Quilt Week at Sorrento Centre: April 19-25

It is just two months until Quilt Week at Sorrento Centre . . . one of my favourite weeks of the year!!  Come and join me, Dianne Jansson and Lynn Knox as we engage in a creative and energizing week at Sorrento Centre in April.  Three workshops occur simultaneously in two different conference rooms and the art studio . . . but the fun spills over into each workspace and the dining room where we share our meals.

You get to choose the workshop that most appeals to you and spend five days with the instructor, learning techniques and creating your quilt . . . but you also have the opportunity of seeing what the others are doing and creating.

Dianne Jansson will be leading a Salute to Scrap Quilts . . . as she says, every quilter knows that fabric scraps multiply in the dark at night. No matter how many you use, there are always more, more, more.  It is also a fact that scrap quilts are part of the quilting heritage, and have a richness that cannot be duplicated with 4 or 5 well matched fabric selections.
Bring your bags, or suitcases, of scraps to Sorrento and spend a week creating exciting quilts designed using value, rather than colour. The selection of patterns suitable for scrap quilts is extensive, ranging from ultra simple to challenging, allowing you to work within your comfort zone, or step right out of your box.

Lynn Knox will be leading Trail to Sorrento, a beautiful quilt that can be made in single size or queen size. Light background or dark background - your choice.  The outcome is a stunning quilt and it is easy to make. You will love it!!  This workshop is suitable for all skill levels from beginner on up.

I will be leading an art quilt workshop Botanical Art Quilt: Surface Design during which participants will create a unique art quilt using locally gathered leaves as inspiration. The art quilt that you create in this workshop will be based on a variety of surface design techniques that will include texture rubbings, sheer overlay, Shiva Paintstiks, painting over quilting,  free motion quilting filler stitches, 3-D organza leaves, accent hand stitching and a touch of beading.  We will try out the techniques and then you will decide which ones you want to include in your art quilt. I recommend soft hand-dyed fabric or batiks for this 18-20" art quilt that you will be delighted to hang in your home. This workshop is suitable for those wanting to dip their toes in the fibre art pool as well as those who already have some experience.

This is a wonderful retreat-style workshop with five days of classes, bonus sewing time in evenings or early mornings and delightful company in this relaxing venue. The meals are great, the lodge rooms comfortable and the setting in heavenly. Participants in all three workshops meet at mealtimes and for evening activities.

There is more information about registration, accommodation and meal packages on the Sorrento Centre website here and if you have any questions you are welcome to email me at kwk4141(at!) gmail.com (you know how to fix that up so the email reaches me but the robots don't)

Swatch Stitch and Stash

This is the sample for a 4-day workshop that I will be teaching at Sorrento Centre in April. My class is entitled "Swatch, Stitch and Stash" because we will be using stitching up swatches of fabric from your stash to create a fibre art journal of the techniques that you learn during the workshop.

Some of the techniques will include creating your own unique fabric, fibre art beads, silk fusion, a variety of edge finishings, needle felting, accent embroidery stitches, free motion machine stitching, thread painting, original cords and covered sticks, thread lace and beading ... and then the samples will be compiled into a journal format that will be either accordion style(like the one pictured here) or an "infinite journal" using grommets and rings. Click on the photos to zoom in for the details.

This is a workshop that will engage intermediate level art quilters but will also be great for those who are just taking their first steps in this area ... you do, however, need to have a good knowledge of your sewing machine.

This workshop is a retreat format ... delicious meals and accommodation are included in the package price ... Call Sorrento Centre at 250-675-2421 to register.

From Fallen Oak Leaves to Art Quilts

Last fall I spent some time picking up fallen oak leaves and acorns in Salmon Arm and I had a great time experimenting with the various ways these could be incorporated into art quilts.

I love working with hand-dyed fabrics and this beautiful light sage green piece is one that I'd saved for quite a while before the right project came along for it. I love the way that I was able to create a circle of oak leaves by rubbing the real leaves with dye sticks and then creating organza leaves from the same shapes and layering them in the centre of the quilt.

The stitching is a combination of hand embroidered seed stitches, with varying combinations of brown and green in the threads, and free motion machine quilting. The finishing touch is some beautiful hand-dyed and hand-spun yarn from a friend . . . with some of the acorns threaded onto the yarn. There are just a few clear beads stitched onto the quilt. Approximately 18" square.

Click on the images to enlarge them to see more detail.


The photo of the second quilt made in this manner is actually done on a piece of commercial batik and the leaves are arranged in such a way that the stitching around them created a bit of a heart shape . . . the pale gold colours have just a touch of rust and they swirl with a bit of bluish-grey to create a beautiful backdrop for the leaves. Approximately 16" x 20".

I will be teaching this as a workshop at Sun Peaks Resort in July 2011. www.sunpeaksresort.com