Zoom and Omaha workshops open

Written by Diane Harris on April 9, 2023. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Machine Quilting, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

There are three upcoming classes. Please come!

Hand Look Binding by Machine on Zoom

Monday, April 17, 11 to 1 Central, $35 on Zoom (recording available after live event)

Get a ticket now!

See the supply list here

I’ve been binding my quilts by machine for 25 years and they’ve stood the test of time. Come and see how you can bind quilts quickly and beautifully on your machine.

Tango

Saturday, April 22, 9 to 4 Pacific, 11 to 6 Central via Zoom, $75 (non-member price)

Register for Tango

There are seats open in this class sponsored by East Bay Heritage Quilters. Come and get started on this beautiful quilt that looks great in any fabric genre. So much fun!!!

Tango created in EQ8

Tango by Stephanie Lockhart

Register for Tango

Walking Foot Quilting at Mangelsen’s in Omaha, NE

Live session, Friday, April 14, 10 to 4, $55

Get more info or register now

You can quilt your own projects if you know just a few simple tricks for your sewing machine and its walking foot attachment. Join me and I’ll show you how!

Get more info or register now.

I hope to see you soon!

Quilt on,

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The Joy of Beginners

Written by Diane Harris on February 27, 2023. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

I taught a small group of beginning quiltmakers recently. Oh what fun!

I came up with a new design that I hoped would teach a variety of skills without being too difficult while still being attractive. I wanted something that would lend itself to whatever color scheme a beginner could imagine.

My first idea was this nine block quilt with two kinds of stars. But I was teaching this at Mangelsen’s in Omaha and we only had two sessions on the calendar—one full day and one half day, with a couple of weeks for sewing at home in between.

As I developed the class, I thought maybe a quilt of this size might overwhelm some beginners, so I designed a smaller option with just four blocks.

You don’t know exactly how a class will go until you teach it for the first time. As it turned out, some people chose the small quilt but several wanted a bigger project. I was so glad I had both available.

This simple block is a good one for beginners. It forces them to test and adjust the seam allowance. If they’re off by 1/8″ on each seam, the block will be 5/8″ too small in one direction. People are surprised by how skinny (“scant”) the seam allowance needs to be.

A red, white and blue quilt wouldn’t appeal to everyone,

so I presented an alternate coloring. People embraced the idea and some beautiful color schemes emerged in class.

Friendship Star seemed like a good block for beginners to learn half-square triangles and the basic idea of sewing patches into rows before sewing the rows together.

I also decided to give them a taste of improvisational patchwork with an easy wonky star block. The results were fascinating, as students did this work at home after trying it quickly in class.

I loved Rita’s wonky star, above. You need only to suggest a shape, and a viewer’s eye will fill in the rest. Even though all of her points are not pointed, the star is still evident. Our minds fill in whatever is missing.

Dorothy had different star points on her wonky creation. Hers are very small and that’s just fine, too. Our eyes still know it’s a star.

Everyone got pretty far on their projects and I was really pleased with how well they did.

They were really brave to try walking foot quilting in class. We used gently waving lines as our starting point.

Deb has experience as a quilter so she quilted straight lines using painter’s tape to guide her. Aren’t her colors pretty?

Ann is not a beginner but she came with her daughter Denise, who is. Ann’s patriotic quilt is a little larger so she can use it as a throw at home. She made 12 blocks and I love how she moved the values around for different effects.

Denise made really brave choices all along the way, and I think her results are wonderful. This is a happy quilt!

You can imagine how much fun it is for a teacher to introduce students to the joy of making quilts. And when it’s for the first time, my gosh, it doesn’t get much better than that!

If you’re local, I think we will put Learn to Quilt on the schedule at Mangelsen’s again in the fall. If you’re from anywhere else in the world and you’d like a beginning class online, please let me know in the comments. I’d be happy to consider doing a workshop on Zoom.

