Update: The Saturday class sold out so quickly, we've added a second day! You can now register for the Peacock Paisley Party on Saturday, May 21, 10am-4pm. Register soon, there are only a few spots available!

Last fall during the Longarm Schoolhouse I debuted my Peacock Paisley Party class and it was a hit! Over the last several months I've had folks asking when I'll be teaching it again. So, back by popular demand, I'll be teaching the Peacock Paisley Party at Quilted Joy this May!

It’s so much fun to take very common shapes like curls, leaves, and pebbles and manipulate them just a little to create something new and interesting. It’s a great way to challenge your brain or get yourself out of a rut. In this class, we’ll be using the paisley – a mainstay of quilting design – as a container for freehand custom designs with a zentangle twist. There are so many different ways to dress up your paisley. While working on my whole cloth sampler I created a peacock, koi, butterfly, and so much more. This is such a fun way to fill up your backgrounds!

The first half of the class will be spent playing with designs on paper. If you’re new to zentangle, I’ll introduce you to a variety of common freehand fillers and filigrees, many of which are just like your favorite quilting designs! You’ll learn how to entertain inspiration and drill down to the right design for the right areas.

When you’re ready to take your design from paper to quilt, we’ll have fabric, batting, and thread ready to go on your own machine. That’s right, everyone gets their own machine, so no sharing! You can quilt your sampler at your speed without the pressure of knowing someone else is waiting for her turn. Learn how to dress up the areas in your paisley and stretch you custom quilting muscle and finish the day with a beautiful personalized sampler that will make you proud as a peacock to show off!

I’ll be teaching the Peacock Paisley Party at the Quilted Joy showroom on Saturday, May 14, 2016 from 10:00am to 4:00pm. This class is $149, and we’ll provide the fabric, batting, and thread. Because everyone gets their own machine, space is very limited! Be sure to register for this class soon.

All of the skills we’ll be learning in this class can also be applied to sit down quilting. If you would like to bring your own George sit down longarm machine to the showroom, you can get $20 off. Please call us at (502) 718-7148 for more information about using a sit down machine during the Peacock Paisley Party and to receive your discount.

Can’t wait until May to take this class? I’m also teaching the Peacock Paisley Party and many more classes at MQX New England, April 6-9, 2016.