2013 Retreat Workshops

Presentation of the Pictou Lodge Quilt "Waiting" to the staff at the Lodge, September 2011. The quilt hangs in the main diningroom. The quilt was designed and made by Faye Brown and Debbie Vermeulen. It was machine quilted by Debbie.

The 2013 Mayflower Quilter's Retreat is fast approaching. The brochure and registration form will be ready this week and we are so excited to announce the workshops. Each workshop is 3 days in length so you really do get a chance to have an in-depth workshop experience.

Registration is done by mail only and to insure fairness to everyone, regardless of where you live, the post mark is critical. If you really want one workshop be sure and have the envelope hand cancelled on March 25, 2013 (for Mayflower QG members and Chapter members) at the post office so that the date is clearly marked. For non-Guild members the date is April 8, 2013.

As in other years we will also be offering an Independent Study for those who wish to work on their own projects. A room and tables, irons etc will be provided in the main Lodge or you can work in your cabin/room. We do encourage those who chose this option to gather together and see what each other is doing throughout the Retreat.

Please visit the teachers websites to see their quilts - Cheryl Arkison, Penny Berens and Karen Neary

Improvisational Piecing with Cheryl Arkison

Does working without a pattern feel like walking a tight rope without a safety net? This class will ease you in to improvisational quilting. Improvisational quilting is about technique and process, rather than a pattern. You start with some fabric, attack it with your rotary cutter and maybe an idea of what you want to do with it, then finish with a bold design. Your final product will look anything but simple, but is very easy to create.

We’ll begin with some favourite fabrics, then work through a handful of different improvisational methods.  We will also discuss where one can take these techniques and subsequent designs.

Learning the techniques of improv will help you create your own designs and adapt patterns when you need to change the size or run out of fabric. It is about embracing the spirit of improv more than some crazy piecing.

Exploring Traditional Quilt Designs Using Hand Embroidery and Layered Scraps with Penny Berens 

Being quilters we all have scraps.  Being Nova Scotians we have Frenchy’s.  We are very knowledgeable about repurposing bits and pieces of fabric.  This workshop is for those interested in hand stitching and using up bits and pieces of cloth.  We will draw a traditional block or your own personal design on a foundation fabric and then ‘colour’ in the lines with bits and pieces of cotton, silk, linen, velvet and other scraps that you might bring along.   You will be encouraged to give your traditional block an individual personality by adding your own unique touches with appliqué and embroidery.  The final step will be to use our familiar quilting/running stitch to bind all the layers together creating a quilt-like wall hanging.

 Roundabout Again © Karen Neary

Roundabout Again© with Karen Neary

Conquer the fear of curved piecing – let go and embrace those curves! In this workshop students will create a dramatic table centerpiece or wallhanging (31” x 50”) using 4- Patch and New York Beauty blocks. Roundabout Again looks equally gorgeous pieced in coordinated fabrics or in colourful scraps. We will cover the basics of foundation piecing to produce sharp spikes. Foundations on an easy tear-away paper will be supplied. Students will sew curved seams using a regular ¼” foot to produce blocks which come out true and flat, needing little or no trimming. This workshop is suitable for an advanced beginner or intermediate quilter. Students should have some experience in the use of a rotary cutter, familiarity with their sewing machines, and the ability to sew a consistent ¼” seam.