Tues. 23rd Apr. Free Motion Quilting & QAYG Workshop (Anita Birtles)

Description

Free Motion Quilting & QAYG Workshop with Anita Birtles

10am to 4pm

Build confidence in Free Motion Quilting (FMQ) with this practical, beginner-friendly quilting class taught by Anita Birtles. Whether FMQ terms like meander, stipple, leaves, love hearts, and QAYG feel unfamiliar—or you’re ready to improve your skills—this hands-on workshop is designed for you.

Anita will guide you step-by-step, starting with the classic stipple design, then progressing to a range of decorative quilting motifs. You’ll practise on 10” quilt blocks, which can be kept as a long-term reference library or joined together using the popular Quilt As You Go (QAYG) method to create a small finished quilt.

This quilting workshop is ideal for quilters who want to overcome the fear of FMQ and learn practical techniques they can apply to future quilting projects.

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What You’ll Learn

• Free Motion Quilting fundamentals

• Stipple, meander, leaves & heart designs

• Machine control & stitch consistency

• Quilt As You Go (QAYG) construction

• How to practise FMQ without marking or stress

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Please bring with you, or purchase on the day of your workshop –

Fabric Requirements

• 10” fabric squares (from your stash or a 10” precut pack / Layer Cake)

• Wadding

• 10” backing fabric squares

Create 10” quilt sandwiches (up to 12” is acceptable, but not smaller).
If making a small quilt, prepare 8–9 quilt sandwiches.

• ½ metre of coordinating fabric for front and back sashing

• • Thread:

    • 50 wt sewing machine thread in neutral colour (aurifil 50 wt thread is ideal)

  • Tools:

    • Rotary cutting equipment – board, cutter (with a new blade)
    • Ruler – two straight rulers (ideally one 24” in length and the other 12” in length)

  • Sewing kit: General sewing tools, pins, fabric scissors

  • Machine: Sewing machine with size 80 needle.

    • Sewing machine in good working order and threaded, and sewing machine manual

  • Sewing machine (foot pedal, power lead, accessories, manual)
    Please ensure you know how to lower the feed dogs on your machine

  • Darning or Free Motion Quilting (FMQ) foot

  • Extension table (if available)

  • Sewing machine needles (Anita recommends Janome purple tip needles for FMQ)

  • Quilting threads

  • Quilting gloves

  • Basic sewing kit (scissors, thread snips, pins, unpicker, hand needles)

  • Notepad, pen & mechanical pencil

  • Supreme Slider or silicone mat (optional)

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🧵 Sewing Machine Reminder

To help you make the most of your workshop time, please ensure that you are familiar with your sewing machine and arrive with it threaded and ready to go. This will save valuable time at the start of the session and allow you to get stuck into sewing straight away!

If you’re not yet confident with your machine or need a refresher, why not book a one-to-one session with us before your workshop? We’ll help you feel comfortable and confident, so you can focus on learning and enjoying your class.

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About Anita Birtles

Anita Birtles is a passionate quilter and experienced sewing instructor known for her friendly teaching style and clear, practical guidance. With years of experience in patchwork, quilting, and bag making, Anita specializes in helping beginners build confidence and develop essential skills. Her classes focus on precision, creativity, and making sewing enjoyable for all skill levels.

Anita’s enthusiasm for quilting shines through her workshops, where she shares expert tips and techniques that empower students to create beautiful, professional-looking projects.

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Additional Notes

☕ Additional Information

Refreshments:
Tea and coffee will be available before and during the class to keep you fuelled and refreshed.

Shopping Opportunity:
You’ll have time to browse our Warehouse Shop before the class starts, during breaks, and even afterwards — the perfect chance to stock up on fabric, notions, and supplies for your next project.

🚗 Parking:
Free parking is available at the warehouse.
Please park in the designated car park at the bottom of the building — this ensures clear access for disabled visitors and delivery vehicles.

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📅 Cancellation Policy

Workshop Cancellations by Us:
In exceptional circumstances, we may need to cancel a workshop or event. If this happens, we will:

• Offer you an alternative date where possible, securing your place in the class

• Provide as much notice as possible, with cancellations made no later than 48 hours before the scheduled workshop

• If no alternative date is suitable, we will refund you in full

Please note:
We are unable to reimburse any additional costs you may have incurred to attend, such as travel, accommodation, or materials purchased independently.

Cancellations by You:
If you need to cancel your place:

• 14 days’ notice or more before the first session:

  • You may request a refund (minus a 10% admin fee)

  • Or transfer to another available class

• Less than 14 days’ notice:

  • Unfortunately, we are unable to offer a refund or transfer

We appreciate your understanding and encourage early notice wherever possible to allow us to offer your place to another attendee.

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Location
Lady Sew and Sew
Farm Road
Henley on Thames
Oxfordshire
RG9 1EJ
UK

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Tel: 01491 572 528

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