Elaine Quehl is teaching at Quilt Canada 2017

Elaine Quehl is CQA/ACC's Teacher of the Year in 2015. Her students love her, her quilts are incredible and we are thrilled to bring her to Toronto ON in June to teach at Quilt Canada 2017!

Elaine sat down with us for a few minutes and gave us the opportunity to find out more about her and see why you simply must take a class with her!

Curtain Call

Tell us a bit about when you quilt, or what motivates you to do what you do.

These days I design quilts in the late autumn and through the winter, when I'm not on the road teaching. I am motivated by visual experiences, which have usually been captured in my photographs. So far I have focused on nature, predominantly botanicals. Usually it is an image of something I can't get out of my mind.

Encore

Tell us about the classes you teach.

Most people may not know that I love to fly by the seat of my pants. For my botanical quilts I usually create a detailed pattern, but there are often times when I just start cutting and piecing fabric free-hand without a ruler. These designs are usually pretty open-ended. In "Improv Curves With a Little Planning" my aim is to let you have a little more control over an improv design. In my samples, I've used shapes, lines and colours inspired by a photograph I took at a slot canyon, known as Antelope Canyon, in Arizona. You will be able to draw out a very simple rudimentary design with some basic lines, and then figure out a plan for how to piece it in a free-form way. It is still fairly open-ended, but I'm going to show you how to insert pieces in a simple way for a more complex design.

Tell us something you are most proud of.

I  am most proud that I am going into my 10th year of being a full-time artist, teacher, dyer, and designer. I was able to leave the 9-5 grind behind and do what I love. Teaching is my biggest focus.


What is your favourite food?

Espresso (not a food but very important to me), dark chocolate, fruit, yogurt, granola. These are things I have every day that I can't live without.

Elaine puts her students right at ease whether they are beginner or advanced quilters. Her methods are simple and students easily grasp the new skills learned in the workshops. Read on to see what she is teaching in Toronto ON at Quilt Canada!

402 - Improv Curves With a Little Planning (Janome)
One Full Day Workshop
Saturday, June 17, 2017, 08:30 - 16:00
Cost: $145.00

Come with a photograph that features colours that inspire you, and bring fabrics in those colours. Bring a notebook, pencil and eraser to sketch some rough designs. You will learn to cut curves free-hand using a rotary cutter and mat (no ruler!). See how easy it is to sew these curves together into an improv design. You will learn how to piece in a few design elements inspired by your photograph and rough sketches.

For the Improv Curves class, Elaine sent along some pictures to describe the class. 

The picture below is the  inspirational photo of a slot canyon that was the jumping off point for creating the curved designs. 

This second photo is a sample for the class. 

Third photo is a another interpretation. 

Please go here to get more details on the other workshops Elaine is teaching!

102 - Collage Tree
One Full Day Workshop
Wednesday, June 14, 2017, 08:30 - 16:00
Cost: $145.00
Pattern & Photo Fee: $12.00 + HST

Is there anyone who doesn’t love a gnarled and mature tree with textured bark? Learn how I create my collage trees, while using one of my patterns and a photo as your reference (pattern & photo $12.00 + HST). Learn to see value and represent depth. Please visit the Tree Gallery of my website at www.elainequehl.com/trees.html. Pattern choices are Standing Still, Branching Out, or Vagabond Song

SUPPLY LIST FOR 102 - COLLAGE TREE

202 - In Full Bloom
One Full Day Workshop
Thursday, June 15, 2017, 08:30 - 16:00
Cost: $145.00

In this one-day class the instructor will explain how she turns her close-up floral photographs into a pattern suitable for creating a fused wall quilt. Using one of the patterns developed by the teacher, students will learn how to construct a stunning quilt with depth and dimension. Two flower patterns are available: 1) Sunkissed Poppy (can be made in red or blue), and 2) Peony. Pattern and kit of hand-dyed fabrics available for a cost of $92.00 plus HST (optional). Kit does not include supplies below.

SUPPLY LIST FOR 202 - IN FULL BLOOM

302 - Sketch and Colour (Janome)
One Full Day Workshop
Friday, June 16, 2017, 08:30 - 16:00
Cost: $145.00
Kit Fee: $20 plus HST

Add a look of hand-sketching to your quilt top by “sketching” a scene or elements from a photo using a sewing machine. No you don’t need to know how to draw! Instructor will provide several designs to “sketch” from based on her own photographs.

Kit includes fabric, stabilizer, printed image, a Topstitch needle and a spool of thread that coordinates with your design. Cost of kit is $20 plus HST. Prismacolor Artist Pencils will be available in class so you can add shading and hi-lights to your design.

Supply List: Please bring a basic sewing kit that includes scissors/thread snips and a seam ripper. You will also need to bring a spool of neutral-coloured thread (grey or taupe are good choices) in cotton or polyester.

Don't wait too long to register, you don't want to be disappointed.