Paula made her first quilt in April 1990, three weeks after attending the Glendale (California) Quilt Show with her best friend, Mary Ponce.  She taught her first machine piecing class two years later, but found that her heart was captured by the quilting process.  Machine quilting on her first Bernina machine was her very favorite way to spend time.

In 1993, Paula opened her machine quilting business, utilizing the skills she had developed working on her own quilts.  Since the day that she made her very first quilt, she has quilted over 1,400 quilts, all on her regular home machines.  Of these, 50% have been queen size, 25% king size and the other 25% were various smaller sizes.  The largest quilt she has ever “fluffed and stuffed” was 112” x 128”!

 “Fluff & Stuff” is what Paula calls her method for moving large quilts through a home machine.  She began teaching workshops on her techniques in the southern California region in 1993, expanding to national teaching a few years later when appearances on “Simply Quilts” brought her to the attention of a larger audience.  Now spending weeks at a time on the road, she has decided that nothing is more fun than sharing ideas with the quilters she meets on her travels.

    This lecture is approximately one hour duration, can be tailored to fit 
    your time frame.  This is a trunk show of  Paula’s work  from the very
    modest beginning to  the  present.  LOTS of quilts; no slides. 
    Fee: $350.00

Lecture: The 10 Commandments of Successful Machine Quilting
                 (Or How to Persuade a Wayward Quilt to Hang Straight!)

    This  lecture is  a  light-hearted, but  informative look  at  the various 
    challenges  you  may  encounter  and  techniques   you  can  use  to
    wrestle your problem quilt into submission.
    Fee: $350.00
   

Workshop Fees:  The fee for all one-day workshops is $650.00  for 20 or  fewer participants;   additional   participants  are $30.00 each.

Borders and Bindings:
In a 6 hour workshop, participants will learn how to measure and apply straight borders, crumb catchers (a sneaky way to add color to a quilt without adding size) and borders with cornerstones by constructing a quilt based on a fat quarter and coordinating fabrics. Paula will also demonstrate mitered borders, double fold bindings (including that tricky join), bias bindings for scalloped edges and prairie point finishes.

Introduction to Machine Quilting: Starting with "batting practice" and  working  through  use of  the walking   foot,  darning  foot,  free motion techniques, stencils and decorative  threads,  Paula shares her invaluable  tips for streamlining the quilting process,  making  it  faster and more fun for you. Class normally lasts 6 hours,  but it can be tailored to your time frame and the group’s experience level. 

Fluff & Stuff:  There have been  many requests  for  multi-day machine  quilting  workshops.  By  running  the  class  over two or more days,  participants  will  have the time  to  learn  to  “handle the bulk” by working on  their own larger quilt tops rather than just a small sample.  Instead   of  having   to  visualize   techniques  that  work  on  larger quilts, your  group will have  the opportunity  to use  them. 

Workshop follows the format of the “Fluff & Stuff: Machine Quilting
with Paula Reid” DVD.

Trapunto  by  Machine:  Using  techniques  that were pioneered by Hari Walner,  Paula teaches you how to easily  attain that  beautiful raised look without  time-consuming stuffing or cutting holes in the back of your  work.  In 6  hours, most participants will complete a 18"  project,  but the workshop can be shortened and the project finished at home.

Positive/Negative: Adding Color to Trapunto by Machine:  In this workshop, we experiment with Trapunto techniques by adding color.  There are four blocks in this 26” quilt; two of them bring color into the background while the other two have color in the Trapunto area.  Recommended for the intermediate quilter with some free motion experience.

Machine Appliqué Techniques:    Several appliqué techniques are taught  in  this class,  including faced  appliqué, freezer paper, reverse  appliqué  and  three  dimensional   appliqué.   Since  the object of this class  is  to teach techniques that duplicate the  look of time-intensive hand work without actually  having  to  do any, no fusibles are used.   Class  duration is 4  to 6 hours, depending on practice time. 

Machine Embellishment Techniques:   Learn  texturing  techniques using  fabric manipulation, threads,  ribbons, beads, charms and any other  found objects  with no other immediate  discernible purpose.  (Don’t use  that whisk!  It’s going on my  desserts quilt!).  Six hour frenzy  leads  to an ever-increased creativity quotient that  helps you distinctively embellish quilts, wearables,?

Tequila Sunrise:  A one or twp day workshop featuring instruction in weaving with raw edges, piecing and Trapunto to make  a  striking contemporary  34” square  wall  hanging  with a  pieced border.   The  original  is  made  of   hand-dyed  fabrics; kits  from  Pieces of  Dreams are available if participants wish  to use  the identical  fabrics.   This class  is  for  the quilter with intermediate  skills.  A 1- or 2-day class available.

• 1-day class results in  a 14" piece with one woven block.
• 2-day class makes a 34" wall quilt with 4 woven blocks.

Tropical Seas:    A 2-day  workshop  featuring  instruction in weaving with raw edges,   piecing and  machine  appliqué  to  make  an  underwater   seascape  as  seen  on  "Simply Quilts" episode 539. This quilt measures 34” square and has a pieced border.   The original is made of hand-dyed  fabrics; kits  from  Pieces of  Dreams are available if participants wish  to use  the identical  fabrics.   This class  is  for  the quilter with intermediate  skills.

Winter  Holidays  Kaleidoscope Quilt:   Originally designed for 
Alex Anderson’s  "Simply Quilts"  television series,  this  is  a piecing class for beginning to intermediate level quilters.  On the show, we made wall hangings for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.   Use  theme fabrics and coordinates to celebrate your own winter holiday! 

Miscellaneous:  If an  overnight stay  is planned, a  non-smoking  private  residence  is  wonderful  as long as Paula gets to see the quilts. No dogs, please.