Alethea Ballard has 16 years of middle school teaching under her belt and has taught classes to quilters of all ages. Her positive approach and relaxed teaching style encourages creativity and inspires new ideas to flourish in her classes. Her own working style is impromptu and innovative and she lets fabric, color and design guide her quilts to fruition. Contact Alethea to schedule her to teach in your area.
Appliqué classes:
Alethea enjoys a collage-style appliqué process. So, true to form, she has cobbled together an eclectic style of making appliqué designs that combines fusible with glue stick and just gets it done. Her patterns can certainly be made with traditional turned edge work, but her classes are also for the "I don't do appliqué" kind of quilter. Jump in with both feet, even if you're not familiar with appliqué, and Alethea will give you the green light to make the most extraordinary quilts. These classes are based on her new pattern pack from C & T Publishing, Dream Chair Quilts, 7 Patterns for Whimsical Wall hangings.
Chair of Your Dreams
Make a statement with a single inviting armchair. Helping to choose fabrics and to create the feel for each unique chair, Alethea guides her students through the steps for making an amazing wall hanging for any room.
6 hours, advanced beginner through advanced levels.
Bedroom Sweet
Create three delicious, delicate boudoir chairs from Dream Chair Quilts. This little wall hanging will be the perfect addition to your decor. Using Alethea's patterns and having her guide you through the fabric choices makes this class a pleasure.
6 hours, intermediate through advanced levels.
Estate Sale
This quilt is the showstopper. With Alethea's guidance through the fabric selection and making the chairs, an amazing quilt will unfold. Join her in this unique creative opportunity.
12 hours, intermediate through advanced levels.
Appliqué Baby Quilt classes:
Oh, Alethea loves to make baby quilts. They are so small and cute and quick to get done. Join her to make a custom quilt based on your focus fabric.
Baby, Oh Baby
Bring in a fun conversation print and Alethea will work with you to design a personalized quilt for a precious little one. Basic appliqué techniques and patchwork sewing are covered. This process class is great for students who are ready to begin or to develop their own design style.
5 hours, beginner to intermediate levels.
Patchwork classes:
Always impatient with convention, Alethea prefers to create new patterns for her quilts and has compiled her most recent work in to Maverick Quilts, Using Large-Scale Prints, Novelty Fabrics & Panels with Panache, from C & T Publishing. She will begin teaching quilts from her new book in Spring 2010 beginning with:
California Housetop
Using the housetop blocks from the quilters of Gees Bend and a large-scale focus fabric, students will create a large, dynamic quilt. Alethea will teach how to work with large vertical pieces of fabric to create the large sashing pieces. Alethea's relaxed style of piecing will lead students to the free style block characteristic of the Gees Bend quilts.
10 hours, beginner through advanced levels.
Baby Gees Bend
Using the modified log cabin block that is characteristic of the Gees Bend quilters, Alethea has created a truly wonderful baby quilt. This class is great for beginners who want their quilts to look hand made and unique.
6 hours, beginner through advanced levels.
Lily Patch
Using just two fabrics, a floral print and a stripe, students will create a remarkable quilt using simple piecing techniques. Alethea guides the class through creating boxes out of stripe fabric and assembling a lovely quilt top.
5 hours, beginner through intermediate levels.
Youth classes:
Lucy Lulu
This fun quilt camp introduces students to the basics of patchwork and quilt making. Students will cut, piece, and assemble a unique quilt top and go through the steps of sewing the layers together to create a finished product.
13 hours, beginners.
Belle Fiore
Beginning students are led through the steps of quilt design and basic appliqué techniques. Alethea's maverick sewing style is a relaxed way for young people to embark on the adventure that quilting can be.
13 hours, beginners.
Lectures:
The Maverickquilter
Alethea explores the unusual and eclectic side of quilts referred to as maverick quilts. She describes her personal journey as a quilter and shows her innovative approach to quilt design and creation.
60 minutes
Contact Alethea for other classes based on her books and for pricing and schedule availability.