Spotlight:‌ ‌Clare‌ ‌Murray‌ ‌Adams‌

 Do you like to work with more than just fabric? Does your workspace include a stash of paints, crayons and interesting papers? Well, let me introduce you to Clare Murray Adams. Clare combines fabrics and papers, paint and thread in her art. She is a true mixed media artist whose previous classes at QSDS have included encaustics and collaged books.

This year, Clare will guide you through an exploration of what happens when you layer fabric on paper and paper on fabric.

Her students will experiment with painting, mark making and hand stitching. Clare is an expert in many techniques and types of media, but you will also, very painlessly, learn a lot about design.

Clare is teaching during the first week of Virtual QSDS. There will be a five-day session of “Collage With Stitch” starts on May 31, followed by the two-day version (but this class only has 2 spaces left). What could be better than a week immersing yourself in mixed media? Check out all the details here:https://www.qsds.com/classesbysession2021.html

Teacher Spotlight: Deborah Griffing

 Debbie has taught at The Ohio State University and shows her work in many galleries. She works with Goodwill Industries and set up an art studio for individuals with disabilities. This ongoing enterprise enables the participating artists to make an income.

Are you interested in recycling, upcycling and using found materials?  Take a look at what some of Debbie’s previous QSDS students have created in her 5-day class “Hand Stitching: Forming Discarded Fabric Into Intimate Sculptural Art.”

It’s amazing what you can do with wool sweaters and skirts that have been thrown into 

the wash and felted a bit. Add some other discarded fabrics, a batch of buttons and embroidery floss and it all can become whatever you can imagine.

Debbie’s techniques are easy to learn and you don’t even need a sewing machine. Houses trees, boats, creatures, soft books—what will you dream up?

Debbie is also a painter. Her weekend class is  freeing and fun, and you don’t have to be good at either drawing or painting! Students will work on small clayboard panels, using oil pastels, watercolors and whatever other art supplies you might already have. This is a chance to play around with colors and shapes and maybe even discover some new techniques.

Debbie’s classes are the first week of QSDS. For more information, go to:https://www.qsds.com/classesbysession2021.html

Teacher Spotlight: Jane Sassaman

You may know Jane’s quilts, which have won many awards, or you may have some of her prints in your fabric stash. Jane is a designer extraordinaire and a master quilter!

She will teach two classes during the first week of Virtual QSDS. In her five-day “Abstracting From Nature” Jane will guide you through design exercises based on nature, such as your favorite flower, insect or tree. You will experiment with design tools such as exaggeration simplification and abstraction that will help you translate your idea into fabric. Jane likes to say that she specializes in teaching the “drawing-impaired and the tragically literal.” Sounds like we all need Jane’s guidance!

Her two day class “Pattern Play” focuses on how to take simple shapes and gradually build them into interesting repeating patterns. Jane will share her machine applique techniques and, if you may end up looking in a different light at your sewing machine’s rarely-used patterned stitches. 

Learn more about Jane and her classes here: https://www.qsds.com/classesbysession2021.html

COVID is not going to stop QSDS!!!

 Finally, some good news for 2021: QSDS is returning….virtually! We’re offering a whole new creative adventure, presenting live sessions on ZOOM. 

As in previous years, QSDS will offer two and five-day workshops over the course of two weeks, from May 31st through June 13th. Our 11 prestigious instructors will share their expertise in a variety of topics, including color exploration, design, printing, embroidery and more!
Each day will include everything you expect from QSDS: demonstrations, informative presentations, group discussions and individual critiques. All from the comfort of your own studio!

All classes will be recorded and available to students for two weeks. Pat Pauly’s classes will not be recorded, but she will be available to students who have technical issues that cause them to miss class.

In addition to the classes, QSDS will offer many of our much-loved traditions, including:

• Evening faculty presentations
• A virtual “bus tour” that includes a tour of Quilt National at the Dairy Barn
• An evening mini-bazaar, via Zoom
• An online auction of mini-quilts, in support of our scholarship fund

QSDS virtual schedule:

Class – 11am-1:30pm (Eastern Standard Time)
Break – 1:30-2:30pm EST
Class – 2:30-5:30pm EST
Evening activities – 7pm EST
QSDS will be different this year, but I’m excited to share this new format with our creative community. Nurture your creativity and join us...virtually!

Tracy Rieger
Director of The Quilt & Surface Design Symposium