Would you like to learn how to compose a design? Create and control a focal point? These are just some of the things you'll learn in the Design Your Own Nature Quilt online class.

In fact, you'll gain enough knowledge and skill to make a unique design using your own photo as an inspiration source. It doesn't get much more exciting than that!

This is my favorite class to teach, because the students find they're able to do things they would have never thought possible. This is exhilarating for all of us!

Georgie's Garden by Susan Cornell, below, is a perfect example of the wonderful things that happen in class. Isn't it fantastic? Great colors, composition, contrast, and drama!

Now, check out Susan's inspiration photo. It included colorful flowers, an old fence and a meadow beyond. But, it was pretty busy and overly detailed for fabric collage. No worries. Susan learned the value of zomming, editing, and cropping! She zoomed WAY in on the flowers, removing much of the busy foliage. She kept the interesting fence and added mountains in the background. What great work!

(And I haven't even touched on the changes made to color, contrast, and "looseness.") Exciting stuff!

Read a short excerpt from the class material. See other student results in the student gallery.

Part One starts June 26th and class enrollment is very limited. Find full details here.

My quilt, Oak Green Farm, is finally finished. It's very special to me because it's inspired by the farm where I grew up. (And where my parents still live.)

You'll find several in-progress blog posts about this quilt, as well as a detail shot here.

If you live near Melbourne, FL, you'll definitely want to check out Southern Accents at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts, on the campus of Florida Institute of Technology.

I have two quilts in the show, which runs May 16 - August 22. Crisscross was accepted into the juried show.

Crotons was requested for the invitational portion of the show.

I can't wait for the opening! Won't that be fun?

On May 16th, the juror, Sandra Sider, will give a gallery talk at 1 PM. It should be very interesting. And you'll get a good view of the art flags as you walk from the parking lot to the building. Hope to see you there!