Quilting - Freeform Patchwork Cushion
Using Leslie's free-form patchwork technique will have you creating improvisational patchwork with joy. And you get to walk away with a cushion!!
Teacher: Leslie Keating
Workshop Duration: Full Day
Description: This full-day workshop will teach you three invaluable skills - a quick, easy way to achieve freeform style patchwork, a simple cushion cover technique and machine quilting basics - and you’ll leave with a gorgeous, completed cushion cover.
We’ll start with a discussion on the principles of freeform patchwork, it’s uses and possibilities and then get into creating our patchwork cushion cover front. Next we’ll move on to machine quilting basics, with examples shown of different styles that can be achieved with a standard sewing machine and explaining different options for batting and basting.
Once our tops are quilted, we’ll move onto the cushion cover construction with the option of finishing with a simple, envelope style closure or a zipper closure (both will be demonstrated).
Materials:
You will need to provide your own sewing machine and basic sewing supplies (scissors, thread, seam ripper, etc). Cutting matts and rotary cutters will be provided
Please also bring a variety of fabric scraps (or larger fabric pieces that we will cut down) for the cushion top and 50cm x 75cm piece of cotton canvas or heavier weight linen for the backing. Organic cotton batting for the machine quilting will be provided.
Optionally Naturally Dyed Freeform Patchwork Kits (as shown in the photo) will be available from the instructor for a special Craft Sessions price of $48 (normally $60).
Takeaway: You'll take away your finished patchwork cushion cover.
Level: Advanced Beginner.
So I wrote last week a post asking “Is my making fast fashion?”. And then I did a video on Instagram discussing similar topics in a slightly different way. And as always, you lovely humans have helped me clarify some of my thinking with your thoughtful, clever commentary.
And while I think there is so much more to discuss, here are four key possibly-more-meta ideas that have come up for me out of those conversations.
In using the quote last week that suggested that there was no single answer, and suggesting that this was freeing, I really did mean that we should sit in the grey. Not that the lack of “an” answer to this question should mean we get to ignore the question but rather that the lack of “an” answer means that we need to keep asking bigger more beautiful questions. And keep asking them.
Is my making fast fashion?
Am I living my values or merely thinking them?
And how can I make those two things a little more aligned in this moment?
These are my big beautiful questions.
Yours might be different.
And importantly this leads to point 2.