Looking for a pictorial quilt teacher
 

I am not sure if this request falls into this category, but this seems to be a fairly diverse area for discussion and so here goes:

I live near Rochester, New York and have decided that my two favorite pictorial quilters are Ruth McDowell and Cynthia England. Each of them have quite different approaches but I want to try my hand at this complex form of pictorial quilting and wonder if anyone in this board knows of a teacher, whom you respect, that possibly lives near me that might mentor me as a student? I have grown tired of piecing and recently discovered freezer paper piecing and really love the possibilities. So even if this person is not a follower of either one of these artist, but someone you might recommend to help me ...I would be most appreciative.

If giving out personal information is not something that is allowed here...by all means send me a private message!

Both of those artists have written excellent books that walk the reader through how to reproduce their techniques. You might want to start with one or more of those.

Check their website to see if they are scheduled to teach near your area. Most quilt designers also teach classes around the states and sometimes abroad.

There are also online classes you can take. Check Craftsy and Academy of Quilting (used to be Quilt University). http://academyofquilting.com/class-schedule-2/

Sometimes the teachers host their own online classes. A couple years ago, I took a very good quilting class from Carla Barrett, who teaches several different kinds of classes from her website.

I have both of their excellent books and have taken a couple of Craftsy classes, both were on paper piecing and excellent but the others offerings...that to me would seem a local progression to take make such "cutesie" projects or go off on a tangent that I cannot bring myself to take them even on sale. I will check that on line class. Sadly, R. McDowell has stopped teaching and her heirs to teach are too far away and seldom do name brand teachers come this far. I will pursue any and all suggestions I am given...something on line that uses their techniques ( freezer paper based landscape quilting) would be awesome...who has had some good experiences in that area and where?

You'd be surprised. Are there any guilds in your area? If you have a large guild, I strongly recommend joining. You don't have to attend meetings but you will hear about teachers and lecturers coming in to present to the guild through the newsletter. I live near Albany and our guild got Sharon Schambers to come teach. You can't get much more big name than that. If the guild is large enough they can afford to pay the fee and as a member you can offer up a recommendation. Some shops will occasionally bring in a big name if there is enough interest. Again, you have to find if they have an online presence and sign up for their newsletters and haunt their class offerings regularly. You need to check out the national shows. AQS has a national show coming to Syracuse the beginning of August. http://www.quiltweek.com/syracuse/ They have not yet published what workshops they will be offering. Lancaster PA is in March. The big shows always have workshops and lectures offered by big name teachers. But be aware big name teachers charge big fees for classes. Ranging often at $100 to $150 for a one or two day workshop. To find out if you have local talent you have to get out to your local guilds, local shows and quilt shops.

I took a portrait class by Marilyn Belford thru Quilt University (now Academy of Quilting) and it was amazing!!

http://academyofquilting.com/faculty/marilyn-belford/ This link lists her classes and bio.

She was available for help every step of the way, and it was one of the best classes I've ever taken. I made this quilt during my class:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]506697[/ATTACH]

She also has an art quilt class, where you can create art pictures. I've not taken it, but if it's anything like the portrait class, I highly recommend it. She also has a book on how to create the portrait pics that's very informative.

Basketman ... by "pictoral" are you referring to portraits of people and animals or landscapes?

If landscapes there is another artist I can recommend. A book called "The art of Landscape Quilting" by Nancy Zieman and Natalie Sewell is good and there is a video that accompanies it. You may want to check out these two artists to see if they have classes, or the book and video.

Cindi ... that is magnificent!! I believe I could pick that man out in a crowd somewhere. Well done!!

Basket an. Check out Margaret Spevak
http://www.quiltingwithmargaret.com/?page_id=2
She has taught many different type classes in the Rochester area. I'm East of Rochester and hang out at Jackie Lynn's in Irondequoit

check out the schedule http://www.englanddesign.com/content...ravel-schedule

Will do...thanks

I took a week long class with David Taylor last summer. He does pictoral quilts of animals and landscapes. He doesn't make any with people. He was an excellent teacher, and he travels around the country. Perhaps you could hook up with him somewhere. Unfortunately my bird is not far enough along to share with anyone yet!

