I would love to come speak to your guild or shop! I am also happy to offer all my lectures virtually. Information on my contract and fees is available here.
My current schedule is available here. Please contact me to discuss availability!
Lectures
What is Modern Quilting?
Modern quilting is extremely popular right now, but what exactly is it? We'll discuss some of the common characteristics found in modern quilts, such as negative space, solids, straight line quilting, improvisation, and more, illustrated with my own quilts.
Designing with Negative Space
Many quilters enjoy the modern aesthetic but are overwhelmed when considering designing their own quilt. This lecture gives you concrete step-by-step ideas on how to begin with a traditional quilt block and then alter it to incorporate negative space (also known as background area). Plus, I'll give you suggestions on fabric and quilting choices for your design. This is my most popular lecture, and works very well in a virtual format as well.
Scrap Your Negative Space
The term “negative space” often conjures ideas of a vast expanse of solid fabric, but using a variety of fabrics in the negative space can add a great deal of additional interest to negative space. In this lecture we will explore the possibilities of a more scrappy approach to negative space. What sorts of fabrics and prints work best in the negative space? And what sort of piecing techniques can you use to make the negative space flow well with your foreground? These design strategies will be particularly helpful to anyone looking to use more of what they already have!
Quilts from Science
Inspiration is everywhere—in my case, I often find it in science. I'll show you my quilts and talk about the science behind them. You'll leave with a few fun new factoids about the way the world works and inspiration to look to your own career for quilt ideas.
Quilting the Negative Space
You've finished your modern quilt top that includes plenty of wide-open negative space! Now what? It can be intimidating to tackle quilting in the background areas, but this lecture will give you lots of ideas, from simple to complex, to help enhance your negative space and help you choose the perfect quilting design for your project. We’ll cover tips and tricks for both domestic and longarm machines so that everyone can go home energized to finish those modern UFOs.
Quilt Math for Modern Quilts
Do you have ideas for modern quilts, but no idea how to tackle actually figuring out how to make them, particularly if they incorporate a lot of negative space? Let me help demystify putting your quilt together, including how to break your quilt down into manageable sections, and how to figure out what size pieces to cut.
Full-Day Workshops
Beyond Basic Bindings
A binding provides a little frame for your quilt—and some- times, that’s just not what you want. In this workshop, using small samples, students will learn two alternative methods of finishing your quilt: facings and pieced matching bindings. Facings provide a completely borderless finish for a quilt, while pieced bindings provide more options in terms of which parts of a quilt design extend all the way to the edge. We will cover matching seams at the edges of the quilt as well as at the corners.
No Kit Fee*
*Because it is about bindings, this workshop does require significant pre-class preparation. I offer kits at an additional fee, but students must pre-order these in advance to allow me time to assemble them.
Northern Lights
Piece New York Beauty blocks for the Northern Lights quilt from my book, The Quilter's Negative Space Handbook. In the morning, we'll focus on paper piecing; the afternoon will be all about curved piecing.
Kit Fee: $30
Includes a copy of The Quilter's Negative Space Handbook and all templates needed for the quilt.
Rainbow Sun
This mini quilt from my book, The Quilter’s Negative Space Handbook, combines improvisational piecing and paper piecing in a project designed to use your small scraps. We will begin with improvisational piecing, creating new fabric from collection of old favorites, then we’ll use our improvisationally pieced sections to paper piece the modified Mariner’s Compass block that forms the center of this fun little wallhanging.
Kit Fee: $25
Includes a copy of The Quilter's Negative Space Handbook and all templates needed for the quilt.
Disintegration
Combine the precision of paper piecing with improvisation to create a disintegrating effect! We will be using the Radial Geese pattern in this class, which will give you the tools to apply a disintegrating effect to other paper piecing patterns in the future. We’ll also discuss other ways of incorporating the idea of disintegration or deconstruction into your quilts. Some paper piecing experience is recommended for this class.
Kit Fee: $12
Includes a copy of the Radial Geese pattern and all templates needed for the quilt.
Paper Piecing*
Learn the technique of foundation paper piecing, which will open up a whole new world of possibilities in quilt-making! Students will learn the basic technique and how to accurately join multiple sections of a paper pieced pattern, plus get lots of tips and tricks to help make the process easier. Students or guilds can choose from several mini quilt patterns in this class, including Gossamer Wings (at left), Tiny Jewel, etc.
*This workshop can also be offered as a half-day workshop with a simpler pattern.
Kit Fee: $12
Includes a copy of the pattern and the paper piecing templates.
Celestial Orbs
Combine foundation paper piecing and curved piecing to create a show-stopping quilt with perfect points! Students will begin by learning foundation paper piecing techniques to create the colorful star centers, then add gently curved melon shapes to create this pattern inspired by the traditional Robbing Peter to Pay Paul block. We'll also discuss how to bind the scalloped edges on your finished quilt.
Kit Fee: $12
Includes a copy of the Celestial Orbs pattern and enough paper piecing templates for the mini quilt.
Half-Day Workshops
Modern Quilt Design
This non-sewing workshop leads quilters through a number of exercises on designing modern quilts starting from traditional blocks. We’ll get everyone's creative juices flowing by using colored pencils, scissors, and glue sticks to create fabulous modern quilt designs that incorporate negative space.
No Kit Fee
Ombré Symphony
Explore curved piecing with this project from my book Modern Scrap Quilts. This project is designed to help use up your scraps as you create a dramatic gradient with your fabrics. We will spend some time sorting through fabrics, then learn how to piece curves for this project featuring 3” finished blocks.
Kit Fee: $25
Includes a copy of Modern Scrap Quilts.
Daisy Flower Garden (Freezer Paper Appliqué)
We will learn the freezer paper method of hand appliqué in this workshop featuring a flower block from the Daisy Flower Garden quilt in my new book (Modern Scrap Quilts, C&T Publishing, expected December 2025). This method fea- tures turned edges the easy way! We will cover two different ways of stitching the actual appliqué as well, and discuss the pros and cons of each.
Kit Fee: $25
Includes a copy of Modern Scrap Quilts.
Free-motion quilting
This workshop helps students get on their feet with free motion quilting on their domestic machines. We will work through a variety of free motion designs and variations, first on paper and then on fabric. Students will also get plenty of tips on avoiding common pitfalls.
No Kit Fee
Fusible Appliqué
Fusible appliqué is quick andeasy! Explore this technique using my Dogwood Dreams pattern. Students will be able to complete at least one block in this class, and will go home with assembly instructions and quilting ideas to finish their quilt.
Kit Fee: $12
Includes a copy of the Dogwood Dreams pattern.
I am also happy to teach any of my patterns not specifically listed here!
