A Woodland Walk to the Academy of Appliqué

We are always so excited when the Academy of Appliqué class catalog comes out, and this year is no exception. What is the Academy of Appliqué, you might ask? Well, it is one wonderful week in March, where many come not just to learn new skills, but they come from around the world to spend time with others who love this art form. It is a place where life-long friendships are formed, though one might only see that friend once a year at this special event. I (Kara) have even seen one of these friends while walking on the streets of Beaune, France! It is a small world, but the Academy brings that world together.

The conception of this year's projects has been in the making for quite a while, and the two blocks we will be teaching are only two of the thirteen in our Woodland Reverie quilt. This quilt will be a wander through the forest with a little bit of whimsy and fantasy thrown in. Our class will focus on techniques, along with an emphasis on using new fibers creatively. Our students will be able to choose one or both of the two blocks to work on in class, on their way to ultimately finishing the whole quilt! Each block can be done in either a light or dark background and many of the skills for both blocks will overlap. Without further ado, here are the blocks we will be teaching in detail. 

The Spring Block

A sweet robin tends to its eggs while surrounded by springtime, flowery, dogwood swags—there are even velvet pussy willows to evoke that essence of spring.

Light colorway

Dark colorway

A combination of six different fibers were used to create this realistic nest.

A slightly different look with the light background

Embroidery helps bring the robin to life.

Springtime flowers are the focus of the corner swags.

We will learn to make all these flowers with various types of ribbon.

You can learn to make perfect little pussy willows!

Autumn Block

A walk through the forest in autumn might give you a glimpse of the woodland treasures that garnish this woven wreath. 

The Fly Agaric takes center stage in this block!

Velvet mushrooms rest upon a felted, wool patch of moss.

Bias strips and tea-dyed sari silk yarn are woven together to create the wreath.

Some of the techniques learned will be stumpwork acorns, wired ribbon flowers, and split leaves.

A little sparkle with beads adds to the fantasy element in this block.

Embroidery gives dimension to this butterfly!

No matter which block you choose to make (maybe both!), you will learn a multitude of skills to put in your appliqué toolbox. So, how can you attend the Academy of Appliqué? Simply click on this link: Academy of Appliqué. This will take you directly to the website where you can find out all the information you will need to sign up. The catalog of classes is available now, and sign up for the classes opens on September 2nd. The classes fill up fast, so it is a good idea to make sure you are ready with your first choices as soon as registration opens. 

We hope you will choose to join us this year as we make these woodland blocks. Our class is usually full of laughter, fun, and chocolate—and not necessarily in that order! Stay tuned throughout the year as we will gradually reveal more blocks from Woodland Reverie!