On Thursday, July 15, 2021, I will be starting a new virtual workshop called Complex Pattern in Contemporary Patchwork. I am super excited about this. You can sign up here. 

When it comes down to it, pattern is the one of the fundamental aspects of what I do as a quilt maker. There is always color and there is always patterning. Sometimes there are structures related to quilt making, such as traditional blocks, and sometimes I use other sources for the foundational lines of my compositions. Whatever the structure or the inspiration it is always expressed through patterning.

In art, a pattern is a repetition of specific visual elements. The dictionary definition of “pattern” is: an arrangement of repeated or corresponding parts, and or decorative motifs.

That is just the beginning of the juicy material we will be exploring in this workshop.

Many years ago, I offered to share my work at one of the Craftsy Demo stations at the International Quilt Festival. Pokey Bolton was in charge, and I was going to be in a “PAINT” studio. As we talked about how my work might be related to painting, I realized I PAINT WITH MY ROTARY CUTTER! Observers showed up thinking I was going to use my rotary cutter as a real paint brush. Not exactly, but you know, kind of. Piecers create their compositions by stitching together a canvas. Painters, appliqué artists, and surface design aficionados) create similar shapes on the SURFACE of their canvases.

From there, I went directly into working on my book Improv Patchwork—Dynamic Quilts Made with Line & Shape. This book is about how to make prints—stripes, polka dots, triangles, herringbones, plaids, lattices, and MORE. 

Well, prints are a form patterning.

Which brings me to this new workshop. I am hoping to work with students to help them create their own pieced prints. Their own pattern vocabularies. I know. It makes my heart beat faster just thinking about it.

Here are the exact details.

Complex Pattern in Contemporary Patchwork

In this workshop, we will explore complex pieced pattern. We will investigate the use of pattern across cultures, while also educating ourselves on how to create our own individualized pieced pattern work, and incorporate that work into authentic quilt compositions. It is recommended that students be familiar with my book Improv Patchwork and/or have taken a workshop with me before. That is super nice, but what is even more important is a willingness to chop things up and stitch them into exciting repetitions of color and pattern.

Thursday, July 15, 2021 2PM-5PM AKDT

Tuesday, July 20, 2021 2PM-5PM AKDT

Thursday, July 22, 2021 2PM-5PM AKDT

Thursday, July 29, 2021 2PM-5PM AKDT

This class will meet for four three hour LIVE ZOOM sessions that are recorded and shared with students. Sessions include lectures, demonstrations, consultations, discussions, student presentations, and more. 

All sessions are held from 2PM-5PM Alaska Daylight Savings Time. You can determine what time the workshop starts where you live by clicking on this link. Enter Anchorage, Alaska for my time zone and enter your location for your time zone. 

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact me through my ABOUT page or in the comments section below.

Can’t take the workshop this time? Sign up for my newsletter for a monthly email about my future teaching schedule and more.

I really hope to see you in class. It will be a patchwork odyssey!

13 Jul This entry was published on July 13, 2021 at 5:02 PM. It’s filed under About Teaching, News And Events, TEACHING, Workshop Updates and tagged Complex Pattern in Contemporary Patchwork, Maria Shell Workshop, New Workshop, Workshop 2021. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.