Classes with Nicholas Ball are always highly in-demand and we expect no less a response from our worldwide audience this time around when Nicholas joins us in Autumn 2026 (hot off the back of his 3-day stint with us in July 2026, where he'll be teaching his Improv Shoal Class!). This workshop in October is a re-working of Nicholas' famed Improv Triangles class, the principles of which he's taught several times before with CraftyMonkies, but this class always proves popular so if you've never experienced it, you're in for a treat and if you have already dipped your toe in the triangular waters, there's bound to be some more inspiration for you this time around - here's Nicholas to tell you more!...  

 

Introduction by Nicholas:-

What I love most about my Improv Triangles technique is the versatility of the units created. This simple shape has so many uses in improvised patchwork, even in its most basic form, and is a great skill to add to your improv arsenal. You can use the familiarity of triangles to suggest all sorts things in your compositions. In this new class, we will explore the humble improv triangle in new ways, offering various iterations that can be used in all sorts of pieces. Whatever you are inspired by, there is sure to be a triangle variation that fits the bill!

 

What You Will Learn in this Online Interactive Workshop:-

You'll learn to build on improv triangles with six new variants. We will begin the workshop with a brief re-fresh of my basic improv triangle technique to warm us up. Following this, we will explore triangles within triangles, layered triangles, diamonds, triangles on a curve, jagged triangles and floating triangles. We will also spend a little time looking at the different ways to arrange your sewn units into a finished composition!​

 

Skill Level for this Online Interactive Workshop:- 

This class is suitable for ALL skill levels. It’s perfect for competent sewers who want to explore more liberated piecing, perhaps as a change from traditional quilting, but it’s also a perfect improv introduction for quilters who are just starting out and have little quilting experience. If you have already taken my previous Improv Triangles, Warholian Cabbage or Shoal workshops, or have either of my books, the basic triangle construction will be familiar to you and you will already have a firm foundation upon which to build further skills.

 

Material requirements for this Online Interactive Workshop:-

Whilst not essential for the workshop, my books Inspiring Improv (published by Lucky Spool, 2019) and Use & Ornament (published by Lucky Spool, 2024) will expand upon the techniques learnt and provide many more improv tips and tricks. Improv Triangles are featured in both books and detailed instructions for piecing irregular shaped units together using my jigsaw method are included in Inspiring Improv.

 

Fabric requirements for this Online Interactive Workshop:-

Whilst difficult to give exact fabric amounts and measurements when sewing in an improvised way, please use the following as a rough guide.

 

For all triangles variations, large scraps of solid and print fabric in square-ish and rectangle-ish pieces work well for the background, whilst smaller scraps are perfect for the triangles. Feel free to cut your pieces from yardage. The background pieces shouldn’t be smaller than approximately 4” for your first attempt at this technique.

 

It would also be useful to have a few co-ordinating fat quarters to hand for any larger pieces we may need.

 

Please don’t stress about these requirements!!! They are simply a guide and Nicholas has yet to teach a class where something couldn’t be made because of the wrong fabric pieces. If in doubt, gather up a selection of prints and colours you like and you can cut during the workshop. Accuracy at the cutting stage is not so important using these techniques, so it won’t take long at all if you want to cut your pieces along with Nicholas. They also needn’t be perfectly square or straight, so feel free to use scissors!

 

This is very much a technique-based workshop. We will be exploring triangles and won’t have a finished project in mind. Feel free to make as many or as few of the units as you like. You can combine them into a sampler or continue to work on the project after the workshop by adding more units to it during the sewalong. Don’t feel any pressure to cut up all your precious fabric!

 

Equipment requirements for this Online Interactive Workshop:-

• Sewing-Machine

• Good quality thread in an appropriate weight for piecing (Nicholas recommends Aurifil)

• Rotary Cutter - with a NEW BLADE!

• Cutting Mat

• Patchwork Ruler (we can make any size work, but a small 1” x 12” is very handy, as is a 6.5” or 12.5” square.

• Fabric Scissors

• Paper and Pencil

• Chalk or Disappearing Fabric Marker

• Most important of all - a willingness to explore your own creativity! It's going to be FUN!!!...

 

Tickets for this Online Interactive Workshop (via the Zoom platform) will be limited and allocated on a first-come/first-served basis! The ticket price of £40.00 (approx $45.00) is based on ONE person attending this crafting class

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This CraftyMonkies online interactive workshop is being broadcast from the United Kingdom and the class time given is based on British Summer Time (BST). We advise you check via Google Search (or similar) to see corresponding start-time in YOUR location! Here's a great world time zone reference:-

https://www.worldtimebuddy.com

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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.

 

IMPORTANT​

This class is a 'live' broadcast ONLY and WILL NOT BE RECORDED - the only way to engage with this workshop is to join Nicholas 'live' on the day. PLease don't delay in securing your place as experience tells us that all classes taught by Nicholas are extremely popular and tend to sell out fast! Don't delay - book TODAY!!!