the studio: workshops: design class
Design Class:
Monthly on Fridays: 10.00 – 4.00
£35 per session

A fresh opportunity to experience the Studio’s Design Class. This series of nine design classes will run from Sept to June working through a programme of topics that will build confidence and skills in design. Mainly aimed at the patchwork and quilt maker, it is suitable for all makers of textile arts. The only requirement for the class is a willingness to try new techniques and enjoy sharing ideas, all levels of experience and ability are welcome.
| 27 August | Intro Day | 'The Road not taken'.....yet. |
| 1 October | Colour: 101 | The Good, the Bad and the Ugly! |
| 5 November | Colour: Applied | Brilliant Bazaar |
| 3 December | Pattern: Line | Nature knows best? |
| 7 January | Pattern: Grids | Cityscape |
| 4 February | Pattern: Circles | Circles of my mind |
| 4 March | Shape | A,B,C....... |
| 1 April | Group Task | Top Secret Mission |
| May | No class | Loch Lomond Quilt Show |
| 3 June | Again & Again | Good to Go! |
August: Introductory Day: “The Road not taken” – yet……..
A day to meet and find out about each other. If you have been making quilts or other textile art bring something along. A check list of what you have done already – so the course can be properly geared to all the participants. A day of fun and quick exercises to help start things off – just the way we mean to go on.
Our basic pattern for each day is: Meet & greet, share ideas and homework. Messy work in the morning and sewing techniques in the afternoon.
Requirements for August:
Please always wear old clothes to class, we can do messy things!
Bring a piece of your own work that you are proud of, and you feel will tell us something about you. Please take time to look up the work of other quilters, find a quilter whose work you like and bring a book or picture of one of their quilts. Please bring your sewing kit and a selection of fabrics, fat 1/4s are fine in a variety of plain and prints – please be prepared to share (so don’t bring your special favourites). Somewhere between 5 and 10 fat quarters........ (There is a basic stock of fabrics to buy at the Studio)
Your sewing machine (or borrow one of ours – please let us know ahead of time so we can make sure we have enough machines)
A note book, coloured pens or pencils. Any images or photos that you find inspiring and have interesting colours.
October: Colour: 101 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!
Inspired by colour: how to understand colour terms, use of colour, how colour works with cloth, how to build your own colour reference sources, a colour library
October requirements:
Old clothes, we will be dyeing fabric..... A washing up bowl or similar to carry home wet or damp cloth. White cotton at least 3 meters – can be bought at the Studio. Other white fabric, patterned or plain, silk, linen, bamboo, hemp....to experiment dyeing with. Thread, cotton string, feathers, twigs, also for dyeing.
Note book for dye recipes and recording results.
November: Colour: Applied Brilliant Bazaar
Inspired by the colours of the bazaar: how to add your own, dyeing, printing, removing. How to record your experiments
December: Pattern: Line Nature knows best?
Inspired by the patterns of nature: understanding pattern, how to build pattern and use pattern in your work, looking at pattern use in quilt making and other textile arts.
January: Pattern: Grids Cityscape
Inspired by patterns of the cityscape: Using grids as the base for our exercises.
February: Pattern: Circles Circles of my mind
Inspired by circles and curves. Going round in circles but not getting dizzy! Finding out if we’re bothered by accuracy or we want to embrace letting it
all hang out.
March: Shape: A, B C…….
Inspired by shape: Looking at simple shapes, moving and building them into more complex shapes.
April: Group Task...... Top Secret Mission
“Your mission should you chose to accept it..........”
June: Again & Again: Good to Go!
Why do people work in series? Are you ready to be working on your own designs? Have you found an area that you want to investigate? We may finish with more questions than answers. We’ll send time reviewing each other’s work, and discuss where we are off to next in our textile art.
The Studio’s original Design Class group are still going strong and are now setting a programme of their own.
Taught by Ruth Higham
the Studio: is part of The Loch Lomond Quilt Show Limited registered in Scotland no: 123456 | Registered office: