Craftsy Class: Machine Quilting Negative Space with Angela Walters

 

Angela Walters is a Free-Motion Quilting (FMQ) Expert that is a professional longarm quilter, teacher and author.  Many of her customer quilts have gone on to win awards in major quilt shows, as well as get published in popular quilting books.  She teaches FMQ on a longarm machine and on domestic machines, and is frequently found teaching at major quilt shows.  Angela also teaches "Free Motion Quilting With Feathers" and "Machine Quilting Negative Space" at Craftsy.  And, she has published two great FMQ books:

Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters
  
In the Studio with Angela Walters




While I highly encourage you to take a class with Angela at a quilt show, your quilt guild or local quilt shop, I realize that may not be possible.  Thus, you may want to talk to your local quilt guild events coordinator and/or your local quilt shop, to have them schedule Angela to teach in your area.  I'm sure you'll be delighted.  But, I have another recommendation for you that I think will work for anyone interested in learning/improving your FMQ skills, no matter where you live, or what your schedule may be like.  And,  it is a very reasonable price option, that offers a great value too!

Consider taking a class with Angela through Craftsy!  Yes, you too can take a class with Angela Walters and learn to create beautiful free-motion quilting, in the comfort of your own home, at your leisure.
















Today I want to share insights with you on Angela's class at Craftsy  called Machine Quilting Negative Space.  It is a class that SewCalGal recommends to any quilter that wants to improve their FMQ skills, regardless if you are a longarm quilter or use a domestic sewing machine.   And, for those that want to make their modern quilts look spectacular, this class will really help you add FMQ that will make that negative space look amazing!  To clarify, if you do not work on modern quilts, and not certain what is "negative space" this class can still be helpful. You'll learn all about negative space and many techniques and designs that will still work on your traditional quilts too!  

Like all of of the classes at Craftsy, the filming is high quality, with HD video that captures details of Angela's beautiful quilting.  Angela and the Craftsy team obviously did a great deal of prep and planning for this wonderful class.  

The class "Machine Quilting Negative Space" is broken into sections that are easy to follow, start/stop at any point, and easy to repeat as many times as you wish.

LESSON 1: INTRO (5:03)


Angela shares insights on her personal background, how she learned to quilt from her  husband's grandfather and why she loves free-motion quilting.   She emphasizes that while she is using a longarm machine for this class, the techniques she is teaching also apply to those using a domestic sewing machine.  And, SewCalGal definitely agrees (this class will benefit those with a domestic sewing machine too)!

I love her perspective that machine quilting is like handwriting "Everyone has their own style so practice FMQ and make it your own".

Angela has designed a quilt that students are given a free copy of the pattern, to make an optional quilt that measures 54 1/2" x 70 1/2".  This fun design incorporates two large areas of negative space that are perfect for the techniques taught in this class. But, if you don't want to make this optional quilt you can certainly use practice quilt sandwiches, or create your own quilt with negative space.  Of course, it is also fun to see what fellow students create using this design and see photos shared in the "project" space (aka Gallery) for the class.

Source: Doodling via Mandy26 on Craftsy

Designs will be first taught drawing them out and when you are comfortable with that, you'll stitch them out on your machine!


LESSON 2:SKETCHING: NEGATIVE SPACE (25:32)


Angela shares insights on what is negative space, help you break up the overall quilt for free-motion quilting (FMQ) so you can create more visual impact with your quilt.   Her techniques also help if you are quilting on a domestic sewing machine, for ways to break up the surface of your quilt into areas that make it more manageable on your machine.

Many different designs are shared creating them in different scales.  Insights are also shared on using a couple of designs together to quilt a negative space and how to pick out designs and size that will work well together, yet have enough contrast together.  Sketching is an excellent way to decide what designs you may want to combine and use on your quilt and how you may want to adjust spacing and scale.

Examples of designs covered in this lesson: Paisley, Figure 8 (teardrop), circles, swirls, squares and boxes, tight back and forth lines, brackets and more!

LESSON 3:  SKETCHING:  COMBINING DESIGNS (16:57)

Angela shares three different ways  on how to combine designs in your project.  Start with swirls and go to circles, moving from one design to another.  You can apply this technique from top to bottom, side to side, or within an area.  It is up to you.

