Connecting Designs Course
If you've always wanted to try custom quilting, this course is a great place to start. In the Connecting Designs course, which is based on the Making Connections book, you will learn 9 specific connecting designs, plus a bonus design, and how they allow you to travel across your quilt with one start and one stop. Using connecting designs improves the quality of your design and because it's a more efficient path, shortens the quilting process. The beauty of using connecting designs is that they can be combined with other designs to create those show-stopping quilts you've been admiring for so long now.
Because it's important to take all learning styles into consideration, Dorie presents information in video format, verbally explaining what she is doing and why, as well as provides handouts. All designs are shown first by drawing, and then demonstrating on both a longarm and a domestic machine. In addition, Dorie is available for questions and is very responsive to all requests for information .
Who is this course for?
- Everyone! Whether you are a Beginner or an Experienced Quilter, your quilting skills will improve.
- You have a stand-up longarm machine, a sit-down longarm machine or a domestic machine.
- You want to learn to quilt efficiently, without extra stops and starts.
- You are interested in developing your custom quilting skills.
What will I learn?
- How to think through the beginning processes of custom quilting.
- The difference between connectors and fillers and how they allow you to quilt full projects efficiently, without extra stops and starts, from start to finish.
- 9 specific connecting designs to move your quilting across the project.
- Quilting knowledge leads to Quilty Fun and Confidence!
How do I access the class?
- Connecting Designs is entirely online and is available to work through at your own pace and timing.
- Log in through Forever Quilting Academy, where your course library is housed.
- Watch as many times as you would like ~ pause, rewind, re watch until you have it down.
List of Tools Suggested for this Course
While none of the items shown below are required for this course, they can enhance your understanding of the material provided and make completing the course work easier.
- Making Connections book - recommended as this book includes additional information that is not contained in the course and will also provide the foundation for this series of courses (more than the Connecting Designs course).
- Connecting Designs panel ($30)
- 2" or 3" horizontal or on-point square stencils
- Miracle Chalk Swipe Powder
- Quilting Palm Paddles (for sit-down or domestic machine quilting)
- Straight line ruler for stitching in the ditch and a small curve ruler.
Want to piece your own quilt for the class?
If you prefer to create your own quilt top for use during this course, the best option would be to create a top with 16-patch blocks made from 2" or 3" finished squares, and a narrow sashing. It will need to be at least 3 blocks wide by 3 blocks long, with sashing in between the blocks and an outer border.
List of designs included:
- Loops
- Curves
- Curves with a Spike
- Curves with a Petal
- Curves with a Curl
- Leaves
- Waves
- Curls
- Backtrack Curl
- Bonus~Double Curl
Frequently Asked Questions
How much experience do I need?
Will I need to buy special tools to complete this course?
Do I have to be on Facebook?
Are the lessons live?
What if I have questions or want feedback on a class project?
Lifetime access?
You may also be interested in:
If you are an experienced custom machine quilter and already know these basic designs, stay tuned for the release of new courses in this series which will expand on how to choose designs across different shaped blocks and how to add in fillers and other designs you already know into those blocks.
Additional courses in development for using Connecting Designs:
- Brackets
- On-Point designs
- Using Connecting designs in specific block shapes
- Coordinating connecting designs with other designs
- Double Connectors and layering multiple connectors in the same space
Other courses available now:
Quilted Mandala Club - a 12-month course. Learn how to do grid work, thread painting, connecting designs, free motion designs, straight and curved crosshatching, feathers, how to use marking tools and rulers, how to plan out a path for continuous quilting, how to use stencils . . . in straight-line designs . . . and then how to do all of this in circular designs. Registration opens twice a year for the Quilted Mandala Club, in November and May.
Mini Grids Course - learn 8 different Free Motion Grid designs, based on 8 different stencils. Learn how to quilt continuously, without breaking thread, across your project. Classes are in the same format as the Connecting Designs course.
Forever Quilting Academy - Extras - Our Free Resource Library!
- Quilting On the Lines Challenge
- Machine Quilting on the Grid Dazzling Diamonds
- Machine Quilting Curls and Connecting Curves
- Floral Confetti Free Motion Machine Quilting
- Machine Quilting on the Grid Spiral Squares
