and Heather will complete an all over leaf design and a design used for border
Session 4: Feathers, Feathers, and More Feathers
1:21:41
This session will begin with an introduction to the anatomy of a feather followed by a discussion of petal and spine types. Heather uses stitch outs and drawings to show how to achieve various types of feathers and will do some actual drawing and doodling to show the order of movement utilized during stitching the feathers and reiterate the importance of muscle memory while doodling. You will see several different feather motifs, finish an all over design and two different border designs.
Session 5: Bringing it all Together
2:15
Heather will revisit a few quilts and discuss ways to bring together the flower and feather motifs to stitch out whole cloth and quilt & color designs for those who just want to have fun stitching out these amazing motifs.
Your Instructor
Heather Thomas
Heather is a mixed media fiber artist with a passion for color and a dedication to teaching. After a decade of making original yet traditional work, she began venturing out toward art quilting, embellishments, and mixed media work. With more than 12 years of studying and teaching color and design under her belt, she wrote her second book, A Fiber Artists’ Guide to Color & Design, which came on the heels of her very popular first book, Fabric Embellishing: The Basics & Beyond.
In 2011 Heather was a guest writer for Quilting Arts magazine with a multi-part feature on Free Style Machine Quilting. She also participates in group and individual instructional DVDs produced by the Creative Crafts Group. You can visit Heather’s blog at heatherthomasblog.blogspot.com.
Bonus Material
Class Resource: Motif Templates
Download this PDF for a sampling of the motifs Heathers uses in this class.
Meet Your Expert
Download this video to hear Heather share why she loves machine quilting.
Bonus Materials available for download after purchase.
FAQs
How do I know what the Class covers?
Every Class has a free Preview video you can watch, to give you a flavor of the Instructor and the skills or project that will be covered. In addition, the Overview tab includes a thorough written description of the Class. And finally, each Class Session has a brief written summary of the content in that Session, including the length of each Session video. You will get a good feel for the Class content by reviewing these resources.
Do I have to be a Member of National Quilters Circle to purchase a Class?
No you don’t. While Premium Members will receive regular offers for special deals on NQC content, Classes are not reserved exclusively for Members. If you buy a Class as a non-member, we’re sure you’d also enjoy having access to our full library of great quilting videos and articles as a Member, so give it a try.
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First you should decide that the Class is what you want. Review the Class Preview video and the various written descriptions of the Class and each Session before you purchase, so you have a good understanding of the Class content. When you’re ready to purchase and gain access to the Class, simply click the “Add to Cart” button, and proceed through the Checkout process.
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Once you’ve paid, you can access/view your Class by going to the MY ACCOUNT section of National Quilters Circle. The MY ACCOUNT link is in the upper right-hand area of the website. Within your MY ACCOUNT, a section labeled “My Content” is where the class you purchased will appear, including a link to watch the video of your Class. You’ll also receive an email confirmation after your purchase, which will include a link to view your Class. You can access your Class as many times as you wish, and you’ll never lose access to your Account information. Just be sure to “Log In” for access to MY ACCOUNT.
Do I have to take the Class right away?
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Is there a limit on the times I can view my Class?
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Can I view a Class on my tablet device or mobile phone?
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How do I get access to the Bonus Materials for the Class?
Until you purchase a Class, the Bonus material (any extra videos, download materials, etc.) will not be accessible. Once you purchase a Class, and go to view your Class, each individual Bonus element is accessible by simply clicking on each item. You’ll find the Bonus Materials directly below your main Class viewer frame. You can access the bonus materials as many times as you like and/or save them to your device.
Can I print out Class details?
For any Bonus Material that is a PDF Download, yes you can. Just click on the icon/button for the Bonus element you want, and print with your local printer.
What are PDF downloads?
These are simply documents, plans, or written materials that are formatted in a way to print out and retain for reference. By simply clicking on the icon/link for any PDF Download that is included with a Class, you can print that document on your own printer or simply view the contents on your computer/mobile device.
Are there any system requirements to view the Class video content?
Your Class video content is best when viewed on a computer manufactured in the past couple of years with a good broadband Internet connection (not dialup). We also highly recommend using the latest version of Firefox, Safari, or Chrome as your Internet Browser, though recent versions of Internet Explorer will work as well. The recommended screen resolution is 1024 x 768 or larger.
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Can I get a refund if I don’t like the Class?
Because you’ll have full access to all the materials and content that is presented in the Class immediately, we can’t offer a refund after purchase. Please review the Class Preview video and the various written descriptions of the Class and each Session before you purchase, so you have a good understanding of the Class content.
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If your question is about the Class content, please use the Contact Us Link – and you'll receive feedback from the Class Instructor. Even your fellow Class participants may jump in to offer tips and advice from their experience. If you have other questions or need help, you can email us at nationalquilterscircle@program-director.net or call us toll-free, at 1-855-253-0822. Service Representatives will be available Monday-Friday, from 8:00AM to 4:30 PM Central time, excluding normal holidays.
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