Quilt on,

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Mangelsen’s + Stash Bandit

Written by Diane Harris on May 25, 2022. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

I’m very excited about a new venture that begins next month.

I’m joining creative forces with Mangelsen’s in Omaha, a family-owned and local fabric, hobby, craft and just-about-everything store. I’ll do a series of events at the store beginning with my most popular trunk show on Sunday, June 5.

I’ll be sharing about 50 scrappy quilts. Each one has something to teach us about combining fabrics in unexpected ways. There are all sorts of styles.

Whether you like reproductions, or brights or a feminine look, there’s a little something for everyone.

Tickets for this trunk show are $15 and they include a discount coupon for use at Mangelsen’s on the day of the event. Don’t delay—get yours here: https://www.mangelsens.com/events/make-extraordinary-scrap-quilts/

Not only am I bringing tried and true favorites, I’m bringing everything I pieced during the pandemic. We’ll have a bonus section featuring the tops that aren’t yet quilted.

I did some new improv work, similar to MerryJoyCheer, above. This kind of making is unbelievably entertaining and I’m looking forward to sharing my new creations.

As a natural follow-up to the scrap quilt trunk show, I’ll teach “Color, Contrast & Cohesion: Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts” at Mangelsen’s on Sunday, June 26, 12:30 to 4:30. Registration is open and tickets are $75. Reserve your spot now!

I am so happy to partner with Mangelsen’s and I look forward to seeing many of you in person for the upcoming events we have planned. It’s going to be so much fun!

Best wishes,

Trunk show tickets here

Workshop tickets here

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Becoming a student again

Written by Diane Harris on April 6, 2022. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

I took a class this week with a quilter I’ve long admired.

The class was Psychedelic Baby, taught by Katie Pedersen @sewkatiedid from Seattle. Katie was one of the first people I saw doing improv patchwork many years ago—maybe 2010?

I’ve enjoyed her work all these years and jumped at the chance to learn from her when Omaha Modern Quilt Guild brought her to town.

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It’s Quiet Over Here.

Written by Diane Harris on January 7, 2022. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

I think the holidays took the wind right out of my sails.

Or maybe it’s that we’re sailing into Year Three and that’s disheartening. I’m having a hard time concentrating, organizing, motivating. I think I am not alone.

The start of a new year always feels like a good time to clean up the studio. Of course I do it periodically but I’m no clean freak and my husband would say that I’m a walking tornado. When I can’t see the top of my sewing table, I know it’s time.

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New class! StarQuar Party for Quilters

Written by Diane Harris on August 27, 2021. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone

I’m putting the finishing touches on a brand new class that is open to everyone and you’re invited!

The StarQuar Party for Quilters is a one day class for scrap lovers.

Let’s turn your scraps into something amazing, happy and FUN!

I’m so excited about my newest class, The StarQuar Party for Quilters, part of my Scrap Quilt Secrets series.

I’ve barely scratched the surface of what is possible and I can’t wait to show you. Below is the start of LEMON ZEST, one idea I will share when you attend. 

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The Brick Block: Join me and learn!

Written by Diane Harris on June 12, 2021. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

I’m excited to offer a new class on a simple design called The Brick Block. It will be held live on Friday, June 25, but if you can’t attend live you can take in the recording and you won’t miss a thing!

This beginner-friendly block has so many possibilities that more experienced makers can enjoy it, too. And while you don’t need a teacher to make the block, I am going to unlock many secrets about fabric choices for you—ideas that you’ll be able to apply to all your future quilt projects.

You can make it scrappy, or coordinated, or scrappy coordinated! You can make the blocks big or small or somewhere in between. You can make a few blocks or dozens. And I will show you how to make any combination work so that your quilt is smashing!

Best of all, as long as you have a bit of a stash (that is, fabrics on hand that you love), you can make this project from the fabrics you already own. And the pattern is included in the price of the class.

Sound good?

