Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts Spring University Days 2016

Friday One-hour Classes (listed alphabetically by title)

All About Batting #103, #303 Description: Batting is the least-discussed component of a successful quilting project. While we labor over fabric choices and ponder quilting designs, we usually don’t give much thought to the inner contents of our quilts. Many new batting choices, such as bamboo, high-tech blends, and silk, have joined polyester and cotton on the market. Allison Rainboth of Sisters Choice Quilting Service will provide a thorough overview of batting choices and the impact on your quilt’s finished appearance. Lecture/Demo No Kit Instructor: Allison Rainboth Born in Southern California, Allison moved to Wisconsin in 1992. She’s been quilting since 1983 and has been a professional longarm quilter since 2003. Allison became fascinated with the history of quilts and quilting due to the old beauties customers and her friends brought to share with her. She works from home, continuing to quilt for others while studying to be a quilt judge.

The Art of Hand Quilting #105, #305 Description: Learn the basics of hand quilting, including using a hoop, a thimble, threading and holding the needle and making a Quilter’s Knot. You will have hands-on practice of the lost art of quilting by hand. Demo/hands on No Kit Instructor: Dina Bell Dina is a busy mother of two, manages a title company and helps her husband with their plumbing business. She enjoys all aspects of quilting, especially the traditional hand quilting methods.

Basic Cables & Chart Reading #106, #304 Description: Cables can add interest to any knitting project. This session will demonstrate the basics of cabling: going over the tools, common abbreviations, highlight the various types, and learn to read a basic cable chart. Lecture/Demo No Kit Instructor: Nicole Woltman Nicole is a fiber artist who grew up in Chicago, then moved to Wisconsin to attend college where she studied forensic science. She later decided to pursue art and received a Bachelor of Fine Art degree (with a fiber arts emphasis) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2013. Her background in science and math remained influential on her artwork, particularly the observation and manipulation of patterns and repetition and the analytical way she approaches each project. Her interest in fibers led to volunteering at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts where she has the opportunity to share her love of all things fiber.

2D Textiles – More Than the Sum of its Parts #204, #404 Description: Students will learn my process of textile collage on a canvas. Using different acrylic media and fabric scraps, we will create unique collages that become more than the sum of their parts. Make it/Take it Kit fee: $10 includes 11” x 14” canvas, fabric, ribbon and gel medium. Instructor: John Kowalczyk John describes his art as “shrinelike, shiny, symmetrical and seductive figurations that become maps of my mind combining myth, math and magic.” His work is comprised of mixed media paintings and larger-than-life installations that incorporate vintage fabrics, thrift store treasures, gift wrap, shelf liner, string, ribbon, repurposed drawings, glitter and gold. The collaged elements of his paintings become more than the sum of their parts, exhibiting a spiritual nature.

Gallery Tour with WMQFA Curator #205, #401 Lecture No kit Description: Join WMQFA Exhibit Curator Jamie Henry on a tour of the current exhibit, Coverlets & Stevengraphs. The 35 coverlets of the WMQFA James A. Taylor Coverlet Collection encompass both geometric and fancy/figured styles. Weave structures include overshot, summer/winter, double weave and Beiderwand. The 19th century collection includes weavings made in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. The Gross Stevengraph Collection is made up of over 300 silk Jacquard woven bookmarks, pictures, greeting cards and postcards. They were a popular novelty of the Victorian era, with amazing detail and color. A selection of the WMQFA’s collection will be on display.

Intro to Needle Turn Appliqué #405 Description: Learn the basics of needle turn appliqué using freezer paper, a wax pen and toothpick to create precise and neat appliqué work. Make it/Take it No Kit Instructor: Dina Bell Dina is a busy mother of two, manages a title company and helps her husband with their plumbing business. She enjoys all aspects of quilting, but her favorite is hand appliqué. The portability makes it easy to travel to 4-H meetings and sports events with her children.

Knitting Cast-Ons and Bind-Offs #203, #403 Description: It’s time to move beyond the basic bind-off and long-tail cast-on. Learn new techniques for casting on and binding off and when they are best used. Lecture/Demo No Kit Supplies to bring: knitting needles size 8 and worsted weight yarn. Instructor: Joanne Kiley Joanne is the owner of Magpies Cottage in Sheboygan Falls, which sells fabric, books, patterns and notions. She started crocheting at 11 years old and began knitting not long after. Joanne enjoys garment knitting for its softer drape. She is also an avid quilter. “My knitting and quilting are my art. I love to express myself with both,” she says.

Photos Combined with Nature #104, #202 Description: Do you have a favorite photograph? Would you like to include it in a quilt or build a quilt around it? Learn how to print photos using your home computer and printer, and then let your imagination run wild. This is an easy process that helps you create very personal quilts. Hang a memory on your wall! Lecture/Demo No Kit Instructor: Linn Woodard “My first quilts were very traditional patterns, using very small prints and only three or four colors,” says Linn. “Over the years, I’ve moved to more contemporary designs and my own art quilts. I enjoy working with three-dimensional effects, incorporating images from my husband’s photographs into many of my designs.”

The Sometimes Scandalous History of the Sewing Machine #302, #402 Description: The sewing machine is a marvelous invention that changed the world. The truth of how it came about, however, involves riots, lawsuits, and even domestic scandal. Come hear the story, and then try your hand at sewing on a treadle or a hand-crank machine. Lecture/Demo No Kit Instructor: Sylvia Adair Sylvia is a quilter who is interested in history. She has been collecting sewing machines for 15 years, and does all of her piecing on antique machines. A long-time volunteer for the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts, Sylvia was the Documentation Chair from 2005-2015. She has been the Quilt Index Data Entry Chair since 2008.

You Don’t Need a Pattern #101, #201 Description: Have fun learning new “twists” with old designs! Jerri will share some unexpected and creative projects you can make without any pattern. This demo will be fun! Lecture/Demo No Kit Instructor: Jerri Parmelee “My quilting experiences go back to the early 1970s, when I made a tied quilt for my daughter based on an illustration in Woman’s Day magazine,” says Jerri. “Since the 1990s, I have been teaching, demonstrating and sharing quilting ideas.” “My favorite quilts are those based on a photo idea or a block that I can play around with and arrange however I want. My recent quilts have been those you literally do not need a pattern for and you can make up as you go along. I was inspired by Alicia Avila’s class, ‘No Measuring, No Marking, No Rulers.’ That concept sets you free to create your own, imaginative designs.”

Zentangle Quilt Blocks #102, #301 Description: Zentangle is a meditative art that provides focus, calm and inspiration. For free-motion quilters, it can also provide muscle memory as you embark on your next project. Back for a second year, Jane will work with students on the principles of Zentangle and give them the opportunity to practice several tangles as they design and create a quilt block. Make it/Take it Kit fee: $6 includes tiles, fabric, pens/pencils Instructor: Jane Glodoski Jane is a retired educator, having spent her entire career in the Milwaukee Public Schools. As an avid quilter, she is continually exploring new techniques and styles. In 2012, Jane discovered Zentangle, and was hooked. She uses tangles as the overall design and also for quilting lines. Zentangle is a great practice for creating muscle memory when doing free-mothion quilting. Jane is currently President of the Wisconsin Tangle Artist Coalition.