Wild Ginger WG

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Portrait of the Sewing Artist — the reception series
(Once a month on Wednesdays, 7-9 PM)
“Sewing is truly a creative expression of genius like no other in the world! We are ever-so fortunate to see many times the brilliant work that enters our doors, and have thought often about how we might bring some of these inspired works to you.

We are totally thrilled to present our Portrait of the Sewing Artist series. Each month we proudly host an opening night reception for one of our Sewing Artists, and display the fruit of his or her labor throughout the month. Please be our guests on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 7-9 PM for our Sewing Artists reception.”

March: Susanne Cole

We are very proud to feature Susanne Cole in her very own one-woman show in March. Susanne makes her home with her husband, David, in Santa Monica, albeit somewhat removed from her childhood home of Denmark (though she makes regular and frequent trips to visit family.)

Susanne started quilting several years ago when she happened upon Sewing Arts Center where she continues to hone her formidable skills. She is well-known in our parts, and happily takes many classes. She is known to sew circles around folks – so much so that she often will not admit to the fact that when others are just finishing up their Underground Railroad, she’s made three, and one of these in miniature. You’ll enjoy her style, her use of color, and her truly evident joy for the art form.

April: Brian David Dykhuizen

Our featured February Artist, Brian has always had a compulsion to create, and has explored many artistic media. After following his creative muses to a fabric dyeing workshop in 1997, Brian was bitten by the dye, Since then, he has designed and dyed countless yards of fabric, and needed to find a medium for it. Quilting became the next logical progression in his creative process.

Brian first learned quilt techniques by making numerous traditional quilts. While the occasional bed quilt still appears in his studio, he concentrates his efforts on creating art quilts. His own hand-dyed fabrics make up the majority of the fabric found in his unique and beautiful quilts which have been on exhibit throughout the United States and abroad. Of all the design elements, Brian is most moved by color and continues to explore the limitless possibilities that dyeing fabric and making quilts has to offer. Born and raised in the Midwest, Brian now resides in Kalispell, MT with his wife, Susan, and his three young children, Wyatt, Cole and Sophia.

Around the Table on the Underground Railroad

Eighteen quilters of all ages and from all walks of life took a retrospective look – a ride, as it were -- on the Underground Railroad beginning in January 2007. Once a month they packed their sewing machines, their quilting supplies, their inquisitiveness and showed up at Sewing Arts Center. You might ask what quilting and the Underground Railroad have in common? Though it has stirred much controversy, there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that quilts – more accurately, specific blocks within quilts – provided signposts indicating directions to people escaping enslavement prior to and during the American Civil War. The purpose of the class was to learn the language of the blocks that were identified as the symbols for passage, and at the same time, learn how to piece the blocks, creating individual Underground Railroad sampler quilts based on Eleanor Burns’ book, The Underground Railroad Sampler. Rebecca McClure provided expert quilting tutelage (she is the resident quilting expert and instructor at Sewing Arts Center), and also provided the forum in which not only was accurate piecing and quilting taught but she also spearheaded discussions surrounding the Underground Railroad by means of a book club that was part and parcel of the class experience. The class commenced with the controversial book, Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts of the Underground Railroad by Jacqueline L. Tobin and Raymond G. Dobard, Ph.D. Other books read during the year in conjunction with class and the Underground Railroad theme: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Behind the Scenes, or Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House, by Elizabeth Keckley, a biography of her work as a seamstress for and friendship with Mary Todd Lincoln. The class was also fortunate to enjoy a lecture provided by Sewing Arts Center with Janet Madden, Ph.D., who shared her expertise and children’s literature pertaining to the slave period and Underground Railroad. “Pacesetters”, a program airing on Sunday mornings at 6:00 AM on KTLA recently got wind of the undertaking, and invited Rebecca McClure and the class to a roundtable discussion that aired on “Pacesetters” February 24, 2008 at 6:00 AM. The half-hour program featured the class, the conversation, and the students’ works. Students’ quilts also will be featured at Sewing Arts Center April 1 through April 15, 2008, with an open invitation reception for the artists Wednesday, April 9, 2008, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

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EmbroiderEASE

It’s a perfect time to make time to master your Husqvarna Viking embroidery machine! You’ve got the software, you’ve got the machinery, you’ve got the best intentions, but you need a little kick to get you going. Well, come on then! EmbroiderEASE is just the class to get you embroidering full steam ahead. Each month, we’ll delve into those embroidery places that have you flummoxed but intrigued, stymied but tenacious, don't spend time spinning—spend more time embroidering! Put all your trepidations to rest during May when we explore the fabulously endlessly creative Endless Hoop. You’ll be intimidated no more once you find out just how easy it is to use. In June, you’ll wonder at how easy it really is to take one image—say, an Indian (just for you, Jeane) – that is enormously larger than our largest hoop, cut it up and put it back together such that you can actually sew it and no one will ever be the wiser. In July we’ll spend lots of time learning how to place, position, finesse and finalize multiple design elements. In July, we’ll delve into embroidered buttonholes, collars and cuffs – those little accents that add up to huge differences – the coveted WOW factor!

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Designer HVD101A & HVD101B

Calling all Husqvarna Viking Designer SE and Designer SE Limited Edition owners! Now that you own the most astonishing piece of sewing equipment in the entire sewing world (subtle, huh?), you’ll want to know just how much you can do with your Husqvarna Viking Designer SE and Designer SE Limited Edition.

This series is 24 hours of instruction devoted to unleashing the true genius of your Husqvarna Viking Designer SE and Designer SE Limited Edition sewing machine! Pen this into your schedule now, and prepare yourself for launch into an entire new world and way of sewing!

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Dyeing to Design
with Brian Dykhuizen

During his first visit to Southern California and to Sewing Arts Center, Brian is offering a workshop developed specifically for us: “Dyeing to Design” – a 3-day intensive quilt design workshop incorporating Brian’s unique fabric dyeing techniques, quilt design and quilting.

Day 1 is an introduction to Brian’s fabric dyeing techniques — you’ll dye and paint several yards of fabric for your personal use! There’s a day off between Day 1 and 2 so that you can prepare your dyed fabrics.

Day 2 is all about design in which you will utilize your fabrics to design a wall-hanging size quilt.

Day 3 is all about quilting your masterpiece. This workshop is all inclusive (all you need do is show up with a basic sewing tools ), and is limited to 8 students. $400.

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Curvaceous Curves CC

Quilters, start your creative engines! Breathe deeply, put your straight-edge rotary rulers aside, warm up your free-wheeling sewing spirit, and prepare to cut and sew twisty-curvy lines to create your own interpretation of this design. Guidelines, creative inspiration, a bit of instruction on the how-to’s, but….no rules….can you meet the challenge????

Once Monthly.

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Overachievers Anonymous Independent Study

You’ve fledged, you’ve feathered. You’ve plunged death-defyingly from the nest. But having the reassuring cooing of Ms. McClure — well that still makes ALL the difference.. This is Becky’s answer to all those who keep flocking to class, then after exhausting almost every other quilting vehicle, WHAT NEXT? Take this opportunity to try your wings with confidence knowing that a watching eye is watching your every move.

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