Here are the details:

Friday, June 25, 9 to 11 AM CDT
You will register in advance
Attend live or watch at your convenience for 30 days
Unlimited repeats for 30 days
$20 covers pattern, class, handouts and
follow-up show & tell

Here are a few more things you can do with The Brick Block:

You could make a patriotic quilt with scrappy or more planned fabrics.

You could make a baby quilt with batting or without, in which case you’d be making more of a receiving blanket.

You can use just one background as shown above in the barn raising setting. You may not want to make all of these decisions before the class, but if you come and see all the possibilities, I think you’ll quickly narrow it down. Then you can shop your stash, and if you need to purchase something, you know it won’t go to waste.

You can even go completely scrappy like I did with Scrappy Bricks. I’ll show you how to make this work!

I will also help you improve your piecing accuracy with a couple of easy tricks. 😊

Register now; space is limited.

Just $20 to equip you with many ideas you can use in this and future quilts!

I can’t wait to meet you.

Let’s see what’s hiding in your stash!

A few more details:

Check out the supply list here.

When and how I host the followup show & tell depends on a few things but as soon as I know, I will email all who registered.

This class is beginner-friendly but fun for anyone who wants to expand their skills with color and fabric selection!

Still have questions? Email me: diane@stashbandit.net

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Let’s Play Drezzup: Trunk Show and Workshop

Written by Diane Harris on April 23, 2019. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Trunk Shows

I fell hard for Dresden Plate about 10 years ago and there’s no hint that this love affair will end any time soon. I offer a lecture and a workshop and they’re very different but both are a lot of fun. I wanted to share a few of the quilts with you.

All Drezzed Up by Diane Harris

All Drezzed Up is the quilt that started it all. I bought 20 vintage Dresden Plate blocks for 20 dollars at an antique mall in Ogallala, Nebraska. Their points were raw-edged, and if I had known more about Dresdens at the time I might have left them behind.

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Dresden Plate’s a Winner!

Written by Diane Harris on August 18, 2018. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

I got an exciting email recently. Mary McIntyre took my “Let’s Play Drezzup” class on Dresden Plate in May when I visited Lafayette, Indiana. She wrote, “Look what got Champ at the Tippecanoe County Fair, Lafayette, Indiana!”

Once the quilt came back to her, Mary and I talked on the phone. She had never made a Dresden Plate before the class. Her mother had made them but Mary didn’t care much for the old-time fabrics, and the thought of extensive handwork didn’t appeal to her either.

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Colorado Springs Quilt Guild

Written by Diane Harris on February 10, 2017. Posted in Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

Last night I visited Colorado Springs Quilt Guild to present “Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts.” It was so much fun! They’re lively and enthused and it shows. Even the business meeting was enjoyable. If you live nearby, consider paying them a visit.

Scarlet Spin by Diane Harris. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.

I shared about 60 scrap quilts with a goal of helping people see what makes a scrap quilt work, or not. We talked about fabric styles, color and design in a way that quilters could understand and apply to their own projects.

Swoopers by Diane Harris. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.

Here’s an example of something we talked about on my Swoopers quilt, above. It’s a very bright and scrappy quilt that features many Flying Geese in the center, and half-square triangles for one border.

Take a look at how I kept matching Flying Geese together. And the same is true for the triangles in the border. It’s very scrappy, but by keeping sets of matching Geese and HSTs together, I avoided too much chaos.

That’s just one small way to make your scrap quilts work a little better!

Deb Frazier shared her red and green scrap quilt: spectacular in its brave use of color.

Show and Tell at CSQG was really good. I captured several wonderful scrap quilts such as the red and green one above. This quilter was fearless—and it shows!

Mary Ellen Bridges displays her scrappy batik beauty during CSQG’s Show and Tell.

The batik quilt above with narrow black sashing was so pretty! I think most batiks work together pretty well. The black pulls everything together on this one.

I’d enjoy a visit to your quilt group to share my quilts! Please visit my pages on trunk shows and workshops to learn more.

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