Chair Portraits by Hand, Online
Jun
24
12:00 PM12:00

Chair Portraits by Hand, Online

There’s just something about a chair! With legs and a back, they feel somewhat human and evoke a sense of place and rest. They can be a throne or a work-chair, whimsical or practical. This class invites you to play with this archetypal image and sew a chair from your imagination, real life, or a beloved/iconic photo.

Drawing is an excellent start to a chair portrait because it allows for wobbly lines and creative, multi-angled perspectives. This class will guide you in drawing from life and photographs to make a “perfectly imperfect” portrait full of quirky personality. In addition to drawing, you will learn helpful knots and stitches to create a line quality that embodies your chair.

Join Heidi for an optional LIVE class session on Zoom on Wednesday, June 24, from noon to 2pm Central (Chicago) Time, with mingling and co-working for another hour afterwards.

Learn more and purchase the class here!

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Wholecloth Hand Appliqué with a Joyful Aesthetic
Oct
7
to Oct 11

Wholecloth Hand Appliqué with a Joyful Aesthetic

Heidi Parkes will share her unique approach to appliqué in humongous and teeny-tiny pieces using visible hand stitches. This approach with a wholecloth base fabric is appealing because our work is not about reaching a specific size. Instead, our work is about composition! Heidi will highlight a joyful aesthetic, which you can learn more about via Ingrid Fetell Lee, author of Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness in her 13-minute TED Talk.

Students will create a 5’ x 5’ or 40” x 40” applique quilt top and observe a hand quilting and hand binding demo on the final day. This class is beginner friendly and simultaneously engaging and playful with new approaches to familiar techniques for experienced quiltmakers. Students will receive substantial pre-recorded instruction prior to class in order to make the best use of our time together.

Class Schedule: Wednesday - Sunday, October 7 - 11, 2026
9 am - 5 pm each day

SOLD OUT, sign up for the waitlist here!

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Hand Appliqué, from Tiny to Humongous
Nov
30
to Dec 4

Hand Appliqué, from Tiny to Humongous

This class invites you to celebrate your most beautiful fabrics with HUMONGOUS swaths of hand appliqué and allows you to redeem even the ugliest prints with teeny tiny appliqué. Heidi will share her unique approach to visible hand sewing, and students in this class will create a quilt top! Scale can range from about 20 inches to 7 feet, depending on each maker's desired outcome.

We will use embroidery hoops, thimbles, an iron, safety pins, and straight pins as we work together on composition, color, and concept. Heidi will bring quilts to look at, will share video tutorials in advance of class, and will sew on a quilt alongside students as we enjoy the week together. Portability and efficiency are key benefits that come with handwork, and this class will highlight ways to maximize both!

Heidi's quilting style is known for personal storytelling and diary, and she'll share many ways to optionally include that throughout the class. On our final day together, Heidi will demo hand quilting so that participants can complete their quilts after class.

Students will receive substantial pre-recorded instruction from Heidi one month before class begins; practicing your sewing in advance will allow us to focus on composition and the unique direction of each student’s quilt.

In person at Aya Fiber Studio in Stuart, FL

Class Schedule: Monday, November 30 - Friday, December 4, 2026
9 am - 4 pm each day

Register here!

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Quiltmaking with Heidi Parkes 2027
Jan
1
12:00 PM12:00

Quiltmaking with Heidi Parkes 2027

I’m pleased to be offering my yearlong class, Quiltmaking with Heidi Parkes: Aesthetics, Curiosity, Efficiency, in 2027! Registration will begin in early fall 2026.

Sign up for the 2027 Pre-Registration List here! Those on the pre-registration list will have the first chance to sign up and will be able to offer input on the dates and times of small group sessions.

Quiltmaking: Aesthetics, Curiosity, Efficiency is a yearlong class focused on deepening and enriching your relationship with quiltmaking and artmaking.

  • Quiltmaking: Under the umbrella of artmaking, this course relates to the skill, study, and practice of making quilts with any collection of techniques or materials- as desired by the maker.

  • Aesthetics: Cultivate your personal style and the recognizability of your work. Become an expert in your niche.

  • Curiosity: Ask yourself compelling creative questions and build resilience in critique settings.

  • Efficiency: Grow skill and speed while you structure your making to work with your life, aesthetics, and goals.

