Unless otherwise noted, all speakers and workshops will be virtual, on ZOOM.
Workshops are for paid Guild members only, but we will open up to other Guilds at the last minute if there is an open space. Unless noted, the workshops are for all levels of quilters.
Non-members: See the Membership page for information on joining the Guild.
Members: Instructions on registering for a particular workshop can be found in the newsletter, or email workshops@vancouverquiltersguild.com.
Upcoming Workshops
Oct 19, 2024 (Sat) Workshop: Linda Sullivan “All Stacked Up”
Precision Piecing with All Stacked Up
Instructor: Linda Sullivan (Colourwerx)
Full Day: 9:00am to 3:30pm PDT including a 30 minute lunch break
Cost: $65 members; $75 non-members (price includes $17US pattern)
Fine tune your precision piecing skills and learn tips and tricks for fast and accurate half square triangles while making this fun and easy to piece quilt. Clever positioning of your blocks make this quilt look complicated but it is so easy to piece and goes together in a breeze! Choose one of the three sizes to get started on in this fun and relaxing workshop! Baby 48” x 48”; Small Lap 57” x 65”; Large Lap 64” x 72”
March 1, 2025 (Sat) Workshop: Jen Houlden “Improv Design”
Unleash Your Creative Quilter
Instructor: Jennifer Houlden (https://quiltsbyjen.ca/)
Full Day: 9:00am to 3:30pm with a 30-45 minute lunch break
Early Bird Special $40 until Oct 31, $50 after
Welcome to a day of quilting freedom with Jen! Get ready for a creative adventure where there are no rules or limits – just you, a variety of fabrics, and the exciting world of quilting improv.
Start the day by selecting pieces of fabric that speak to you. Jen will guide you in creating a captivating foundation for your art quilt. Learn how to arrange and piece together fabrics to form the perfect canvas for your creativity.
As the day progresses, Jen will introduce you to a myriad of embellishing and creative techniques. Dive into the world of thread play using water-soluble stabilizers, unlocking a new dimension to your quilting. Explore the fun and magic of texture with techniques that will add depth to your quilt. Appliqué and couching are just a couple of the skills you’ll acquire, expanding your quilter’s toolbox.
As the workshop comes to an end, you’ll be amazed at how your small pieces of fabric have transformed into a unique art quilt.
Whether you’re a quilting newbie or a seasoned pro, Jen’s workshop is designed to be your playground – a space for experimentation, learning, and pure joy in the art of quilting. So, grab your fabric, embrace the freedom, and let the improv design begin!
Past Workshops
Spring 2024 Sewing Days (Saturdays 10am to 4pm)
January 20, February 17, March 16, April 13, May 11, June 8
Join other guild members on Zoom as we sew together, working on our own projects. Sometimes you cannot get a word in edgewise, and other times we sew in silence. You can come and go as you like. Look for a Zoom invitation prior to the date.
Jan 13, 2024 (Sat) Workshop: Vicki Conley “Bold Graphic Landscapes”
In this one-day class you will construct Vicki’s toadstool rock formation pattern in order to learn her turned edge machine piecing technique as well as the fussy piecing technique she uses on her signature skies. You have a choice of either of these two patterns.
Vicki uses Floriani Stitch and Wash Fusible water-soluble tearaway stabilizer to construct the entire quilt. This gets soft and can remain in the piece for lovely stability. This is not applique, but a clean turned edge technique that can be used for bold landscapes or portraits.
Early Bird Special $55 to November 15th, $65 after
Fall 2023 Sewing Days (Saturdays – 10am to 4pm)
September 23, October 21, November 18, December 16
Join other guild members on Zoom as we sew together, working on our own projects. Sometimes you cannot get a word in edgewise, and other times we sew in silence. You can come and go as you like. Look for a Zoom invitation prior to the date.
Nov 18 & 25, 2023 (Sat) Workshop: Susan Madu “Circles, Circles and Gentle Curves”
9am-12pm both days
Early Bird Special $55 to Sept 30, $65 after
This class will include a 23 page pattern. Susan’s patterns are very detailed and well illustrated. The pillow or wall quilt is an 18″ square sampler with a modified grid layout. The blocks are various sizes and there are some multiples of some of the blocks.
Each block demonstrates a different quilting technique, building a quilter’s toolkit of skills. Plus Susan often includes tips which will improve your overall quilting skills and accuracy as well. Patterns are only available printed and will be mailed to each registrant.
Susan Madu
Jun 3, 2023 (Sat) Workshop: Cindy Grisdela “Fabulous Freehand Curves”
9am to 3:30pm – $25
Cindy Grisdela is an Artist, Quilter, Teacher and Author from Reston, VA.