Examples of designs covered in this lesson: Circles & swirls, swirls & leaves,wavy bones and more.




LESSON 4: SKETCHING: CHANGING YOUR SCALE (15:06)



Angela shows how changing scale can add interest.  Tips are shared for marking going top to bottom, left to right, or a center out approach, for a great effect.

LESSON 5:  ECHOING QUILT DESIGNS (9:59)

Angela teaches an unique approach of incorporating an "echo" of a block design in your quilt, within the negative space, which creates amazing results!  Longarmers may want to  use rulers (guides), whereas those using a domestic machine may want to mark their quilt, when stitching this FMQ technique.

This lesson enables you to add great visual impact and texture to the negative space in your quilt.  This technique alone is worth the cost of this class (and all the other lessons are well worth the cost too).


LESSON 6: STITCHING IN NEGATIVE SPACE (27:17)



This lesson, Angela demonstrates designs on the quilt design that is provided for free for students in this class, but you can also do this on a practice sandwich, whole cloth quilt, etc..   Tips for combining three different designs, including how to select to create contrast are included!


Examples of designs covered in this lesson:  Brackets, lines, circles and swirls in a variety of sizes.

  LESSON 7:  QUILTING DESIGNS (17:14)


In this lesson, Angela has an optional wholecloth fabric you can purchase from  Spoonflower  but you can also stitch out this lesson on practice sandwiches or make your own whole cloth quilt top.

Combined two designs in a negative space on your quilt.  Tips for filling in the space, such as the edge of a block, how to travel and fill in the design in your negative quilting space.

Examples of designs covered in this lesson:  Circles, Straight Lines, Swirls, Leaves, and Paisleys.

LESSON 8: CHANGING SCALE (20:10)



Angela shows how a beautiful design can look stunning on your quilts in three different sizes, using this technique in rows or around a focal piece.   Exercises include FMQ with random sizes, as well as using an approach that transitions sizes across an area of your quilt.  Great lesson to add some amazing texture to negative space on your quilt!

I loved Angela's recommendation to feel free to stop and take a look at where your FMQ is heading.  It takes about 2 minutes to quilt an area that would take you 30 minutes to rip out! 

Examples of designs covered in this lesson:  Circles, Swirls and Paisleys.

LESSON 9: INTERMEDIATE DESIGN: Bump Up The Complexity (20:55)





Angela shares how to create some of her favorite designs in this lesson that add impressive texture to the negative space in your quilts.  

Examples of designs covered in this lesson:  Wood Grain, Tiles, Plume Feather and Flower



LESSON 10: DESIGN GALLERY - Eye Candy (7:03)


Angela shares samples of designs and talks about how to combine designs, change scale and apply various designs to your quilts.

Great visuals to see how designs can be used to break up large areas of negative space on a quilt.  And, how your free-motion quilting can create texture and add beauty to your quilt.

Can you see why SewCalGal loves taking any/all classes with Angela Walters?  And, how her class on Craftsy is an amazing value?  This class is offered at a regular price of $39.99 which is an amazing value.  And, periodically, Craftsy does offer specials. But even at regular price, this class is a great value.  

To clarify, SewCalGal does not view this is a class that a beginner may want to take.  Ideally, you should have some experience with free-motion quilting before you take this class and ideally be at a confident beginner level, or more expertise!


"Let it go and enjoy the process!"

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If you have taken a class with Angela at Craftsy, please leave a comment and let us know what you thought of it.  

If you are not familiar with Craftsy and are nervous about taking an online class, check out my post about free classes at Craftsy. This is a great opportunity for quilters of all levels and interest and a good way to get some hands on experience with how Craftsy structures their classes.



Full Disclosure:  SewCalGal has enjoyed Craftsy so much that I recently signed up to be a Craftsy Affiliate.  If you click through to Craftsy, from SewCalGal, to purchase a class, I do receive payment from Craftsy (but your price is not any different than if you purchased it elsewhere).  I pursued signing up for the Affiliate program to help supplement expense costs for SewCalGal (e.g. shipping prizes).  But, even when SewCalGal is an Affiliate she shares her own opinion when sharing insights.