Saturday 27 April 2024: Online Workshop (Improv Toolbox!)

Carl Brown  - Saturday 27 April 2024 - 4.00pm to 7.00pm (BST)

Online Interactive Workshop: Improv Toolbox!

2024 is an exciting year for us here at CraftyMonkies, not only are we bringing back some regular tutors who you have grown to love, with new and exciting classes and retreats, but we're bringing some brand-new faces to our ever growing stable and Carl Brown is one of them. As a testament to Carl's unique talents, skills and quilted pieces that are gaining acolades and resonating with many, he is building a loyal and engaged following at a very fast pace. We couldn't resist asking him to create a class for us. He went above and beyond when he suggested TWO classes!

They both work beautifully together:-

In Class One you'll create a Toolbox of Improv Parts and in Class Two you'll use those parts to make an interesting Quilted Piece. It's not essential to take both classes - you can pick and choose as you wish - but we believe they compliment each other very well. Here's Carl to tell you more!...

Introduction by Carl Brown:-

As a fibre artist, I've  has been sewing and quilting for about 5 years. Like many fibre artists I began with simple traditional quilt patterns and then began to create more complex abstract and improvisational work utilizing his own designs. I have a tremendous fascination with colour, shapes and especially an appreciation with curve improvisation fibre work. My techniques include imrov quilting, appliqué and appli-piecing, as well as both machine and long arm quilting. Perhaps one of my best skills is completing the improv work at hand by fitting all those pieces into a final product. I've been a student with numerous well known quilting instructors to include Nancy Crow, Sheila Framton Cooper, and Irene Roderick.

In my history as a fibre artist, I've had several quilts juried into national and international shows. Recently I was named “Emerging New Artist” at Interpretations 2023 at the Visions Museum of Textile Art in San Diego. I've been juried into International Quilt Show, Road to California semi-finalst the last two years, Quiltcon, Mancuso’s Quiltfest shows, and numerous American Quilt Society shows as well. Internationally, I was juried into Salon Pour l’Amour du Fil, in Nantes, France. I also have won awards for my fiber art, so I'm proud as punch and really want to teach you what I've learnt, I'm very passionate about it!

Besides being a fibre artist, I'm also known as Dr. Carlton 'Carl' G. Brown, RN, PhD, FAAN as a long-term oncology nurse, researcher, book author, and health care executive. I'm the editor of an award-winning textbook for oncology nurses and patients with cancer and I've cared for patients with cancer for 30 plus years.

What You Will Learn in this Online Interactive Workshop:-

So lovely CraftyMonkies, we recommend this being a two-part course (but it's not essential to attend both)!

This is what we will learn in Class One (taking place on 27 April 2024, 4.00-7.00pm, BST) or the Improv Toolbox day; we will make 5-6 different improv pieces, to include Lines (straight, curved, skinny), stripes (easy, complex, and curved), curves (simple and complex), checkerboards, log cabin squares and triangles, and Carl will be teaching you some tricks to make unusual pieces for the improv quilt (in Class Two). As he's so obsessed with colour it goes without saying there will be a discussion of colour and motion. Carl will share lots of tips and tricks along the way!...

Should you wish to buy a ticket for Class Two on 1st June 2024:-

In Class Two (taking place on 1st June 2024, 4.00-7.00pm, BST), the Creating The Piece day, we will take all the pieces we made in Class One, plus any other pieces students might have made and place those into a piece. While this might seem like the easy part, sewing bits together, this can be an area where many students can find themselves way off track. You can't just sew everything together because many of your pieces will be different sizes so we need to work towards a cohesive piece, it will be so exciting because everybody's work will be different, which means there will be lots of discussions and lots to learn from each other...

We'll work towards a finished product with a discussion of how to sew everything together, with special emphasis on avoiding Y seams and unusual shapes There will also be some discussion of the use of negative space, perhaps using some fabric prints to add motion, and the plan to finalize the work. I just can't wait to see your work and start creating. Let's do this!

Skill Level for this Online Interactive Workshop:-

Advanced Beginner - able to work their own Sewing Machine, sew a scant 1/4” seam, and use a rotary cutter safely.

Material requirements for this Online Interactive Workshop:-

The student will need:-

• Sewing Machine that sews a straight stitch, preferably with a knee lift (not mandatory).
• A few appropriate Sewing Needles
• Thread for sewing - Carl's favourite is 50 wt Aurifil Dove Grey (2600) but any thread that the student has familiarisation with will do!
• A Rotary Cutter - Carl's favourite is a 60” with safety but 45” will do just as well!
• A newly inserted Rotary Cutter Blade.
• A pair of Sewing Scissors, preferably ones only used primarily for cutting fabric 
• Some form of Design Board that we can stick our created Improv pieces too - but no worries as a 30" x 30” piece of leftover batting or flannel will work nicely.

Fabric requirements for this Online Interactive Workshop:-

Any fabric will do, leftover scraps, fat quarters, or yardage. Carl mostly uses solid colours as that is part of the modern definition, and maybe a few striped or checked prints. You might want to come with one family colour, like say lime and then also brings other green colours and maybe yellow, plus some white and black colours as well. Unless you are going for that effect, avoid holiday colours like Halloween (orange, black, white) or Christmas (red, green, and white). A few pieces of fabric fat quarter size or bigger might be nice to have as we cut half circles!

Equipment requirements for this Online Interactive Workshop:-

• See Material Requirement listing above to include a Sewing Machine that does a simple straight stitch, and knowledge of how to use that machine.

​Tickets for this Online Interactive Workshop (via the Zoom platform) will be limited & allocated on a first-come/first-served basis! If applicable, any free pattern, or other information, relevant to this course will be forwarded to you after booking and approximately 5 days before the course date. The ticket price of £35.00 is based on ONE person attending this crafting class.

This CraftyMonkies Online Interactive Workshop is being broadcast from the United Kingdom and the class time given is based on Grenwich Meantime (GMT). We advise you check via Google Search (or similar) to see corresponding start-time in YOUR location!

Ordering MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT Online For Any Class/Workshop!

Please ensure you book your place & order any materials/fabrics/equipment online in plenty of time ahead of course dates.

Great News!

This class is being recorded so, if you can't attend live, simply buy a ticket and we'll send you the recording a couple of days later. It will be as if you're in the class with us!