Cindi, that is an amazing likeness to someone! What a magnificent work of ART!

I also live near Rochester, NY. Have you heard of the Genesee Valley Quilt Club? They have a large membership, and are very active. There may be someone there with similar interest and experience that would give you some pointers.

You can take any line drawing or a photograph and trace the changes in color onto plastic. Then you apply straight lines to make your pattern.You could start with applique patterns and practice straight lies.

Mostly landscapes...I did buy the book you are mentioning and like a lot of the content. Thanks Dog HouseMom for mentioning them...it makes me think I am on the right track. Also being fairly new to quilting and a guy, who does not know how to navigate into Pinterest and all the various sites and teachers, I appreciate and follow up on every suggestion. One of you mentioned an upcoming quilt show in my area, and while I do not usually attend due to "comparison depression"...I was shocked to find Cynthia England is actually teaching near me and I paid for that class yesterday. Thanks for the heads up and please suggest others...even if they have a great CD...I am eager to try landscapes.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]506897[/ATTACH]Here is a picture I completed using various shades of blue and cut out 1/4 inch squares, using a June Taylor ruler, and a www.hakidd.com cutting mat - so I could cut both ways without moving the fabric, then placed the small squares onto a 30 inch piece of iron-on interfacing, and touched each piece lightly just to hold it in place, until I was certain the colour would work, and if not could remove it easily, then pressed on with with the iron (no sewing). Had it framed for my daughter and SIL.. Took a picture of the child, and using black and white picture, used the pixel pic to differentiate from white, then lightest to darkest pixels in the pictures and using the chosen 24 shades of blue, along with one white, - light blue, medium blue, and dark blue. There is a CD you can order from the following URL: www.cutworkportraits.blogspot.ca/
for about $20.00

Thank so very much for this information...I greatly appreciate the advice, which I will definitely follow up on this very afternoon. I also want to send KUDOS galore to you on this splendid fabric portrait. I was told if you have a photo reduced to black and white either at your home computer and printer or take it to an office supply...they can do that and blow it up. Then you take a piece of ruby plastic and view your color choices through that "lense" and that process eliminates color and shows only values which might make the kind of thing I am headed to doing...easier?

As for trying to join a local guild. Maybe being a guy and not really knowing if I might "fit" or not they never replied ...so I just do my thing. I also know when I took my one and only class, everything in the way of dynamics in the room changed ...the jokes, inclusionary language and eyebrows said volumes.

Well shame on them basketman.

I hope I did not make it sound all bad...they were very cordial and all, but you could see I was truly a rarity. However, that dynamic can be "played both ways"...there is always someone, or maybe even two or three that take pity and you can learn a lot more than just the project at hand. :thumbup:

Unfortunately men who quilt/sew/crochet/etc. are a rarity. Just like women are when it comes to mechanics. I would have given anything to have taken Shop when I was in high school in the 50s but nooooooo girls not allowed.

From picture to quilt.

Basketman, your experience with the quilty group doesn't sound like much fun, sorry you were uncomfortable with the situation, however most of the ladies could have probably learned lots from you, little did they know, sounds like they they are the losers in the situation.

Here are the fruits I experimented using crayola crayons, and applying by various means, cotton cloth, sponges and then coloring in circles on the apple and leaf. The sponge just rolled under (see the Peach), and the cloth cooled the wax too quickly, however when I warmed up the cotton I was going to draw and color on, it turned out to be the best method for the application of the color, just had to be careful not to lay down too much color at one time.[ATTACH=CONFIG]507057[/ATTACH]You might want to check out the Derwent Intense pencils as well. Have a great day.

Here is the quilt I used the Intense pencils on - [ATTACH=CONFIG]507058[/ATTACH] "Little Brown Bird"

Wow this is totally AMAZING!!! Here comes inktense and thanks for everything!

Basketman sorry your experience with that one particular guild didn't go so well. I hope you find another one and have fun with it.
when I took my sewing class at Adult Ed in the early 90s' we had a guy in our class who was there to make himself a particular skirt. we had fun, all of us. my spouse was part of that group to learn how to make his first quilt, which I would not do as a first, Dresden Plate.
keep on stiching