LIVE & VIRTUAL Guild WORKSHOPS & LECTURES

Starting with an image from a selfie or photo of yourself (or it could be any portrait), students will learn how to turn a picture into a template and create a raw-edge appliqué self-portrait block or quilt-top. I'll share some of my must-have materials used for this method of appliqué and demonstrate a technique that I often use.  We will choose a photo, create a template and pattern, select fabric options for skin tones, clothing and backgrounds.   Next we'll cut out the pattern pieces, fusing it to the background fabric and add some colorful borders.  At the end of class, students will have a completed appliquéd portrait block to finish off as either a mini quilt, or continue to build upon it after the workshop is complete.     

This workshop is a great introduction for using African wax print fabrics in quilts. Using an improv piecing method, students learn how to make a crazy-pieced center block and then build larger strips around it to make wonky log cabin blocks. The blocks can be turned into a wall hanging, table runner, throw or full sized quilt.  Optional Kits are available from the instructor or you can use fabrics from your own stash.  (Skill Level: Confident Beginner, Intermediate, and Advance Quilters)

This is a beginner-friendly  live hands - on workshop, that uses the "Iyanla" pattern to teach a fun & easy method of raw edge appliqué all while using African print fabrics! The pattern is included with the course.   This workshop is perfect for the quilter who would like to be guided through each step of the process for making this mini quilt, as well as giving the maker confidence to begin using African prints in quilt projects. Optional Kits are available from the instructor or you can use fabrics from your own stash.  (Skill Level: Kids, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advance Quilters)

This workshop teaches a fun and easy method of raw edge appliqué while using African wax prints to create a beautiful wall hanging quilt designed by Kena Tangi Dorsey called “Diversity Day.”  Students will use pre-made templates, and a pattern provided by the instructor to create four different appliqué blocks of kids to use in a quilt.  The African fabrics used in this pattern are pre-cut friendly.  You can create the kids in whatever skin tones you’d like and decorate them in colorful African prints for their attire. Optional Kits are available from the instructor or you can use fabrics from your own stash.  (Skill Level: Kids, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advance Quilters)

Kena shares the unique story about how she became obsessed and fell in love with quilting!  Through photos and actual quilt samples, she presents the evolution of her work from her beginning stages to present day.  Kena talks about her journey of being a Broadway stage actress to becoming a professional quilt artist, and how the two worlds collided and intertwined. 

 Join quilt artist Kena Tangi Dorsey for an inspiring lecture that celebrates the vibrant beauty and cultural richness of African textiles! Discover how to confidently incorporate stunning fabrics from Ghana, Nigeria, and other regions of Africa into your quilts.

Kena will share tips on selecting and pairing African fabrics, insights into the meanings behind popular designs, and examples from her own quilt work that showcase the power and personality of African wax prints. Whether your quilting style leans traditional, contemporary, or modern, this lecture will spark new ideas and encourage you to embrace the big, the bold, and the beautiful in your next creation!

Adinkra are symbols from Ghana that represent distinct concepts, proverbs, principles and expressions.  These unique decorative symbols are used in fabrics, logos, pottery, architecture and more throughout the African Diaspora.  In this workshop, we will explore the meanings of some of the more widely popular Adinkra symbols and then create a small wall-hanging or table runner using African wax print fabrics embellished with the raw edge appliqué Adinkra Symbols.   Optional Kits are available for purchase from the instructor, or you can use fabrics from your own stash.  (Skill Level: Confident Beginner, Intermediate, and Advance Quilters)