*Join the 2025 Preregistration list HERE

Quiltmaking

I’m excited to offer, for the first time ever, an opportunity to learn with me throughout the course of a year. Each month, students will present a slideshow in their ‘small-group’ with an update on their quilting, and after each student’s presentation I’ll offer insights, and we’ll respond to their work as a group. In addition, this will be our monthly course structure:

1. Robust pre-recorded video-learning from me in monthly modules, following our curriculum

2. Meet once a month, in 3 small groups of 10 people each (Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday)

3. Optional large-group co-working sessions

4. We will engage with each other to share photos & updates via an exclusive Mighty Network platform, including a personal ‘article’ serving as your virtual studio

5. Students will be matched with each other for 1:1 monthly conversations

2024 DATES:

Sunday Small Group, noon - 3 pm Central: 1/7, 2/4, 3/3, 3/24, 5/5, 6/2, 6/30, 8/4, 9/8, 10/6, 11/3, 12/1 *SOLD OUT

Monday Small Group, noon - 3 pm Central: 1/8, 2/5, 3/4, 3/25, 5/6, 6/3, 7/1, 8/5, 9/9, 10/7, 11/4, 12/2 *SOLD OUT

Tuesday Small Group, 4 pm - 7 pm Central: 1/9, 2/6, 3/5, 3/26, 5/7, 6/4, 7/2, 8/6, 9/10, 10/8, 11/5, 12/3 *SOLD OUT

Optional large-group 2-hour co-working sessions 1-2 x’s per month: M 1/22 noon; T 2/27 4pm; M 3/11 5pm; additional times to be shared as they approach, with the aid of a student availability poll

*Within a few days of registering, you will receive a welcome email with an ‘add to calendar’ option that will accurately populate your calendar with all of your small group’s dates.

*Mighty Network access will begin in December 2023, and you will retain lifetime access to this network as an alumni of the course.

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.

January: Introducing ourselves, and defining our aesthetics

February: Refining our conceptual interests and doing research

March: Technical skill, how to improve

April: Economizing/resource management

May: Small studies and working in a series

June: Investing/being generous to your quiltmaking practice

July: Photography and words/speaking

August: Troubleshooting roadblocks

September: Location goals: IG, galleries, guilds, home, gifting, selling, exhibits, residencies, etiquette, vocabulary

October: Writing about your work, documentation

November: Pleasing yourself, grounding your practice

December: Graduation, next steps

Is this course for me?

This course may be a good fit if:

1. You've loved taking classes with me before

2. You're looking to nurture your personal sewing style 

3. You're eager for a rigorous program to keep you accountable and sewing for an average of 5-7 hours a week

4. You’re already familiar with a Mighty Network (like the Nook, Brave Patch, Sew Squad, Mending Space, Personal Mythmaking), or you’re able to navigate spaces like Facebook and Instagram with relative ease after an introductory tour

5. You’re excited for live, personal interaction with me in an intimate setting, where we’ll know each other

6. You can attend most of our small group meetings live, at least 9 of the 12

This course may not be for you this year if:

1. You’re brand-new to my work

2. You often need extra help with computers including Zoom, Powerpoint, and logging in with a password

3. You can’t make the small group times, and don’t have at least 300-hours to sew in 2024

4. If it isn’t in your budget, there are many free and low-cost prerecorded options from me on YouTube and Creativebug. I hope to offer this course annually, so saving for next year could work too.

How Rigorous is this Course?

• Think of this like a single college course.

• In commitment, effort, and transformation I hope to match a year-long yoga certification training.

• Plan to make 3-8 quilts, and a collection of small studies.

• This course is intended to grow and transform your practice: this can be a private or public quilting practice, and this important choice is entirely up to you.

• If you get behind, it is possible to catch up. All class sessions are recorded. You have the option to record what you would’ve presented in small group and can share it with us.

• Access to the class modules and Mighty Network are ‘lifetime’ access for as long as I continue to run this course.

Personal Style:

• You are welcome to include techniques and ideas from my work and classes in this course: visible hand piecing, diary quilting, piecing as painting, framed quilts, mending, etc.

• You are welcome to work with techniques and ideas from other classes, contemporary teachers, and quilting traditions.

• Hand and machine techniques are both welcome.

• In class we will discuss ways to balance inspiration and innovation. We will learn about etiquette and best practice for crediting others.

• There will be space to grow, change, innovate, learn, and practice throughout the class and into the future.

Additional Info:

• This is an intimate yearlong class. Your presence in ‘small-group’ sessions is important and you should plan to attend at least 9 of the 12 sessions LIVE. (They will be recorded, and available through March 2025)

• Watch you mailbox! Students will receive a special gift from me.🎁

• Students will receive a discount code for my on-demand and live Zoom classes for the year. This is an optional benefit, and not required additional study.

• All purchases are final. If you have questions about the appropriateness of this class for you, please email HeidiParkesINFO@gmail.com or DM @heidi.parkes before purchasing.

• ⭕️ TAKE NOTE AFTER CHECKOUT: You will receive an emailed receipt directly after purchasing access to this class. Within about a week, you will receive a welcome email to add the class to your calendar. In December, you will receive access to the class website on Mighty Networks.