Meet Paula Reid...

Often described as an “artist with a sewing machine”, Paula Reid is a custom heirloom quilting specialist. She has vigorously attacked the stacks of tops residing in many quilters’ homes, thus freeing them from accumulated guilt and allowing them to purchase more fabric, books, patterns, etc. to use up all that extra space in the sewing room!

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.

Lecture: Confessions of an Avid (some say batty) Machine Quilter

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.

NEW! NEW! NEW!

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.

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.

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.

NEW! NEW! NEW! Tequila Sunrise:

A one- or two- day workshop featuring instruction in weaving with raw edges, piecing, and trapunto to make a striking contemporary 34" square wall hanging witha pieced border. The original is made of hand-dyed fabrics. This class is for the quilter with intermediate skills. A 1- or 2-day class is 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.

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 six hours, most participants will complete an 18” project.

Trapunto by Machine (Half Day Workshop):

For those guilds and shops that prefer a three to four hour time frame, here is a smaller trapunto project that finishes to approximately 5½” x 16”.

NEW! NEW! NEW! 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. 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 thequilts. No dogs, please.