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Where to learn Basic Quilting Skills?

Elize van Biljon finishing her Cy Quilt
Weddingring - Lenad Quilting Where to learn basic quilting skills
Wedding ring – stitched by Danél Muller and quilted by Petro van Rooyen

15 years ago, I didn’t think it possible but in 2006, I started my quilting journey. And what a journey! I jumped right into it! I didn’t know where to learn basic quilting skills.

In retrospect, I know that my quilting journey might have been a lot easier if I did a course in basic patchwork and quilt making to use as foundation for my artwork at that stage. This brings me a full circle since qualifying as an accredited quilt teacher of the South African Quilters Guild.

Since it is not always easy to find out where to learn quilting skills, I developed a quilting course that runs over 12 weeks, to explain, demonstrate and sew blocks in 15 different foundation patchwork and quilting techniques. Each lesson is four hours long giving enough time for me to show and demonstrate the technique and then for you to try out before going home. This is the 101/for dummies patchwork and quilting course. I cover topics like fabric, cutting methods, block and quilt construction and much more. I show techniques stitched by machine and also those done by hand.

This quilt finishes in a quaint pictorial sampler called : “Through the Eyes of Cy”. When I developed the pattern, I used my 4 year old grandson, Cylus, to imagine how he looks at the world around him. Since he loves to draw in bright colors, these are the colors I design with.

True to my background, I designed my sampler in pictorial style, row by row with each row specializing in another technique.

Is this quilting course also for advanced quilters, you may ask. I bet that you will be challenged at some or other stage during the construction. You might also find some of the techniques you avoided previously, surprisingly stimulating. I mostly find people attracted to the mesmerizing addiction of hand piecing and needle turn applique.

Elize van Biljon finishing her Cy Quilt
Elize van Biljon finishing her Cy Quilt

“Through the eyes of Cy” is a happy, content rich quilt that will look lovely hanging in your home or cuddled by a little boy. There are also patterns available in larger sizes to cover a single bed (for a lucky boy). You also learn the basic quilting skills as you go!

Techniques included in this course include:

– Machine piecing
– Hand Piecing
– Machine Applique
– Hand Applique
– Paper Foundation Piecing
– English Paper Piecing
– Seminole braids
– Y insert seams
– Easy applications for Flying Geese
– Star Blocks
– Borders Bindings and Sleeves
– Finishing off with a pretty label
and many more…

Through the eyes of Cy - Made by Judy Barnard
Through the eyes of Cy – Made by Judy Barnard

Contact me for the starting date of the next course. I teach in the East of Pretoria.

Other courses by Danél Muller

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How to make a widows knot

With hand stitching and boro making a comeback in the slow stitching movement, it is good to relook the tricks of the trade as they were used a couple of hundred years ago. One of these techniques is the Widow’s knot. The prime purpose of the widows knot is to keep the thread in the needle, once you start to work and therefore not worry about to keep the thread in the needle’s eye while you work.

To sew by hand can be one of the delights in our day. A simple frustration like to pull the thread from the needle while you sew, as a result can frustrate you and steal your peace.

The widow’s knot is used to when working with silk, as the thread can easily slip from the eye of the needle due to the jumpyness of the thread. I have for instance, taught it to children that learns to thread the needle, and to a couple of friends whose eyes have deteriorated where they too, battle to thread the needle. It also works beautifully with cotton thread as well.

How to make the widows knot

Fold the thread over the needle to make a little loop.

How to make a widow's knot - Fold the thread over the needle to make a little loop

Carefully place the needle eye over the loop to thread the needle.

How to make a widows knot -Carefully place the needle eye over the loop to thread the needle

Pull the thread to make a bigger loop.

How to make a widow's knot -Pull the thread to make a bigger loop

Thread the needle back into the loop.

How to make a widows knot - Thread the needle back into the loop

Pull the needle point through to make the knot.

How to make a widow's knot - Pull the needle point through to make the knot

Pull taute. The knot snuggles into the eye of the needle. It is so small that it doesn’t catch on the fabric when you push the needle through.

