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Christmas Opening During the holiday period we shall not be open on our normal days but we shall be open on: Thursday Dec 23 Wednesday Dec 29 Thursday Dec 30 Tuesday Jan 4 After which it is: Business as Usual!

Midsomer Quilting Classes 2012

We are really proud of our regular team of excellent teachers who are joined from time to time by teachers from America, Australia and South America. (And Quilters have several times flown from Italy and Spain to attend them).

We run courses almost every Saturday and Sunday, with occasional additional ones midweek.

We are also delighted to host City and Guild classes led by Lynne Quinn, whose web site will reveal the extent and success of her C&G courses.

Our programme will be updated on this site with hard copy programmes issued twice a year to those without email access.

The minimum suggested level of skill for each class is indicated beneath the name of the teacher.

To reserve a place on a class you should contact us as early as possible with a non-returnable deposit of £10-00 per class . In the event of our having to cancel the class the deposit would of course be refunded.

What a great team! I really like teaching here. From the minute you walk into this great quilt shop you are made welcome by De, Chris and Birgitta. From the aroma of brewing coffee to the fantastic ever changing fabrics on the overflowing shelves - and the witty repartee - this is an experience not to be missed. What is there not to like?!

Christine Porter

Booking

If you would like to book one of our classes either pop into the shop and do it in person, or if that is not possible, phone us on 01761 2393333 to check on availability and reserve a place and then print out your booking form here and post it with your deposit (or payment in full if you wish) to the address on the bottom of the form.

Make one of these gorgeous book covers - and then make lots more for personalised presents, they are addictive! They’ll fit an A5 diary or notebook. We will use a variety of techniques, including appliqué, quilting and machine embroidery, as well as optional foundation piecing. Great for using scraps and then playing with braids, buttons and glittery things for embellishments.

£31.00

10am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday,  February 11th 2012

Anja Townrow

BOOK COVERS

Anja’s classes are always popular and this one is a clear favourite. A workshop for foundation piecing with reverse appliqué - and a better way to approach this technique. Be more relaxed about the whole process and achieve good results every time. Includes a stitching session, where you can try different threads to complete your appliqué.

£31.00

10:45am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday,  February 12th  2012

Anja Townrow

BUTTERFLY

Many of you have waited two years for the next two classes! Phillippa says: Exploration of this wonderful technique begins with an in-depth discussion of materials, equipment and working methods. After extensive demonstrations students practise the techniques and sew a range of samples (flower, feather, leaf and line designs) using a variety of threads. They will leave the class feeling inspired, confident and keen to continue improving their skills.

£31.00

10am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday,  February 18th 2012

Phillippa Naylor

FREE MOTION BEYOND BEGINNING

A practical workshop exploring an exciting range of machine appliqué techniques. You will begin a small sample piece which employs raw-edged, satin stitch, turned edge and blind hem stitch appliqué. Learn how perfect satin stitch and turned under circles are sewn; how to make and apply bias cut stems and how to produce outstanding sharp points. All this and a wealth of information on materials, equipment and personal techniques too! Patterns are provided.

£31.00

10:45am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday,  February 19th 2012

Phillippa Naylor

APPLIQUE MASTERCLASS

Jules says: This is a beginner/intermediate class teaching students how to Bondaweb, machine appliqué slight curves, flip and fold strip piecing and basic machine quilting. Jules has produced her example after being inspired at a workshop with fellow antipodean Gloria Loughman.

£26.00

10am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday, February 25th 2012

Julie McConnell

LONDON WALLHANGING

Jenny says: This is a very basic course for people who want to learn machine piecing. I'll show how to use rulers and rotary cutters to achieve accurate 3.5” squares. Then we'll look at different needles and threads as well as methods used to achieve a 1/4” seam. You'll also sew some nine patch blocks with matching seams. Then I'll show you a quick way to make a small quilt and how you can achieve different designs from a basic block.

£26.00

10:45am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday,  February 26th 2012

Jennie Lester

MACHINE PIECING

Another class that runs and runs.  An introduction to the wonderful world of Machine Quilting! Learn what supplies to use, how to set up your machine and work area and how to successfully manage that huge quilt in your little machine! We will sew with different stitches and threads and you will go home confident that you CAN machine quilt!