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Improv: By Hand and Machine
Mar
5
to Mar 10

Improv: By Hand and Machine

  • Asilomar Conference Grounds (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Intuition and convenience will lead the way as we create improvisational quilt tops together! Receive video instruction from Heidi before class, to learn the basic techniques of visible hand piecing and her unique approach to machine piecing. Then, we’ll explore shape, color, and visual movement as we hone our compositions in class. Work with a wholecloth base or piece your top. You decide how much hand and/or machine is right for you in class. Heidi will guide you in prioritizing a timeline and making strategic choices to balance speed and joyfulness in the sewing process.

In person with Empty Spools Seminars

class listing and supply list

Save the Date—Registration begins June 20, 2026!

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Morocco Textiles Tour
Apr
11
to Apr 25

Morocco Textiles Tour

Sew with Heidi during this once-in-a-lifetime tour of Morocco with Amazigh Cultural Tours. We will begin in Marrakech and travel through multiple cities and villages, finishing in Rabat. The tour includes hands-on experiences and demonstrations with local artisans, museum visits, and travel along ancient trade routes through the Atlas Mountains.

During the tour, Heidi will share her skills and experience to allow participants to develop their ideas for a Travel Diary Quilt, drawing inspiration from the sublime landscape and rich cultural environment provided by the art and architecture of Morocco. The tour is not an intensive sewing or quilting workshop as there is too much to see and experience in Morocco, but time will be devoted to sharing ideas and to creating a special hand-stitched project as we travel. You will be encouraged to develop a visual diary to create studies incorporating your ideas for the future.

In-person through various cities in Morocoo

Tour itinerary

Learn more and register here!

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Mending by Hand, On-Demand LIVE Q&A
Apr
26
12:00 PM12:00

Mending by Hand, On-Demand LIVE Q&A

Heidi’s new Mending On-Demand class invites you to approach mending in a way that prioritizes comfort, functionality, aesthetics. Heidi will teach you the problem-solving skills required to repair the unique garment and wear-pattern before you.

This on-demand class includes a LIVE Q&A, giving you the best of both worlds: extensive pre-recorded instruction that you can watch as often as you like (at any speed you like!), as well as a live Zoom session to share your accomplishments, ask questions, and learn from one another.

Learn more and purchase the class here!

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Fast Construction by Hand and Machine
Jan
30
to Feb 1

Fast Construction by Hand and Machine

  • Textile Arts Center of Madison (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Sometimes it’s fun to go fast! We will sew with intuition and convenience front of mind in this class focused on the exploration of shape, color, and visual movement. We’ll start with machine piecing to efficiently discover the personalities of our fabrics and will then transition into hand appliqué and piecing to complete our medium-sized quilt tops. On our last day, Heidi will share a bit about hand quilting, hand binding, and signing your work.

It will be possible to complete an entire quilt top by the end of class! A minimalist design can be completed within class, while a maximalist look can be achieved with additional sewing in the coming weeks or months. You're welcome to quilt in any style on your own after class, and students will receive a coupon code if they would like to take Heidi's on-demand Improv Hand Quilting class.

Your class fee includes on-demand recorded videos of each stitch, which you will view ahead of time and begin sewing before class meets. You will then attend in-person to view Heidi's quilts up close for inspiration, ask questions, see demonstrations, and address technical challenges as you sew your quilt top.

Learn more and register here!

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Quiltmaking with Heidi Parkes 2026
Jan
1
12:00 PM12:00

Quiltmaking with Heidi Parkes 2026

I’m pleased to be offering my yearlong class, Quiltmaking with Heidi Parkes: Aesthetics, Curiosity, Efficiency, in 2026!

The 2026 Cohort is SOLD OUT

Sign up for the 2027 Pre-Registration List here!

Quiltmaking: Aesthetics, Curiosity, Efficiency is a yearlong class focused on deepening and enriching your relationship with quiltmaking and artmaking.

  • Quiltmaking: Under the umbrella of artmaking, this course relates to the skill, study, and practice of making quilts with any collection of techniques or materials- as desired by the maker.

  • Aesthetics: Cultivate your personal style and the recognizability of your work. Become an expert in your niche.

  • Curiosity: Ask yourself compelling creative questions and build resilience in critique settings.

