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Quilting 101: A 2-Day Beginner Workshop
Ready to make your very first quilt? Join us for Quilting 101 — now offered as a relaxed, two-day workshop designed for total beginners who want a low-stress, hands-on introduction to quilting. You’ll learn every step of the process and go home with a finished lap quilt you can proudly say you made yourself.
We’ll cover the foundations: choosing fabrics, cutting with a rotary cutter and ruler, piecing a quilt top, basting, straight-line quilting, binding, and even how to label your quilt to “sign” your work. No experience needed — just bring your enthusiasm!
Schedule
Saturday • 2:00–5:00 PM
We’ll kick things off with supplies, color theory, and fabric prep. You’ll cut your fabrics, plan your layout, and start piecing your quilt top.
Sunday • 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
We’ll pick up right where you left off! You’ll baste your quilt, straight-line quilt it on your machine, square it up, and add binding. If time allows, we’ll finish the session by making a simple label for your quilt.
By the end of the weekend, you’ll have a cozy finished lap quilt (34" × 51") to enjoy for years to come.
Fabric Shopping
We highly recommend shopping for your fabric one hour before class to maximize your learning time. Your instructor will be in the shop to assist with fabric selection. This also gives you time to wind bobbins and thread the sewing machine. You'll even have a few minutes to practice a 1/4" seam allowance before starting your quilt. Students receive a 10% discount on all class supplies.
Fabric Requirements
For this quilt you’ll need:
- 3/4 yard light fabric
- 3/4 yard dark fabric
If you prefer a single-color background, you'll need 1.5 yards total. - Five 5" squares (we’ll supply a curated selection for you to choose from!)
- 1.5 yards backing fabric
- 5/8 yard binding fabric
- Batting (minimum 36" × 50")
Class Policies
Attendance Agreements:
- You acknowledge that crafting often involves the use of electrical equipment, irons, and sewing machines, as well as needles, scissors, and rotary cutters and that the use of these tools includes risks that can lead to injury. You agree to release and hold harmless Needles & Bolts, LLC its instructors, and employees from any and all claims and liability related to any accident that may arise as a result of your or your child's participation in classes, workshops, or programs. Should the need arise, you agree to first aid and/or medical treatment.
- Each person who is planning to attend a class must purchase a seat.
- Please be on time for class to be respectful of the other students and instructors.
Cancellations + Rescheduling:
- All classes need a minimum of 2 students to run (except the "Make Friends" series). If a class has less than 2 students 24 hours before class starts, we will contact you and discuss moving your seat into the next available workshop or offer you a credit of the class amount paid to put towards a future class.
- We do not offer refunds for classes unless Needles & Bolts needs to cancel for any reason. Store Credit or a transfer to another workshop is permitted. We do allow transfer of class credit to another student. We require a 48-hour notice of cancellation before the start of your class to receive a store credit. Please note that we cannot offer a store credit if you are within the 48-hour time frame. If you need to cancel a class or switch the date and the 48-hour deadline has not passed, please email us at hello@needlesandbolts.com to do so and we will be happy to help.
- There are NO refunds, exchanges, or store credits given at any time for classes with out-of-town instructors and special guest instructors.
Additional Information
Parking:- Free street parking is available on Germantown Avenue, Carpenter Lane, Meehan Street, and surrounding side streets. Please note that even if parking is free, an enforced time limit may exist. You may need to walk a bit to get to the shop, please plan accordingly.
- The SEPTA 23 bus from Market Street Station in Center City headed towards Chestnut Hill stops directly in front of Needles & Bolts.
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Skill Details: | You'll learn everything from precise cutting with a rotary cutter and ruler, piecing fabric blocks, sandwiching a quilt, quilting, squaring up and binding. If time allows, we'll help you put a label on it as well! |
| Materials Included: | Pattern is included. We have classroom machines to use along with cutting and pressing tools. |
| Requirements: | Knowledge of how to use a sewing machine is nice but not necessary. If you would like to take this class but need a sewing machine refresher, consider signing up for our 'Make Friends with Your Machine' workshop! If you would like to use your machine, make sure it is in good working order. Our instructors are not responsible for your machine. |
| Instructor: | Marci Schwartz OR Hilary Barnes OR Catherine Adams |
| Instructor Bio: | Marci Schwartz Marci is a Midwest native who is passionate about creating with needle & thread. After decades spent acquiring the “perfect fabric” for myriad projects, she rediscovered her sewing machine during the pandemic and is finally putting those fabrics to use. She currently lives in Philadelphia with her two rescue cats, Cinder and Clara. You can follow her creative ventures on Instagram @marci.makes. --- Hilary Barnes Hilary has been crafting since junior high school and has enjoyed activities such as cross-stitch, needlepoint, embroidery, and knitting. She started sewing in 2014, but really became obsessed after taking her first quilting class in 2022. As an educator by profession, Hilary loves teaching and sharing what she has learned with others. Hilary lives in Mt. Airy with her partner, John, and their two cats, Peter and Sarah. Hilary can be found on Instagram at @cefjquilts. --- Catherine Adams Catherine has been sewing for nearly her entire life and quilting for a decade. She loves learning techniques of all types, from bag-making to embroidery to needle felting. Catherine loves inspiring people to pick up something new…and even better, finish their projects! You can find some of Catherine’s work @catherine_e_adams on Instagram or on display at Needles & Bolts. |
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