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Introduction to Quilting
March 13 – April 3, 2025 | 1:30–4 p.m.
Location: High Museum of Art, Blue Workshop, Greene Family Education Center
Registration Required
Discover the artistry of handcrafted quilting by exploring the High’s collection and developing your creative vision. With a focus on hand quilting, natural fibers, and improvisational composition, you will learn and experiment with various techniques while incorporating embellishments including embroidery and surface design.
Week 1: Begin with an introduction to the foundations of quilting, which emphasizes slow stitching, intuitive design, and the use of natural fibers such as cotton and naturally dyed fabrics. Explore surface design methods to add depth and individuality to each piece.
Week 2: Visit the museum’s Folk and Self-Taught Art collection to examine quilts that showcase storytelling and improvisational design. Back in the studio, you will begin arranging and hand-stitching small quilt compositions, exploring color, pattern, and texture in a free-form and expressive way.
Week 3: Learn the basics of threading a machine, adjusting tension, and experimenting with stitch variations while maintaining a balance between hand and machine techniques.
Week 4: Add personal touches through embroidery and beading. We will conclude our time together with a group discussion, where you will share your work, reflect on your creative process, and celebrate your journey through quilting.
About Studio Classes
Studio Classes enable you to expand your art-making skills through guided, step-by-step instruction with expert teaching artists. Over multiple weeks, you will learn alongside other creative adults and delve deeply into the artistic process, explore new techniques, and build your practice.
This is an introductory-level Studio Class; it is designed to accommodate all levels of skill and talent. If you have never taken a quilting class before, this is a great place to start. You will learn new skills that you can carry forward and build on in your artistic practice.
The registration fee includes all materials, weekly access to world-class art on view in the museum’s galleries and special exhibitions, hours of expert instruction, and additional access to a Friday afternoon open studio during the run of the class.
About Your Instructor
Loi Laing is a visual artist and educator specializing in fiber art, natural dyeing, earth pigments, and botanical inks. She is committed to sustainability and is passionate about connecting people with nature through art. Her workshops emphasize the use of locally sourced, ecofriendly materials, fostering creativity and respect for the environment. By sharing ancient techniques alongside contemporary approaches, Loi empowers participants to explore their artistic potential while honoring the earth. Her writing is featured in the book This Long Thread: Women of Color on Craft, Community, and Connection (2021) by Jen Hewett.
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