  • Efficiency: Grow skill and speed while you structure your making to work with your life, aesthetics, and goals.

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Art and Culture Tour of Japan with Takako Willden and the WMQFA
Nov
2
to Nov 15

Art and Culture Tour of Japan with Takako Willden and the WMQFA

  • Multiple locations in Japan (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Experience hand quilting and design inspiration in Japan with Heidi and skilled tour guide Takako Willden. Featuring sewing time with Heidi (bring a project!), hands-on workshops, arts & culture tours, admission to the Yokohama Quilt Festival, and more, this intimate tour is the perfect way to travel. We will also have several virtual sessions with Heidi prior to departure. We are excited to be traveling with the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts this year.

In person in Tokyo, Kyoto, Niigata, and Yokohama, Japan

Learn more and register here!

SOLD OUT, but you can join the waitlist

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Visible Hand Piecing
Oct
5
10:00 AM10:00

Visible Hand Piecing

  • Textile Arts Center of Madison (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

This exciting and relatively fast approach to hand piecing allows your handwork to stand out. Using a thick and visible thread, you will learn to piece curves and straight lines with an appliqué-inspired approach, using large and small pieces of fabric. Instruction will focus on the running stitch, whip stitch, and ladder stitch, as well as clever and poetic solutions for ‘innie-corners,’ acute angles, and finished-edge textiles like handkerchiefs and napkins.

Your class fee includes on-demand recorded videos of each stitch, which you will view ahead of time and begin sewing before class meets. You will then attend in-person to view Heidi's quilts up close for inspiration, ask questions, see demonstrations, and address technical challenges as you sew your quilt top.

In-person at Textile Arts Center of Madison in Madison, WI

Learn more about the class here!

SOLD OUT, but you can join the waitlist by emailing elizabeth@textileartsmadison.org

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Diary Quilting: Manifesting & Spellcasting
Sep
27
to Dec 6

Diary Quilting: Manifesting & Spellcasting

This is a wonderful class for both experienced quilters and beginners. If you have taken Diary Quilting with Heidi before, this will be a fresh take on the topic. This Fall, we will delve deeply into the concept of manifestation. This includes practical goal-setting and habit formation, alongside the mystical and even using the absurd to invoke change, healing, and the world we wish to inhabit.

You will join Heidi on a Mighty Network with:

• Four learning modules providing video instruction

• Optional LIVE Zoom Co-Working Sessions: It’s okay to attend just a couple of these. They are offered at 3 times to hopefully meet the needs of a variety of students:

  • Saturdays 11am-1pm Central: 9/27, 10/25, 12/6

  • Mondays 5-7pm Central : 10/6, 10/13

  • Tuesdays noon-2pm Central: 10/7, 10/14

Learn more and register here!

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Hand Yoga at the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show
Sep
4
to Sep 6

Hand Yoga at the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show

  • 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way Madison, WI, 53713 United States (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Heidi is both a hand quilter AND a certified yoga instructor! She practices hand yoga regularly to maintain her hand health. In this lecture, she will lead a session of hand yoga, responding to requests from the group for areas of focus (hands, elbow, arm, neck, wrist, thumbs, etc), followed by a Q & A.

This lecture is offered daily, at 8:30 - 9:30 AM, from Thursday, 9/4 through Saturday, 9/6

Learn more and register here!

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Fast Construction by Hand and Machine
Aug
12
to Aug 16

Fast Construction by Hand and Machine

  • Woodland Ridge Retreat (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Sometimes it’s fun to go fast! We will sew with intuition and convenience front of mind in this class focused on the exploration of shape, color, and visual movement. We’ll start with machine piecing to efficiently discover the personalities of our fabrics and will then transition into hand applique and piecing to complete our medium-sized quilt tops. Mid-week, we’ll transition to hand quilting. On our last day, we’ll explore hand binding and/or framing our quilts on a wooden frame.

Students will have access to pre-recorded technique videos before class, including my Framed Quilts On-Demand class.

In person at Woodland Ridge Retreat in Menomonie, WI

Learn more about the class here.