Colour and texture are the driving forces behind her contemporary art quilts. Browse her site to see how she combines line and shape, then adds stitching lines to create texture and dimension.
Fabulous Freehand Curves
Cut large scale curves freehand without templates or patterns. Add dots, skinny lines, wonky triangles and more to give each curve its own personality, then combine them into a fun original design.
Cindy will talk about colour and design to create the composition as well as the techniques needed.
cindygrisdela.com IG @cindygrisdelaquilts
Apr 1-2, 2023 (Sat&Sun) Workshop: Sheila Frampton-Cooper “Applique + Piecing = New Possibilities”
2-day workshop 10am-1pm both days – $75
“My Pieced quilts are bold and graphic, as I am inspired by colour, line and shape.”
In this workshop, students will compose a small design, create a full-scale pattern on freezer paper, and assemble the forms using a technique called “Appli-piecing”, originally developed by Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry. By using this technique, you can bring almost any complex abstract idea into quilt form. You will retain a clean, graphic look and when complete, you will have a quilt top pieced together with a 1/4” seam allowance.
https://www.zoombaby.com IG @sheilaframptoncooper
Mar 4, 2023 (Sat) Workshop: Carolina Oneto “Curves and Transparencies”
9am to 1:15pm $65
Carolina will talk about Colour Theory and how we can create a Transparency effect with colour and fabrics.
In this workshop she will teach us how to make a small quilt, which we will design from scratch. Then we will talk about Colour Theory and how we can create a Transparency effect using colour and fabrics. She will teach us how to cut fabrics with complex curved shapes and to sew these curved shapes by machine. You will be provided with new techniques and colour theory knowledge that will allow you to feel confident designing, cutting and sewing complex curves shapes.
carolinaoneto.com IG @carolina_oneto
Feb 11, 2023 (Sat) Workshop: Chris Jurd “Spinner”
12-3pm $60
Chris is an amazing, colourful, Australian Quilter. If you love bright, scrappy quilts, the “Australian Way”, then you will LOVE this class! Quiltmania loves her so much they’ve published a whole book of her quilts. Her “BIG, BOLD & BEAUTIFUL” book is her story, works and patterns. How often do you get to learn from one of the best!
We will have a colourful, fun workshop, where she will be teaching her SPINNER pattern.
IG @patchworkfun
PatchworkFun, Etsy Canada: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PatchworkFun
Jan 14, 2023 (Sat) Workshop: Melissa Marginet “Modern Quilting with your Walking Foot”
9am to 3:30pm – $40
Melissa is a Canadian Quiltmaker, Author, Teacher, and Quilt Pattern Designer. She has published two books: Walking Foot Quilting Designs, and Edge-to-Edge Walking Foot Quilting Designs.
Her focus is to help people gain the confidence to quilt their quilts on their home sewing machines with a walking foot.
melissamarginet.ca IG @melissamarginet
Fall 2022 – Guild Sewing Days
Our sewing days for Fall 2022 are 3 Saturdays:
Oct 1, Nov 5, Dec 10 – 10am to 4pm
Join other guild members on Zoom as we sew together, working on our own projects. Sometimes you cannot get a word in edgewise, and other times we sew in silence. You can come and go as you like. Look for a Zoom invitation prior to the date.
Nov 26, 2022 (Sat) Workshop: Irene Blanck – Needle-turn Applique
1pm to 4pm
Irene is an Award Winning Appliqué Quilter from Australia. All Appliqué Quilters have their own technique, and Irene has been teaching hers all over the world. She will be sharing her secrets to success in this workshop.
https://focusonquilts.com.au IG @focusonquilts
Workshop cost is $75 and includes a free, small section of the Gardenhurst Pattern, which we will be using in class.
This is the pattern we will use. It is part of the larger pattern below, Gardenhurst, that is available to purchase on her website.
Oct 29, 2022 (Sat) Workshop: Carolina Oneto’s Organic Shapes
9am to 12 am – Workshop Fee is $45
Carolina Oneto hails from Sao Paula, Brazil. She has had exhibits, won awards, and taught all over the world. Carolina will be teaching at QuiltCon 2023.
In this class, Carolina will teach us how to make curved shapes with our sewing machines. She will explain step by step, in detail, how to make these beautiful shapes, which will give us the possibility to freely create shapes on our quilts! This isn’t applique. In addition, she will show us 3 variants of these forms (one form on top of another, one next to another and one within another) She will give us ideas to inspire us in our next organic creation!
carolinaoneto.com @carolina_oneto
Sep 24, 2022 (Sat) Workshop: Krista Moser’s “Vintage Windmill”
The Vintage Windmill pattern combines charming colour combinations with simple shapes to create a secondary design that is deceptively easy. Arrange your colours to create a one of a kind quilt with no Y seams! If you have been wanting to break out of the same old quilting routine and try something different, this pattern is just the thing.
