Quilting With Margaret Styles [june 2023]

And it doesn’t have to be patchwork!

Margaret (Mags) Styles has been sewing since her teens, learning from her mum in the days when it was more economical to sew than to buy.  She sewed clothes for herself and others for years before trying a small piece of patchwork which ended up as a double bed quilt of red and gold stars, machine pieced but hand quilted.  A member of Davyhulme Quilters and of The Quilters Guild, she has a lot of experience but knows there is so much more to learn.  She looks forward to being able to share her love of fabrics generally and quilting in particular.

Join Margaret for her 3 week course guiding you through the skill of quilting using up scraps and learning how to use various freehand machine stitches.

Thurs 8th June, 6:30 – 8:30pm
Thurs 15th June, 6:30 – 8:30pm
Thurs 22nd June, 6:30 – 8:30pm

Skills:  Hand quilting, machine quilting, free motion quilting and embroidery.  Rotary cutting and accurate seaming for patchwork.

Level: This course is suitable for anyone looking to start quilting or further develop their skills. You will need to know how to operate a sewing machine.

Bring: All materials and equipment are provided but if you have any scraps or fabric you would like to bring, please do!

Week 1:  Introduction to quilting.  Three layers stitched together and that’s it!  Learn how to make the “sandwich”, how to start and stop without thread ends showing.  Outline a floral or pictorial sample.  Decide if you like doing it or not!

Try machine quilting.  Know which needle to choose.  Learn to adjust the tension, adjust pressure on the foot if you have no walking foot/dual feed.  Practise the effect of different length stitches.  Try zigzag and decorative stitches.  13” square sample.  

Cut and seam a log cabin or courtroom steps block.

Week 2:   Start with pen and paper and try drawing shapes with smooth movements.  At the machine, drop the feed dogs and put your stitch length to zero, and try to replicate the shapes to fill a space.  Keep the speed steady and practise curved lines.  

Mark some shapes on your block from last week.  Make the sandwich and tack it, and follow the lines you have drawn with the machine.  Don’t worry if you’re not completely on the lines, it’s the overall effect that counts.  Keep your shoulders relaxed and your hands moving smoothly.

Week 3:  Continue the sewing.   

*PLEASE NOTE: As a small not-for-profit cooperative, our time and resources are always stretched to the max. In the event that a workshop is at less than minimum capacity, we will need to reschedule it. If this happens, you’ll be given as much notice as possible and your booking can be transferred to a future date or refunded. Please refer to our cancellation policy for terms and conditions. We hope you understand and thank you for your support.