SOLD OUT, but you can join the waitlist by emailing Chris via: dyecandy@gmail.com

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Artist-Led Exhibition Tour of "Heidi Parkes: Soft Magic"
Jun
1
1:00 PM13:00

Artist-Led Exhibition Tour of "Heidi Parkes: Soft Magic"

  • Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Learn the stories behind my quilts like never before—through an in-person tour of my midcareer retrospective exhibition at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts! If you’ve been hoping to see the exhibition before it closes on June 8, take advantage of this opportunity to see the show and learn about my quilts directly from me.

In person at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts in Cedarburg, WI

Learn more and register here!

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Visible Hand Piecing at Quilt National
May
24
1:00 PM13:00

Visible Hand Piecing at Quilt National

Learn some of the techniques featured in my quilt, Nimble, Nimble, on display at Quilt National 2025! This exciting and relatively fast approach to hand piecing allows your handwork to stand out. Using a thick and visible thread, you will learn to sew curves and straight lines with a visibly hand sewn approach, using large and small pieces of fabric. As time allows, we will focus on the running stitch, whip stitch, and ladder stitch, along with Korean Patchwork jogakbo/bojagi techniques. We'll explore clever and poetic solutions for ‘innie-corners,’ acute angles, and finished edge textiles like handkerchiefs and napkins. Check out examples of this exciting work with #VisibleHandPiecing.

In person at the Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, OH.

Learn more and register here

SOLD OUT, waitlist available

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Diary Quilts: Documenting, Manifesting, And Storytelling With Stitch
May
12
to May 16

Diary Quilts: Documenting, Manifesting, And Storytelling With Stitch

  • Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Have you ever tried to keep a paper diary? Sometimes it’s easier with cloth! Heidi will lead students in creating a Diary Quilt top in this 5-day class. Heidi will teach strategies for efficient stitching, ways to balance abstraction and precision, and will guide students in riding the line between personal and public. A Diary Quilt can reframe the past, record the present, and represent dreams for the future. Different from a memoir, diaries are tools, holders of secrets, and spaces for play. Quilt top construction will focus on hand piecing, but Heidi will also do a few sewing machine demos in class.

Students will receive a wealth of information in advance, with videos on handwork techniques, and a welcome video to spark creativity and offer guidance in collecting and packing fabrics.

Class Schedule: Monday-Friday, May 12-16, 2025
10 am - 4 pm each day

Learn more and register here!

In person at Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts

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Framed Quilts
Apr
13
10:00 AM10:00

Framed Quilts

  • Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Make a 6” by 6” quilt stretched on a wooden frame! This is a great class for beginners and advanced quilters. You will get an introduction to all of the steps of making a quilt, as well as trying many techniques that you can use for this or future quilts, including layering, patchwork, quilting-as-you-go, embroidery, and freeform appliqué.

Students will receive Heidi’s on-demand Framed Quilts class in advance of class, allowing you to practice beforehand and bring your questions. This allows us to make the most of our class time~

Learn more and register here!

In person at Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts

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Diary Quilting: Abstraction for Aesthetics and Secret-Keeping
Apr
12
to May 17

Diary Quilting: Abstraction for Aesthetics and Secret-Keeping

Heidi has become known for her Diary Quilts at QuiltCon, Quilt National, as 2024 Artist in Residence at the Pfister Hotel, and in her current exhibition at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts: Soft Magic. Enjoy this unique opportunity to learn from her, and try your hand with this special approach to quiltmaking.

Join her this spring 2025 for Diary Quilting! This class introduces you to personal narrative, code, abstraction, logging daily life, dreaming about the future, and reframing the past. This healing practice focuses on hand piecing a quilt top, and allows you to work with any techniques that you like. Heidi will offer guidance on composition, aesthetics, storytelling, technique, and the art of diary. This class is beginner-friendly and also provides welcome challenges for skilled quilters. If you’ve studied Diary Quilting with her in years past, this iteration holds the topic at a new angle, and welcomes you back.

We will meet on an exclusive Mighty Network platform with pre-recorded instruction and live sharing times that accommodate multiple time zones:

  • Saturdays noon-2pm Central: 4/12, 5/17

  • Mondays 6-8pm Central : 4/14, 4/28, 5/12

  • Tuesdays 11am-1pm Central: 4/22, 5/6, 7/29

Learn more and register here!