September 24th, Saturday, from 10:00 to 4:00pm
Workshop fee is $45
If you don’t already own the pattern, it is downloadable for $6US. You can then print a copy for the workshop and another for your file folder. (we can help you with that if it’s a problem)
Krista Moser from Washington, USA
www.kristamoser.com @krista_moser
Spring 2022 – Guild Sewing Days
Join other Guild members on Zoom when we have our sewing days. We sew together, working on our own projects, from 10am – 4pm on Saturdays. Sometimes you cannot get a word in edgewise, and other times we sew in silence. You can come and go as you like.
If you need help with a technique, pattern or ideas for colour or quilting, bring your problems/questions to a sewing day … there’s a lot of help and support there! If you are new to the guild you will get a chance to meet/share/laugh with other guild members.
Sewing Days to add to your calendar: February 12, March 12, April 9, May 14, June 11
Look for a Zoom invitation prior to each date.
June 3rd or 4th, 2022: Sea Glass Quilt Workshops
Allie McCathren – June 3rd, Friday OR June 4th, Saturday from 9:00 to 12:00pm $20 ….. with optional continued sewing till 4pm
Allie is from Houston, Texas, and she will be teaching us her now famous “Sea Glass Quilt” technique. The perfect quilt, be it small or large, for the summer. Participants can finish their work with either free motion or straight line quilting. FMQers must have foot for their machine, and know basic/basic, beginner, wobbly, free motion quilting. SLQers must have walking foot.
www.exhaustedoctopus.com
@exhaustedoctopus
Apr. 30, 2022(Sat) Workshop: Making Confident Choices-Organic Design
Kathy Doughty – April 30th Saturday from 2:00 to 5:00pm (possibly 6:00) – $55 SOLD OUT
We are really excited to finally host Kathy Doughty, from Australia. She has written several books, designs fabric, shows her quilts everywhere, and teaches all over the world. Her workshop, “Making Confident Choices-Organic Design”, is a conversation about how fabrics relate and making line in quilts, practical technique demonstrations for pleasing applique results, and tips on composition and design. She teaches us how to put prints with other prints effectively. Small kit included.
www.materialobsession.com.au
@materialobsession @matobsgirl
Mar. 5, 2022(Sat) Workshop: POJAGI Quilting Method
Elizabeth DeCroos – March 5th Saturday from 10:00 to 3:30pm – $35 SOLD OUT
Elizabeth is from Ontario, and will be teaching us reverse quilting with batiks in her Pojagi Improv Quilting Workshop. In this class you will learn two different methods of Pojagi seams and when to use them. If you struggle with not having a pattern or how to start improv piecing, this will get you going. The finished piece has no batting or backing, and could be used as a summer quilt, table cloth/runner, window curtain, shower curtain (with vinyl liner) or make a skirt or tunic top.
www.epidastudio.com @elizabeth.epidastudio
Feb. 19, 2022(Sat) – “Judy Niemeyer” Virtual Workshop
Julie Faulkner – February 19th Saturday from 9:30 to 4pm – $35 SOLD OUT
Julie is from New Westminster, BC, and she will be teaching us a Judy Niemeyer Foundation Paper Piecing pattern.
The pattern comes in 8 quadrants, making two full circles finished at about 20”x22”. It can be finished as a table topper for a vase or candle, put together for a large pillow or you may wish to add to it and make a quilt. Use any fabrics, Kaffe, Tula, Alison Glass, solids or batiks…. High contrast really shows off those points!!! Pattern included.
www.quiltworx.com/instructors/julie-faulkner/
@newwestjules
Jan. 22, 2022(Sat) Workshop: Summerhill Sampler Quilt (the joy of small pieces)
Mary Elizabeth Kinch has written and contributed to many books. She has numerous podcasts, and has shown her works and taught all over North America and the UK. www.maryelizabethkinch.com @maryelizabethkinch
This Virtual Workshop is on January 22nd, Saturday, from 09:30 to 4pm with 1/2 hr lunch.
SUMMERHILL SAMPLER – THE JOY OF SMALL PIECES
Jump in and learn the secrets to success in working with these tiny morsels. Precision machine piecing is actually easy. In this class you will learn the techniques, tips and tools to achieving accuracy. Learn how to cut once, sew once, with NO trimming, allowing your pieces to fit together harmoniously and your focus to be on the joy of stitching. After this workshop, you will be able to easily transfer these skills to your other quilting projects, no matter the scale of the pieces. We finish off the day learning about a “knife edge” binding – one of Mary Elizabeth’s favourite ways to finish a quilt. These persuasively addictive blocks will capture your heart and before you are finished you will be dreaming of your next small pieces project!
