Workshop & Instructor Information

Elizabeth Barton

From Inspriation to Fulfillment: Developing Your Own Style

October 25 - 31, 2009

All Levels

Elizabeth Barton combines a great Yorkshire sense of humour with the calm relaxed warmth of Georgia! Her quilts have been seen many times in Quilt National, Visions, Art Quilt Elements and several solo shows. 

The aim of this workshop is to show you how to design exciting quilts based on your own choice of pictures or photographs.  Your quilts may be abstract, realistic or impressionistic – but they will be  your personal way of looking at the source of inspiration and then recreating your feelings and ideas in cloth. The basics of good design will be covered: all the steps from the initial idea through  the formulation of a strong composition will be carefully and clearly taught in a way that you can use for many future quilts. The focus will be on design development, developing vocabulary  and understanding  so that intuition can be better informed!  The aim is to help you learn how to create a successful piece from the start in 6 or 7 clear easy steps.

Elizabeth emphasizes individualism, independence and having fun!  She wants each person to grow as a quiltmaker in the way they wish and, therefore, she likes to spend time both on group discussion and on individual help.

You will also work on how to compose exciting color schemes to help you devise strong beautiful and unified color schemes.   Once design and color are chosen then you will block out the composition, refine it and finally put it all together using a variety of construction techniques as befits both the design and the maker (thus all levels of experience are possible). 

Construction (piecing, appliqué, layering etc) and continuing design choices during the construction process are supported by both group discussion and individual help.

Machine quilting and all finishing techniques are also addressed to make for a successful art quilt.

You may bring your machine if you love to sew, or not -  if you prefer to develop more quilts to the pinned together stage to complete later at home.

But do bring your sense of humour and an open mind!

Students should leave with a good basic knowledge of composition and design, several design drawings, greater confidence in choosing colors, knowledge of a variety of construction techniques and a quilt close to being finished!  They should also be well on their way to discovering their own personal style in quiltmaking .  The emphasis will be on individual growth and discovery.   While class discussion, demonstration and “mini-lecture” will be a part of each day, Elizabeth hopes to spend as much time as possible one on one with the students to help them to grow as artist quiltmakers.   Students should also be prepared to laugh a lot, make mistakes and enjoy themselves! All critiques are done in a gentle, positive way emphasizing strengths rather than weaknesses.