Venetian Tiles

One- or two-day workshop

Minimum skill level: advanced beginner / intermediate

Create the look of mitered squares without the hassle! This half-light/half-dark block is simple to assemble and can be arranged in so many ways. Each block is beautiful in its own right, but when they are put together, the secondary patterns that form are stunning! Try a diagonal set or sashing for even more possibilities. If you have been timid about designing your own quilts, try Venetian Tiles. You will make your own design decisions from the very first cut. Colleen will be there to hold your hand. You won’t believe the variety of looks from this one block. No two quilts look alike. Come prepared to take chances—and have fun! Success is guaranteed!

Emerald City

One- or two-day workshop

Minimum skill level: advanced beginner / intermediate

These blocks not only look like three-dimensional pyramids, they also appear to float above the surface of the quilt! Emerald City blocks are similar in construction to Venetian Tiles with an expansion in tones. Careful attention to value will make the illusion appear. So elegant and so easy to construct---and so exciting to see the results!

Boxes and Beyond

One- or two-day workshop

Minimum skill level: advanced beginner / intermediate

Boxes, both solid and hollow, appear to float in space. This optical illusion quilt is an expansion of the familiar Baby Blocks pattern. If you think Baby Blocks requires hours of tedious hand piecing, try this clever variation! This quilt is strip-pieced and easy to assemble. No set-in corners! Learn the tricks of value that make this 3-D illusion work.

Bob and Weave

One- to three-day workshop

Minimum skill level: beginner

Play with 3-D illusion on a quilt! By choosing your colors with careful attention to value (lightness/darkness), bands of color appear to weave under and over against a background of your choice. An easy project suitable for beginners, fun for experts. In the one-day version of this workshop, we will create the body of the quilt as shown at right. Additional days allow time to add shadows to “lift” the grid from the background, or to paper-piece arcs to connect the bands for a stunning border.

Wild Sky

One- or two-day workshop

Minimum skill level: beginner 

Planets and satellites seem to dance and swirl against a daytime sky. Appliqué these circles by hand or machine, or fuse them if you prefer…just be sure to add the secret touch that makes them look three-dimensional. Colleen will share her secrets for easy and perfect circles…and for that magical 3-D excitement. Blocks are set with her perspective setting to enhance the depth and dimension of this quilt.

ShadowPlay

One- to five-day workshop

Minimum skill level: beginner to expert

Leaves seem to hover above the surface of this quilt. This is a levitation class: learn how to float leaves, keys, letters, shapes…basically any object you can think of. We can’t bend spoons, but we can sure float them! Surface design techniques combined with appliqué or fusing create a powerful three-dimensional illusion. It’s incredible!

This class has specific site requirements:

• Must be able to work outside
• Access to a washer and dryer a big plus.