Click to enlarge

Birthstone Gems (3 or 5 hours, or 2+ days)

Please see my other website to learn all about these wonderful gems. I haven't been this excited about a series of designs in a long time!! They are just breathtakingly beautiful!

Dream Big Tablerunner (5-6 hours)

This workshop is all about cutting and fusing. The sewing comes in just for the binding (and FMQ of course). Using a beautiful Dream Big panel means your colors are automatically coordinated. Learn some neat tricks for staying organized with all the pieces, color placement, and machine quilting it. The pattern calls for 6 feathers to make a Bed Runner, but you can make yours like mine and just do the 3 feathers.

Kira (5-6 hours)

Starting with 10” coordinated pre-cut fabrics means you’re that much closer to a beautiful quilt top. You can also use yardage for this pattern. Kira is a surprisingly easy pattern, even though it looks quite complicated. You will learn how to use the Stripology Ruler, saving time and improving your accuracy.

Improv Trees (5-6 hours)

Not a big fan of exact seam allowances? These Improv trees are just the ticket...make them short and fat, tall and skinny, throw in some non-Christmassy fabrics just for fun. I actually used thrifted mens cotton shirts for this quilt, which is another option.

Click to enlarge

Penquin Party/Swan Island/Koalas (6 hours)

Choose to make either ‘Swan Island’, ‘Penguin Party' or 'Koalas', patterns from designer Elizabeth Hartman. All designs use the same techniques: quarter inch seams and snowball corners. I have good tips for both types of seams, plus suggestions on staying organized with all the little pieces to be cut and sewn.

Norway Quilt (3 or 5 hours)

A great quilt for beginners, you can make it scrappy like mine or just a few colors. Learn efficient and successful ways to cut, press, sew. I've got TONS of tips and techniques to help you along the way. (Requires purchase of the pattern from Thimble Blossoms.)

Jelly Roll Rug (3 hours)

An enjoyable 3 hours, learning how to turn strips and batting into a useful piece of art! Each student will make a small version of this rug (mug rug? trivet?) to learn all the steps to making this fun project. (Requires purchase of the pattern from RJ Designs)

Click to enlarge

16-patch Choice (3 or 6 hours):

Each student can choose to make one of these five different quilts, all based on the simple 16-patch block. Each student will get instructions (written and verbal with demos) for all five quilts, but will concentrate on one of quilts during the class.

Click to enlarge

A Maze Zing Quilt (3 or 6 hours)

Great for busting that stash of jelly rolls, the student will learn a great way to sew long strips together with NO pins, and NO curves to press out. Its almost magic, it works so well!

Radiant HST Star (3 hours)

Usually these Radiant Star quilts are made with diamond patches.   However, my redesign with triangles means it's a much easier quilt to make. Promise!

Machine Quilting (6 hours)

After 18 years of teaching this class, Mary-Jeanine has compiled the most complete collection of information, tips, techniques and samples for this very thorough class.  Includes discussion of batting choices, thread choices, needle choices, 3 ways to baste a quilt, how to mark a quilt, how to come up with a quilting design, tools you can't live without (and which ones can be found at the hardware store), resources for inspiration, troubleshooting and much more.  You will leave with a full brain and an enthusiasm to practice, practice, practice!

Click to enlarge

Faux Log Cabin Spiral & Faux Log Cabin Barn (3 or 6 hours)

Because of the high contrast of lights and darks, this block looks like a log cabin, but it is much quicker and easier to make.  Be sure to have lights and darks, no mediums.  This block is easier with fat quarters or yardage, even though it look like scrappy strips. A very popular class with a handout.

Kissy Kissy (3 hours)

This quilt utilizes two different blocks: a 16-patch and an 'X' block. Mary-Jeanine has some original techniques to create these classic building blocks. This can be done very scrappy, or with 5 or 6 coordinating fabrics, as you see in this example. Mary-Jeanine's self-published pattern comes free for each student.

Strip Twist (3 hours)

Using your collection of coordinating (or not!) 2.5" strips, these blocks go together fairly quickly as long as you follow a few important steps. You will also learn a handytechnique for sewing and pressing long strips. This design comes to us from Bonnie Hunter as a free pattern.

Color Slabs (3 or 6 hours)

From the very popular Sunday Morning Quilts book, this fun class gives us the opportunity to really dive into our scraps to make a beautiful quilt. In this class you will learn about color and values; the sewing is easy. Bring your scraps or purchase a few fat quarters. We can do some scrap trading in class to get lots of interesting value changes. You will make a few 'slabs' of color (12" or 15"blocks) in the class, and Mary-Jeanine will give you some tips on efficient sewing and color arranging for the blocks and for the quilt.

Rose (3 hours)

This is an orignal design that can be used to decorate a tote bag, pillow, or create many rose blocks for a quilt. We will actually spend the 3 hours on making the rose block, but if you want to go 6 hours, Mary-Jeanine can teach the Easy Tote, described below.

MJ's Easy Tote (3 hours)

You don't need to buy a new pattern everytime you want to make a tote bag. Mary-Jeanine will guide you through the basic building blocks of any tote: handles, pockets, lining, boxing the bottom corners, closures and finishing. She brings lot of examples of various styles and options. What a great gift idea! No pattern needed, but Mary-Jeanine has a free outline/handout for each student.

Click to enlarge

Happy Stars (5-6 hours)

Uses Mary-Jeanine's self-published pattern. She gives lots of options for creativity with this pattern and class. Choose your outline (flat piping or pieced), number of colors in each block (either 2 or 6). This is a great pattern for those coordinating 6-packs of fat quarters we all buy and then don't know how to use. Pattern is an extra $7.

Perky Pinwheels (3 or 6 hours)

Uses prairie points to create 3-D pinwheels. Also a self-published pattern by Mary-Jeanine, the 3-D pinwheels is a technique you can use in lots of other quilts to add texture and interest. Pattern is an extra $7.

Stack 'n Whack (6 hours)

Mary-Jeanine is the Stack 'n Whack Queen (going on 14 quilts so far!) and will share all the tricks you will need to create your own masterpiece. This is a classic pattern, and the joy of seeing the blocks come together never gets old.

Teaching Fees: Contact Mary-Jeanine to discuss classes for your guild. If your venue is more than one hour from Mary-Jeanine's home in Maitland, she prefers to spend the night. This can be a hotel stay or a home stay (no cats please). $.58 cents per mile is also charged.