I’ll be having a busy week in Manchester for MQX New England.  In addition to working the APQS booth, I’m also teaching six classes!  If you’re heading to the MQX festival in April, consider joining me for a class (or two!).  The full list of classes is below, and you can register here on the MQX website.

 

Feather Variations for the Timid

Wednesday April 8, 1:00-3:00pm

Formal feathers have their place but the world of feathers is so much bigger than the typical over the top plume! Angela will cover dozens of different kinds of feathers that are perfect for all levels of ability! Some feathers are tailor made for modern quilts, others scream for traditional settings. Learn how to tell the difference and see how the modern quilt movement has influenced feather design. Find your own personal feather and discover how varied the simple plume can be. Supplies: Sketch pad, pen. $3 Handout fee collected in class. [hr]

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IQ Finishing Touches

Wednesday April 8, 4:00-6:00pm Learn how to tackle complex borders using the Intelliquilter system. Find out the easiest ways to create borders that turn the corners, run down the sides as you quilt and, finally, match up with the bottom border to seamlessly finish your quilt tops, all without having to turn the quilt. We’ll cover a variety of ways to dress up a quilt and even how to easily confine pantographs in the center of a quilt so the outside border can be treated separately giving you the ability to charge a little more for “light custom” if you quilt for others. Join IQ training specialist, Angela Huffman, for this incredibly thorough class. Bring your IQ tablet or StiQ to class. $5 Handout collected in class.

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Easy Border Designs the Write Way

Thursday April 9, 8:00am-12:00pm We are going back to fourth grade as we explore how to expand basic cursive handwriting into easy free motion border designs. You'll love how you can quickly bend shapes you've been making your whole life into simple and effective motifs! This class is perfect for the shy beginner and the confident intermediate quilter who wants to dip their toe into custom quilting but isn't sure what to do with those intimidating lengths of fabric that frame a quilt. You'll share time with a quilting partner on a longarm quilting machine and walk out of this class with DOZENS of new designs. Did you flunk cursive writing in school? Don't worry! That means it will be even easier for you to catch on! Find out how to use your ABC's for more than just spelling and get ready to graduate into easy custom border designs the "Write Way"! Bring snips to cut your threads! $15 Kit Fee collected in class.

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Avoiding the Biggest Blunders of Longarm Quilting

Thursday April 9, 1:00-3:00pm Nationally recognized longarm instructor, Angela Huffman, has quilted over 1,000 customer quilts and learned a lot along the way. In this lecture you’ll learn from her mistakes. Find out how to deal with problem quilts, how to keep things square and how to avoid many of the pitfalls so you feel confident no matter what issues you face. Learn how to keep a quilt square, how to quickly set tension and how to tame wild borders. Understand what you can do for “friendly” blocks to help them lay flat. Find out how to interact with customers to minimize headaches and how to find the perfect customers. $5 Handout Fee collected in class.

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Essential Skills: Simple Beginnings Into Longarm Quilting

Thursday April 9, 4:00-6:00pm Don’t let those big longarm machines intimidate you! Learn how easy they are to operate with this class designed especially for those new to longarm quilting (or just looking to see what all the fuss is about). Discover how it all works! This is the class I wish I’d had when I first got my machine. We will learn different ways to load a quilt, how to select and align pantograph patterns, how to start and stop a line of stitching, and how to stitch a number of simple edge to edge designs that will get you working from the front of the machine! No matter what machine brand you have (or don’t have) this class will give you the basic understanding you need to start your new quilting adventure. Get ready to dive into the deep end with this class knowing you’ll leave with the confidence to soar! $3 Handout fee collected in class.

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Essential Skills: Beginning Custom Quilting

Friday April 10, 9:00-11:00am Have you gotten to know your machine and think you might be ready to move to the front of the machine to explore custom quilting? This class will get you started with a broad overview of custom quilting. Learn easy custom border/corner/sashing treatments that you can do from day one. See how to "read” a quilt top and interpret a quilt top to select the best custom design. Find out how to catalog and keep track of quilty inspiration so you can pull from ideas you see in other quilts within seconds. We will also introduce basic ruler work and explore how to use simple templates. This class offers the birds eye view of custom quilting so you are ready for more focused and rigorous classes. $3 Handout Fee Collected in class.