£31.00

10am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday, March 3rd 2012

Dawn Cameron-Dick

MACHINE QUILTING

The illustration is another of Catherine’s prize-winning quilts, and at the Radstock exhibition you’ll see another superb example made by Jill Webb following one of Catherine’s classes here. Catherine will teach you the new and simpler way to piece on a foundation to achieve sharp and accurate points. Learn the method by making a block that can be part of a quilt, before you go free with the 'arcs' as in the sample quilt.

£26.00

10:45am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday, March 4th  2012

Catherine Millar

NEW YORK BEAUTY

We've probably offered this course twice as much as any other and each time it's been a success. Most of those who have done it seem able - after just six hours - to cope with almost any other course that we offer. Someone contacted us recently to say how very beneficial the workshop had been for her: Pat gave me a huge amount of confidence. But if you don't listen when she is talking to you then woe betide you!

£26.00

10am to 4pm  

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday, March 10th 2012

Pat Nicholls

PATCHWORK AND QUILTING FOR BEGINNERS

Sue’s most recent class here was Brilliant, just brilliant (VH), and following her previous class she’s returning to take things a stage further. This time what I would like to do is an A4 folder cover. The design could be a copy of my own cover (illustrated) and then all that would need to be done would be marking the fabric and sewing it. It would be a lot to do in one day - hand sewing is slow - and some would not finish it in a day but they could achieve enough to finish their cover at home.

£26.00

10:45am to 4pm  

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday,  April 15th 2012

Sue Wakefield

SASHIKO TWO

The last time this class ran it was very successful and we’ve persuaded Ann to once again teach her hanging birds which she suspends with shiny beads. Traditionally made in silk, these ropes of birds are believed to bring good luck when hung in the home. They work just as well made in batiks or bright, glitzy fabrics. As an alternative why not make an elephant for your rope. This is a hand sewing technique and it is quite possible to complete a bird (or two?) or an elephant on the day (Ann will give you patterns for both).

£26.00

10:45am to 4pm  

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday,  March 11th 2012

Anne Hibberd

ROPE OF BIRDS (or maybe Elephants)

The second in a series of three delightful nursery quilts that Christine is teaching for us. The central panel is made using a simple block pattern and the border is enhanced with appliqué motifs to echo the theme of the main fabric - in this case it’s trains though other motifs could just as easily be used. So choose your fabric accordingly.

£31.00

10am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday, March 17th 2012

Christine Porter

TOY TRAINS (or what ever you choose)

This is a new class from Jan using a modern take on irregular strata. The design will be based on earth, flower and water seasonal colours and tones and additional raw edged appliqué will finish the look. At the time of writing the quilt is still under construction but will be on Jan’s website - www.janhassard.co.uk - as well as our own very soon.

£31.00

10:45am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday,  March 31st 2012

Jan Hassard

STRIPPING THE GARDEN

This is a very different technique with strong visual impact. It’s achievable for most levels of patchwork abilities - if you can cut and use the Satin Stitch or Button Hole Stitch on your machine then you’ll be able to complete this block, which can also be used as a Quilt-as-You-Go technique.

£26.00

10am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday, April 6th  2012

Jenny Lester

TRIPLE APPLIQUE

We will look at the work of Paul Klee and Vassily Kandinsky and observe the way they used shape, colour and line in their work to achieve rhythm and balance.  We will construct our own abstract fused fabric collages, and also look into how the drawn line can become the stitched line; our machine needle will be the ‘point in motion’ from which the line derives.

£31.00

10:45am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday, April  7th 2012

Alicia Merrett

KLEE AND KANDINSKI

Create your own trellis garden. By careful fussy cutting a large flower print and adding narrow sashing, 3D flowers or leaves, and embellishing with stitches and beads you will make your own elegant wall hanging. There will be a variety of techniques taught in this workshop.

£26.00

10am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday, April  21st 2012

Pat Nicholls

TRELLIS GARDEN

This class is based on William Morris patterns for wall tiles. I’ll lead you in an exciting discovery of unusual appliqué patterns.  Each panel is 16" square, so could be a cushion or part of a wall hanging or bed-quilt.  Appliqué can be done by hand or you can learn a new and attractive way to appliqué by machine. Patterns will be available in the class. The example shown was made by Linda Williams at one of Catherine’s classes.

