Introduction to "3-Dimensional" QuiltsBeginning, Intermediate, and Advanced
May 20, 2023-1 Session (Saturday) 10:00 am-4:30 pm Instructor: Johnnie McKenzie Class Fee: $50 non-members + $20 supply fee $45 BRMAA members + $20 supply fee Quilts are not just two-dimensional pieces of art that drape or lie flat on a table or bed. They can be “stand up” or “extend out” quilted pieces that are beautiful and functional three-dimensional art pieces. In this class, we will use the forever blooms of the “A Year of Art Spring Panel” to make a year-round bouquet of flowers for your buffet, table, or shelf using a specialty batting that can be formed into the shapes that fit your display space. It is important that you are comfortable quilting on a home machine, either using a free motion foot, stitch regulator, walking foot, or embroidery foot. Whichever quilting style you prefer, you must bring a foot that will do the zigzag stitch used to finish the edge of your piece. You can choose to use both images in the panel for a two-sided piece or use a different fabric for one side. Standard sewing/quilting tools, sewing machine and extension table, 20"x20" piece of your favorite batting (thin works best), iron and ironing mat, cutting mat and 28mm rotary cutter, machine basics like cords and foot pedal, quilting gloves and free-motion glide sheet if you intend to do free-motion quilting, pressure feet: free-motion foot, walking foot, stitch regulator and embroidery foot depending on your quilting choice. Stitch regulator is optional; bring if you are comfortable using it. Call (706) 632-2144 for questions regarding this course and registration. Payment is required to register for BRMAA courses. You may pay via PayPal above, over the phone, or visit The Art Center located at 420 West Main Street, Blue Ridge, GA 30513 to pay in person.
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ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Johnnie F. McKenzie
I began quilting at age four, hand piecing blocks from feed sacks, flour sacks, fertilizer sacks, worn out overalls, and scraps from our clothing. It was a great treat to go to town with my father to pick out the sacks that would be added to that year’s new quilts, quilts we made out of necessity since our farmhouse was heated only by fireplaces that were never lit at night. From those early choices, I began to leave a little bit of myself in every quilt I made. My mother and I made quilts out of necessity. Our farmhouse was heated by fireplaces, so we needed a lot of bed covers. After the cotton fields were picked and the trailers full of cotton were taken to the gin, my mother and I picked scrap cotton that opened late or was just missed. We took the seeds out by hand, boiled it in a big cast iron pot outside on a day that was sunny and spread it out on sheets on the ground to dry. We would use a couple of old hairbrushes to spread and pat down the cotton to make batting. It was excruciatingly tough to quilt, especially with the excruciatingly thick thread available at that time. After making traditional, function quilts for over 65 years, I began exploring nontraditional fiber techniques and my inspiration changed from choosing a pattern first to choosing a color, fabric, fiber, or message first. Many of my pieces are inspired by my love of nature, passion for a cultural or environmental issue, or an artist’s work that lit a spark in me. I often find a magic fabric that I put on my design wall for weeks until I hear the notes it wants to sing. In 2022, I began working with three-dimensional pieces that emulate ceramic structures putting quilting in a non-traditional light. I enjoy the glories of trial and error, failure and success. And I do not care if my socks don’t match. |
