Stitched By Susan Academy

MODULE 1  A close look at the anatomy of a good freehand design. Analyzing and identifying all its parts will enable you to apply creative criticism to any design you're working with in the future. 

We'll draw and quilt a selection of loopy designs. These are pretty simple, but will open your eyes to the vast possibilities of just adding and tweaking small things.

MODULE 2  Our foundation is firmly in place, so we'll explore the use of deliberate practice to really amp up quilting skill. This is where the magic of increased precision and control starts to happen. We'll break practice shapes down into families, so you can begin to see similarities of themes in quilting designs, and how to apply this type of practice to your daily quilting. There will be stories and examples aplenty.

I'll show you some of my favorite low- or no-cost tools for my quilting studio. 

We'll draw and quilt a number of specific shapes for practice.

MODULE 3  Discover the variables of a freehand, repeating design. This is so important for making editions and changes to personalize your work. Also, we'll look for design cues that can inform your quilting choice for any particular project. We'll also talk about thread choices. 

And finally, we'll draw and quilt a number of designs with waves, and straight lines. You'll be astonished at the number of creative possibilities with JUST LINES, and this practice grouping will again advance your precision level.

MODULE 4  We’ll look at more variables; this time more mechanical: stitch length and regulation, two methods of basting, and explore when to apply these variables to up-level the quality of your finished quilts. 

Now we're getting into some really fun stuff! We'll be quilting arc-based designs - chrysanthemums, continuous curves, irregular arcs...and more.

MODULE 5  We'll look at change-ups. Whether it's scale, shape or form, elements or transitions - we'll apply these concepts to the designs we've already learned so you can see how endless personalization is possible.

Then we'll draw and quilt a host of designs - some floral, some feathery,  some paisleys, even flames - you're going to love these! (And don't get overwhelmed just thinking about it - you can take these one at a time, and come back to the demos as often as you like!)

Plus we'll apply some of the the designs we’ve learned as fillers in custom work.

MODULE 6  Practical tips and aids for freehand quilting, such as a no-commitment way to audition designs, how to keep a consistent scale, my favorite marking tools, and how to make your feet keep up with your quilting. Because that's important!

And then, we'll explore row-based edge-to-edge designs. These are quilted in rows, but overlap or nest to create the all-over texture we're after.