Each student will chose one of 12 patterns, designed by Rebekka, based on fashionable headgear for ladies from the 20’s through the 60’s. Each pattern will incorporate both the techniques of applique and reverse applique and offer ample opportunity for embroidery or embellishment if desired. Instruction in color choice and placement will be given along with technique instruction. There will be a kit fee of $3.00 with the option to purchase any or all of the other 11 blocks if students wish to complete a whole quilt top in the future.

Level: Beginner to intermediate, though advanced quilters
may enjoy using the patterns and adapting them to suit their own style.

This is a hands-on class for adults who want to teach quilt design to children. Rebekka offers techniques for introducing the elements of geometric design associated with traditional quilts as well as techniques for creating figurative designs that can be used for applique.

All work in the workshop is executed with paper, but can be translated into fabric by students ages 8 to 18.

Techniques for teaching children to sew will be covered in the class, but the emphasis is on design technique.

This is a class for those who are interested in “making faces” in their work, but lack confidence in their drawing skills. Techniques for translating photographic images into applique shapes for quiltmaking will be demonstrated. This class will explore the shapes formed by the face as a result of light and shadow. Students may draw the face across the table from them for this class, bring a photograph or drawing of their own or use one provided by the instructor for practice. The technique is simple and does not require any previously acquired artistic skills. This a one day workshop but requires 2 if the goal is to complete the project in class.

Level: Intermediate to advanced and dedication.

This class is for those needle women who are interested in translating their own visual ideas into fabric. I am more interested in fostering the imaginations of my students than in teching them how to put the needle in over here and get it to come out over there - although I am happy to assist anyone with technique. This can be an opportunity to put an idea, drawing or photograph into fabric. Try to keep your idea very simple (only a few areas of color and not alot of areas to embellish) if your goal is to finish your project in one day. Students may work on any size piece they wish, but a 12” X 15” ground fabric is a convenient size to tackle for a first time. Bring a sketch of your idea already rendered to finished size with you to class. In the morning we will be drafting our patterns and learning how to think the order of applique and in the afternoon we will cut and apply the fabric to the background. This can be a one day workshop but works better as a 2 day workshop.

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

This workshop is designed to give participants a chance to study the paper doll quilt techniques used by Rebekka Seigel in her paper doll series and to design and execute a paper doll quilt of their own. Participants need to come to class with the idea for a doll that they want to base their quilt on and 1 or 2 garments that would be appropriate for that doll to wear.

We will discuss quilt design for creating a setting for each doll and hand applique and machine applique for creating the doll and garment imagery. This is ideally a 2-5 day workshop in which the first day is devoted to design work and the rest to execution of the quilt. We will be talking about and executing other techniques used in the original paper doll quilts such as photo-transfer, batik, hand dying, both machine and hand embroidery and embellishment with beads, buttons and artificial flowers as time permits.

This lecture uses slides and real quilts to trace the development of my artistic journey. It begins with my early sources of inspiration and brings you up to the minute in my quilt life, noting the humor that occurs along the way. Mistakes that lead to epiphanies and life experiences that result in quilt subject matter are highlighted. This is a fun lecture that points out the rewards of practice, perseverance and dedication.

Slides of the 51 quilts featured in the statue of Liberty competition in 1986 are presented along with commentary on each provided by personal contact with the winners. The lecture devotes itself to the humanistic values displayed by each of these quilts and to pointing out the ways in which these women express themselves as artists. Community values will be addressed as well in the way in which these quilts describe the concept of belonging to a group. The most obvious membership described in the work is, of course, America, but many of the quilters also address the value of being a member of a family, a member of the female gender and a member of the world at large. The contest itself was responsible for the formation of a new group comprised of the 51 winners and because many of the quilters have created tangible expressions of what being a member of this group means to them, the lecture will also attempt to explore their special group. And finally, because these quilts are such strong statements about our aesthetic values, the lecture will deal with the symbolism, content and images represented in them as they relate to the cultural values that we hold most dear as Americans and as human beings.

This lecture details the 12 inspiring women of the twentieth century who were the inspiration for Rebekka's paper doll series. It is an opportunity to review the pioneering women who developed some of the twentieth century’s greatest innovations in the areas of art, science, politics and human rights and redefined the meaning of the term, “women’s work”. These women’s stories are told through the garments that they wore for defining moments in their lives. In addition to the women’s history aspect of this lecture, Rebekka will share the techniques used to create these quilts and what it means to devote 6 years of your life to an idea and a body of work.