class offerings 2022

Lectures

Hand Quilting for Calm | 45 mins

Keep your hands busy and your mind calm with a bit of handwork! In this lecture, Riane will discuss her favorite materials and basic techniques for high-contrast hand quilting.

Ditch the Block | 45 mins

In this lecture, we’ll explore ways to move away from block-based designs and conceptualize (and create) quilts as a whole. We’ll talk about what a block is (and isn’t), and look at of examples of quilts that have successfully ditched the block. This lecture comes with a great trunk show!

Cropping & Scale in Modern Quilt Design | 45 mins

In this lecture, we’ll discuss how to "zoom in" on part of a traditional quilt block and transform it into a modern quilt of any size. We’ll also discuss the differences between traditional and alternate gridwork, and some of the foundational elements of modern quilt design, including negative space, minimalism, modern color palettes and more. This lecture comes with lots of great ideas that attendees can use as soon as they get home.

Large-Scale Piecing | 45 mins

Large-scale piecing can create incredibly dynamic quilts, but there are certain considerations to take into account (cutting, working with bias edges, squaring up, marking shapes or quilting motifs, etc). In this lecture, we’ll explore how to create large-scale shapes and what to consider when piecing and finishing a quilt. This lecture comes with lots of great images and a trunk show.

Designing with Adobe Illustrator | 45 mins

Learn how to use Adobe Illustrator to make their ideas come to life as modern quilt designs. We’ll explore the basic tools and skills needed to start designing quilts in Illustrator, and we’ll cover how to set up your Illustrator file to make quilt math easy and fun.

DEMOs

Hand Quilting | 20 minutes

See how Riane creates her signature, high-contrast hand quilting look in this fun and casual demo. You’ll explore the materials, tools and techniques Riane loves, and you’ll walk away with the knowledge to finish your next quilt by hand.

Hand Piecing | 20 minutes

Want to explore the world of hand piecing? In this demo, Riane shows how to sew pieces together by hand — all you need is needle, thread and fabric for this technique.

Modern Tied Quilting | 20 minutes

Tying is one of the oldest ways to finish a quilt, but in this demo, Riane gives it a modern facelift. Learn how to tie and add a little extra something fun to your next project.

Workshops & classes

How to Make a Quilt by Hand, Start to Finish | 2 x 6-hour sessions (recommended over 2 days)

In this workshop, we’ll explore how to use modern quilting elements like alternate gridwork and negative space to transform a traditional quilt block into a modern quilt. Students will explore this method by practicing with paper blocks, then we will recreate the design with fabric at a larger scale. Two techniques will be explored: Cropping a block and adding negative space.

High-Contrast Hand Quilting | 3 hours

In this three-hour workshop, students will try their hand at planned and improv hand quilting using large stitches and thick threads like sashiko or perle cotton. Students will learn how to apply high-contrast quilting designs to quilts with large amounts of negative space to create movement, motion and focus in a quilt. We will discuss the technical aspects of hand quilting as well as larger design planning and techniques.

Creative Hand Quilting | 3 hours

In this three-hour workshop, students will explore several different types of hand quilting, including traditional running stitch quilting, tied quilting, French knot tying, and cross-stitch tying. We will discuss the technical aspects of hand quilting as well as larger design planning and techniques.

Modern Quilt Design with Adobe Illustrator | 3 hours

In this three-hour class, students will learn how to use Adobe Illustrator to make their ideas come to life as modern quilt designs. We’ll explore the basic tools and skills needed to start designing quilts in Illustrator, and we’ll cover how to set up your Illustrator file to make quilt math easy and fun. This class is suitable for most skill levels, but some familiarity with Adobe products is recommended. Students must supply their own laptop with Illustrator installed. The latest Adobe CC version will be used as the class standard.

Large-Scale Piecing | 6 hours

In this six-hour workshop, students will explore large scale piecing with a quilt from my books, Inheritance or Quilting by Hand. Together we’ll discuss ways to make neat and tidy large-scale designs, as well as troubleshoot common issues. This class is suitable for quilters of all skill levels!

Quilt Remix: From Traditional Block to Modern Quilt | 3 or 6 hours

In this workshop, we’ll explore how to use modern quilting elements like alternate gridwork and negative space to transform a traditional quilt block into a modern quilt. Students will explore this method by practicing with paper blocks, then we will recreate the design with fabric at a larger scale. Two techniques will be explored: Cropping a block and adding negative space.

Short-form Events

Hand Quilting Mini-Class | 1-2 hours (drop-in)

This short-form class is great for shops or venues that would like to host an afternoon of fun for their customers or local community. Attendees will learn the basics of hand quilting and make simple coasters that they can finish and take home that day.

Hand Sewing Happy Hour | 1-2 hours (drop-in)

Let’s get together and sew! This casual-but-fun event is a great way to get to know each other and just have fun stitching. Over wine and apps, I’ll talk about my preferred materials and methods for hand sewing. Attendees can bring their own materials to sew on, ask questions, and get to know other hand quilters in their communities.

Trunk Show | 1 hour

Just want to see a trunk show of my latest work? Let’s do it! I have tons of quilts, and we can discuss design, modern quilting, handwork, and the stories behind each one.