How to make a widows knot - Pull taute. You will see that the knot snuggles into the eye of the needle and is so small that it doesn't catch on the fabric when you push the needle through.

You now have needle with thread that won’t slip out. You can, as a result, fully concentrate to make beautiful stitches.

Contact me to book a class. I teach classes from beginner to advanced techniques.

This post is part of Lenad Quilting and was written by Danél Muller, Pretoria, South Africa
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A pictorial quilt-techniques quilt-along sampler.

Join me in making the “Through the eyes of Cy” pictorial quilt-techniques quilt-along sampler.

Fishes in the deep blue sea - the first block in the quilt along by Danel Muller - Lenad Quilting
Fishes in the deep blue sea – The first block in the
pictorial quilt-techniques quilt-along sampler by Danel Muller – Lenad Quilting

Every teacher needs a sampler quilt. Not strictly being a traditional quilter, I therefore vied away from the traditional sampler quilt and came up with this interesting pictorial version. This quilt finishes at 30″ x 42″ (67 cm x 102 cm) without borders.

The first block in “Through the eyes of Cy“  is Fishes in the deep blue sea. As you can see,  I used the naive therefore bright drawings depicted in the artworks of my 4 year old grandson, Cylus, as design inspiration for this pattern.

This sampler is taught over 12 weeks.

Teacher: Danel-Marié Muller
Venue: 40 on Ilkey B&B, Lynnwood Glen Pretoria
Tel: 082-416-7690
Cost: R150 per lesson
Start date: 22 May 2019
Every second and fourth Wednesday of the month
Time: 9:00 – 13:00
Or
Start date 18 May 2019
Every first and third Saturday of the month
Time: 12:00 – 16:00

Beginners welcome
Tea and coffee is included in the class fee

In conclusion, you will need to bring the following to class:

  • A working sewing machine.
  • A rotary cutter, as well as a 12″ square ruler and cutting board
  • Scissors, pins and number 10 sewing needles
  • However, don’t bring fabric, thread as it will be discussed in the class to prevent excess and wrong purchases.

Register here or contact me if you want me to teach in your area. I am willing to travel within Gauteng (minimum 5 students).

This pictorial quilt techniques quilt-along sampler is brought to you by Lenad Quilting.

Other courses by Danél @ Lenad Quilting

Hope to see you here!

Danél

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Accurately mark a quarter inch with the QICM

Use the Quarter Inch  Corner Marker to accurately mark a quarter inch from the corner. This quilting tool is small in size and easy to carry around. As a result you can use it to measure while hand piecing small patches and tricky intersections. It works equally well on bigger quilts and pieces where a high level of accuracy is of importance. I use it in blocks like the Eight pointed star , Le Moyne Star and Tumbling blocks. It is indispensable in patchwork that requires inset- or Y seams.

How to use the Quarter inch corner marker:

Accurately mark a quarter inch
Accurately mark a quarter inch

The carefully calibrated corners measure accurately. Therefore you can mark inner 30 and 45 deg corners and outer 90, 120 and 135 degree corners as a result. This marker is also indispensable to make perfect mitered borders.

A 0.5 mm clutch pencil, graphite or chalk, perfectly fits into the marking holes. As  a result, the mark is precise and therefore gives you the perfect stitching line. No more eyeballing the seam allowance.  

Buy it here! 

Lenad Quilting operates from 40 on Ilkey B&B - Pretoria, South Africa
  • Cut the patches you want to join precisely.
  • Line up the sides of the patch exactly with the appropriate corner on the QICM
  • Check both sides
  • Make a mark on the fabric by inserting the pencil tip through the corner hole.
  • Keep the pencil perpendicular to the surface that you mark.
  • Line up the two patches by inserting a pin through both corners.
  • You will find no stretches or buckles.
  • Enjoy your perfect seams

Amanda Hartman commented:

Thank you for the QICM. It saved so much time on the Le Moyne Star and it is accurate every time. I finished my project in record time. I’ll definitely recommend this in the classes I teach.

Buy it here or contact me to bring one to the next Jacaranda Quilters’ Guild meeting.