£26.00

10:45am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday,  April 22nd 2012

Catherine Millar

MORRIS TILES

Create a pretty landscape wall hanging using squares and triangles of fabric prints and embellish with fusible machine appliqué. This technique is like painting with fabric - release your inner artist! Suitable for all levels, though a basic knowledge of rotary cutting and machine piecing is desirable.  *Sewing machine with zig zag capabilities required.

£26.00 £31.00

10am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required*

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday, April  28th 2012

K3n

WATERCOLOUR LANDSCAPES

Through the construction and completion of a delightful wall hanging featuring daisies - Sally will give you confidence to tackle bondaweb appliqué and free motion quilting.

£31.00

10:45am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday,  April 29th 2012

Sally Ablett

DAISY DAISY

When Gail last taught this class for us - based on her terrific book of the same name - it was hugely successful. It takes the form of five or six different little teach-ins, with me demonstrating several of the more unusual techniques I used in the book - eg rough-edge appliqué, woven quilts, blue-printing, using painted guipure motifs and layered sheers, making 3D silk appliqué shapes and so on. Some of the materials are quite tricky to source, so I‘ll supply a kit containing all the specialised items (costing an extra £10 per person). I’ll also demonstrate some of the other techniques I used in the book, eg using a soldering iron, posterizing photographs and so on.

£31.00

10am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday, May 5th  2012

Gail Lawther

GLIMPSES OF NEW ZEALAND

Be one of the first people to stitch a project from Gail's brand new book, Glimpses of Britain, coming out in June! This sumptuous table runner is inspired by the cross-stitch samplers worked during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, also known as Gloriana. The fused appliqué creates the impression of cross-stitched carnations and hearts, embellished with simple machine quilting and optional jewels (real or fake!). Stitch the complete runner, or if you prefer make a shorter version with just two carnations

£31.00

10:45am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday, May 6th  2012

Gail Lawther

GLIMPSES OF BRITAIN: GLORIANA

The third in Christine’s series of three chidren’s quilts taken from her forthcoming new book.  Appliqué and piecing combine to make this a pretty quilt that any girl would love.

£31.00

10am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday, May 19th 2012

Christine Porter

HEART QUILT

This is a very basic course for people who want to learn machine piecing. I'll show how to use rulers and rotary cutters to achieve accurate 3.5” squares. Then we'll look at different needles and threads as well as methods used to achieve a 1/4” seam. You'll also sew some nine-patch blocks with matching seams. Then I'll show you a quick way to make a small quilt and how you can achieve different designs from a basic block.

£26.00

10:45am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday,  May 20th  2012

Jenny Lester

MACHINE PIECING

This is a wonderful technique where anything goes. It presents a great opportunity to use up some of those bits and pieces of fabric, ribbon and lace and to raid the button tin. By making a small sample in the workshop you will be able to try all of the techniques. I will show you all the stitches needed. You will be hand sewing but I will show you how this technique could be done by machine.

£26.00

10am to 4pm  

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday, April 14th 2012

Anne Hibberd

CRAZY QUILTING

Welcome to Midsomer Quilting, Ineke! In this workshop we’ll create a colourful landscape with simple foundation piecing in strips using your own fabrics and/or mine. Perfect for using some of your nice hand-dyed fabrics or other plains. There will be a chioice of four designs.

£31.00

10am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday, May 12th 2012

Ineke Berlyn

PIECED LANDSCAPES

From an inspiration photograph I’ll guide you through the process of making a small journal quilt, either A4 or 12” square, or a size chosen by yourself. We’ll make a quick watercolour impression into your sketchbook, I like incorporating mini 2” x 3” photographs in my sketchbook pages. Using a selection of fabrics we then continue to create a mini quilt using Bondaweb and machine stitching. This workshop will encourage you to work intuitively and produce a small fun piece of work.

£31.00

10:45am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Sunday, May 13th 2012

Ineke Berlyn

SKETCHBOOK

Effie’s work is beautiful and you’ll be able to see a couple of her major works at the 2012 exhibition at Radstock Museum. Her classes here have always been greatly appreciated and many of our regular customers have found them inspirational. You’ll find more about her on www.netherfieldgallery.net

£31.00

10am to 4pm  Sewing Machine Required

Beginner/Intermediate

Saturday, March 10th 2012

Effie Galletly

LANDSCAPE QUILTS