What's Happening?
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We are excited to share our news and upcoming events with you.
We are working to keep this page updated frequently,
so you can see what is happening through our needles' eyes!
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Please check the dropdown menu under News and Events for more
specific information about our ongoing projects.
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We would love to hear from you and perhaps plan a visit for 2025 or 2026.
Our current mystery stitch-along with our Woolie Friends!
Whispers of Fall
Lecture
The Texture Lecture
Quilters Unlimited
Vienna Chapter
Virtual Via ZOOM
February 18, 2025
7:00 PM Eastern Time
Adding texture to our quilts adds a wonderful, new dimension to them whether they are appliquéd or pieced. In this lecture, we will share the many different ways to add texture through embroidery, fibers, and embellishment. We invite you to join us as we explore techniques to bring your quilts to life with texture.
The Academy of Appliqué will be held in Williamsburg, Virginia, March 3–8, 2025. The Class Catalog is now posted for you to peruse in August 2024, and registration opens on Labor Day. We are excited to share our class offerings, and we hope you might join us next spring!
Class: Session 1
Woodland Reverie—
Fox and Berries or Dragonfly
Academy of Appliqué
Kingsmill Resort
1010 Kingsmill Rd.
Williamsburg, VA 23185
March 3–5, 2025
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For more information,
Our woodland journey continues with two new blocks from our Woodland Reverie quilt. Both of these dimensional blocks are filled with many different fibers and stitching techniques. The Fox and Berries include a handsome fox flanked by foxglove, sitting in a woven wreath of silk flowers and lifelike luscious berries. The Dragonfly lights in the center of lovely papercut-style greenery with dainty wired-ribbon blooms. All skills for both blocks will be covered in this class—and some will overlap—so you will be able to increase your appliqué and embellishment skills. Multiple methods of appliqué will be taught, along with ribbon work and embroidery. We will explore back-basting and reverse appliqué, stumpwork, and even some wool needle-felting.
Which block will you choose? Or perhaps you will venture into our Woodland Reverie and choose both! Click here to see more of our Woodland Reverie quilt.
Fox and Berries on a light or dark background; what will you choose?
We will do some needle-felting
to embellish Mr. Fox.
You can choose red raspberries and purple asters or black raspberries and golden asters.
Foxglove in yellow or purple
Dragonfly on a light or dark background
Silk dragonfly wings are free to fly, and his body gleams with shimmering thread and beads.
Simple gathered wired ribbon flowers grace the corners of this leafy papercut design.
Class: Session 2
Filigree Fiesta
Academy of Appliqué
Kingsmill Resort
1010 Kingsmill Rd.
Williamsburg, VA 23185
March 6–8, 2025
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For more information,
Filigree Fiesta is a vibrant block reminiscent of Mexican embroidery, and it contains a plethora of skills that you may not have tried before. Have you ever wondered if there were ways you could approach appliqué that are “out of the box” from what you already know? Could you use more than one method in your design? This class will explore multiple appliqué techniques, tips, and tricks that will help you select the best method for each element in your design. While appliqué is going to be an important part of this class, we will also cover how to enhance that appliqué with simple embroidery stitches that are not only beautiful but functional as well. All these techniques taught in a relaxed, no-pressure setting will give you the tools in a medallion block that is bright and full of life and visual interest.
The design size is 24” square.
Filigree Fiesta
Simple embroidery stitches that look complicated. (We promise, they are not!)
Blanket-stitch magic
We will learn a variety of appliqué techniques, including prepared edge, fusing, back-basting, and even some broderie perse.
This is a great class to try some new methods and develop your own favorite way to appliqué.
Silk and wool tulips
Learn how to make this 5-petal posy.
Fun with 3-dimensional leaves
Baltimore on the Prairie 2025 in open for registration, and we are excited about our classes! Next year's conference will be a special one, and we hope to see you there.
Class, Session A—
Elly's Elegance
Baltimore on the Prairie
Lied Lodge and Convention Center
Nebraska City, NE
Session A:
Wed., Sept. 3–Thurs., Sept. 4, 2025
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TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE​!
These four blocks are inspired by designs created by Elly Sienkiewicz in her Baltimore Elegance book. Creating them in wool was a joy and privilege that was graciously given by Elly herself. Each block is done with wool appliqué, and we have added ribbon skills to embellish each. Three-dimensional leaves, a new flower we have never taught before, and some very fun embroidery stitches are just a few of the things we will cover in this session. We will be covering all the skills needed to stitch all four blocks.
Blooms in our Family Tree
Embroidered floral center
Elegant velvet flower centers
Simple embroidery adds a lot!
Class, Session B—
Bird and Basket
Baltimore on the Prairie
Lied Lodge and Convention Center
Nebraska City, NE
Session B:
Fri., Sept. 5–Sat., Sept. 6, 2025
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TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE​!
Inspired by an antique French fabric panel, our Bird and Basket comes to life with a multimedia rendering. Wool appliqué will be enhanced with velvet and ribbon flowers and embroidery, and you can even use a vintage doily for your basket to rest on if you wish. We will learn several methods for wool appliqué, as well as the simple embroidery stitches to embellish it, including the bird’s luxurious tail feathers.
Our basket sits on a doily, but it could be wool appliqué.
Wool and silk rosebuds
Two techniques for ribbon roses
Colorful bird with luxurious tail
Hand-dyed silk ribbon buds
Poppy with dimensional center
Velvet blooms with faceted beads