$55 …. SOLD OUT
Fall 2021 – Guild Sewing Days
Join other Guild members on Zoom when we have our sewing days. We sew together, working on our own projects, from 10 am – 4 pm on Saturdays. Sometimes you cannot get a word in edgewise, and other times we sew in silence. You can come and go as you like.
If you need help with a technique, pattern or ideas for colour or quilting, bring your problems/questions to a sewing day … there’s a lot of help and support there! If you are new to the guild you will get a chance to meet/share/laugh with other guild members.
Sewing Days to add to your calendar:
- September 25
- October 23
- November 20
- December 4
Look for a Zoom invitation prior to each date.
Nov. 27, 2021(Sat.) – Workshop: Gillian Travis “Interchange Machine Applique”
Gillian is from England, and after a lengthy career as a Landscape Architect, she joined an Embroidery Guild. She started teaching classes from her studio, and realized she had to make quilts for exhibition, not just teaching samples. She entered them into Juried shows, and to her surprise, won a few ribbons. In 2007 she joined the Contemporary Quilt Group and started to make Journal Quilts.
She has exhibited, travelled and taught all over the world. This workshop looked like so much fun, I couldn’t resist booking her!!!
www.gilliantravis.co.uk and check galleries and teaching pictures
Zoom opens 8:30 Class 09:00-4:00.
Gillian will teach for about 3 hours, then in the afternoon we will sew and she will check back on us mid afternoon.
$35
Oct. 17, 2021(Sun.) – Workshop: “Whizz Bang” Pine Star Circles
Rachael Daisy aka Blue Mountain Daisy.
These Pine Stars can be made in any size, appliquéd on a quilt, runner, pillow, or used as a hotpad/coaster.
Quiltmania recently released a book with Rachael’s story and her patterns. She is from Australia.
www.rachaeldaisy.com
IG @bluemountaindaisy
Zoom opens 11:30 Class 12:00-4:00
$35
Sept. 18, 2021(Sat.) – Workshop: Combining Designs aka “Wild Quilting”
Christina Cameli www.christinacameli.com
IG @afewscraps
Christina Cameli has been sewing since she was a child. In 2003 she fell in love with quilting. Since then she’s authored four quilting books, traveled the country teaching, filmed multiple online classes and designed quilt patterns and fabric. She’s also a nurse-midwife, a mom and a paddle boarder. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her blended family, rescue Lab mix and a ton of houseplants.
This is a great class if you’ve been FMQing for awhile, or just finished Carola’s class and want more!!! Note this is NOT a beginners class.
This is an Intermediate Free-Motion Quilting Class where we combine multiple Free-Motion Designs into Complex Arrangements. Learn four basic approaches to joining simple elements into unique, organic works. Christina will demonstrate techniques and guide you through trying them in your own style. Students should understand Free-Motion basics and some common designs like spirals and pebbling, but expertise in Free-Motion quilting is not required.
Zoom opens at 1:30…. class 2:00-5:00
$35
Sept. 11, 2021(Sat.) – Workshop: Free Motion Quilting (Carola Russell)
“Free Motion Quilting” on a domestic machine, for beginners and those that need a good refresher course. Carola will get you relaxed, guide you through the basics and give you the tools and confidence to be successful. She is also available beforehand, by email or phone, to insure you have the correct FMQ foot, etc. on your machine.
Zoom opens at 9:30… class 10:00-3:30 with 1/2hr. lunch
This will be a small class so you can get that extra help you need.
$35
April 24, 2021 – “One Colour Challenge” Workshop
The “One Colour Challenge” Workshop is being offered on April 24, 2021 from 10 – 12 am. This is a two hour workshop that is suitable for everyone. There is a $20 fee. See the April newsletter for registration and payment details. A link will be sent to you to join the workshop on Zoom prior to the date.
There is some minimal preparation for the workshop, the supply list will be sent to you after you have registered. — Janet M.
Cheryl Arkison Bio
Back when I started quilting it was practically unheard of for a 23 year old to do so, but there I was. Now, over 20 years later I haven’t stopped. In addition to my own creative work, I love to teach, write books, spread the gospel of improv, and design quilts. Every now and then I make a garment, my Grade 8 Home Ec Teacher would be proud.
When it comes to making, I am happy to make what inspires. I am well known for my use of bold colour and the quiet whispers of low volume fabrics but I will use anything in between as well. Use what you love, make what makes you happy. Just get your butt in the seat and sew.
In the past decade I’ve published three books: Sunday Morning Quilts (co-authored with Amanda Jean Nyberg), A Month of Sundays, and You Inspire Me to Quilt. I’ve also travelled the world to teach quilting. In between I am raising 3 active kids and running a business with my husband. Sometimes, I sleep.
http://www.cherylarkison.com/