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Panel Discussion With Heidi Parkes, Roderick Kiracofe, Luke Haynes, Amanda Nadig
Mar
15
3:00 PM15:00

Panel Discussion With Heidi Parkes, Roderick Kiracofe, Luke Haynes, Amanda Nadig

  • Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

In celebration National Quilting Day, the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts is hosting a panel discussion featuring Heidi, fellow artists Luke Haynes and Amanda Nadia, and art collector Roderick Kiracofe.

You are also invited to stay after the panel for the opening reception for Heidi’s mid-career retrospective exhibition, "Heidi Parkes: Soft Magic"!

Register here!

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Quilted Tank Top
Mar
13
to Mar 14

Quilted Tank Top

  • Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

A quilted tank can be layered over a sweater or under a cardigan in winter, and is a breezy option in summer too! Heidi has been making these incredibly comfortable garments for herself since early 2022, and after practicing teaching a few friends to make them, she’s launching this class for the first time in-person at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts.

You’ll create a tank top from an existing quilt, using a top that fits you as a template. One thing’s for sure: once you perfect your pattern in class, you’ll want to make lots of these quilted tanks for yourself to wear.

Class Schedule: Thursday & Friday, March 13 & 14, 2025
10 am - 4 pm each day

Learn more and register here!

In person at Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts

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Hand Yoga for Quilters Lecture
Feb
8
1:00 PM13:00

Hand Yoga for Quilters Lecture

Sewing, knitting, handwork, and even typing can stress our hands; come learn hand yoga techniques to relieve tension and keep your hands healthy.

This lecture is free with admission to the Winter Quilt Show, hosted by the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts at Washington County Fair Park.

Winter Quilt Show details:
Saturday, February 8th, 9am - 4pm
$10 admission
Washington County Fair Park, West Bend, WI

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Quiltmaking with Heidi Parkes 2025
Jan
1
12:00 PM12:00

Quiltmaking with Heidi Parkes 2025

I’m pleased to be offering my year-long class, Quiltmaking with Heidi Parkes: Aesthetics, Curiosity, Efficiency, in 2025!

The 2025 Cohort is SOLD OUT

Sign up for the 2026 Pre-Registration List here!

Curriculum:

Quiltmaking: Under the umbrella of artmaking, this course relates to the skill, study, and practice of making quilts with any collection of techniques or materials- as desired by the maker.

Aesthetics: Cultivate your personal style and the recognizability of your work. Become an expert in your niche.

Curiosity: Ask yourself compelling creative questions and build resilience in critique settings.

Efficiency: Grow skill and speed while you structure your making to work with your life, aesthetics, and goals.

Dates:

Saturday Small Group, 2 pm - 5 pm Central: 1/4, 2/1, 3/8, 4/5, 5/3, 5/31, 6/28, 7/26, 8/23, 9/27, 10/25, 12/6

Monday Small Group, 2 pm - 5 pm Central: 1/6, 2/3, 3/10, 4/7, 5/5, 6/2, 6/30, 7/28, 8/25, 9/29, 10/27, 12/8

Tuesday Small Group, 5 pm - 8 pm Central: 1/7, 2/4, 3/11, 4/8, 5/6, 6/3, 7/1, 7/29, 8/26, 9/30, 10/28, 12/9

Optional large-group 2-hour co-working sessions 1-2 x’s per month: 1/13 7pm, 1/22 2pm, 2/10 7pm, 2/12 2pm; Additional times and dates will vary, and will be shared as they approach.

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Sewing in Sardinia: Healing, self-care, quilting, and yoga
Jul
14
to Jul 20

Sewing in Sardinia: Healing, self-care, quilting, and yoga

  • Galanias Bari Sardo Hotel (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Immerse yourself in an unforgettable wellness journey at Galanias Bari Sardo Hotel in Sardinia, an exquisite island off the coast of Italy. Heidi will guide you in yoga, traveling, and stitching with daily workshops on hand sewing a quilt top for yourself. Enjoy delicious Sardinian meals with vegan and vegetarian options, and days filled with a range of enriching activities, including a hike, a boat ride, and an excursion to Sardinia’s famed town of murals: Orgosolo.

Beginners are welcome, and you will meet with Heidi before and after our retreat on Zoom to receive additional instruction on the art of hand piecing your quilt top. Balancing effort and ease is prioritized as you learn to pace yourself and stay curious about your artmaking.

Learn more and register here!

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