Jane Sassaman’s Workshops
Workshops build confidence and keener ways of seeing...
Learn from Jane’s insights into design and inspiration. These workshops have been successfully conducted for thousands of people from Tokyo, Japan to Lincoln, Nebraska. In fact, Jane has been twice nominated for Teacher of the Year by Professional Quilter’s Magazine. Jane’s comforting nature and encouragement will benefit seasoned artists and novices alike.
If you are interested in booking Jane for your guild program or quilt conference, please refer to this link for more workshop information.
-Click Here for Contract & Fees
Lectures
Requirements for all in-person lectures:
- Two or more quilt racks or some other safe way to display quilts vertically
- Large projection screen
- Sturdy table to support projector and laptop
- 3 prong extension cords
- Two tables for sales and display
Requirements for ZOOM lectures:
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I am now booking real time Zoom lectures for quilting guilds and events!
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The guilds will manage the Zoom scheduling and supply a moderator. The moderator and I will connect via Zoom before the day of the lecture to finalize technical details.
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The moderator will collect questions for a Q & A after the talk.
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The lectures are limited to guild members and recording or link sharing is prohibited.
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The cost is the same as an in-person lecture, but your guild is spared the travel and hotel expenses.
Art & Ornament: A Survey of Sassaman Quilts
Jane Sassaman leads a triple life as an artist, craftswoman and designer. The designer is a problem solver. The craftswoman manipulates materials with fine skill. An artist follows her heart. See some of the many quilts created by the collaboration of Jane’s head, heart and hands in this colorful presentation.
Jane's Textile Treasures
This is a glimpse into the inspirations and process of designing fabric. From dreaming to drawing, coloring and cutting. This is a colorful journey through the creative process. I will also bring many quilts and accessories made with my FreeSpirit fabrics. Everyone will enjoy seeing how to use these contemporary prints to make dramatic quilts.
Quilting Against the Odds
This visual lecture is about accomplishing your work in spite of obstacles - family life, space limitations, etc. It is a pep talk and slide show which covers my inspirations and my obstacles. I encourage people to do "what you have to do" by using myself and other artists as examples.
Under the Influence
Under the Influence is a lecture of the visual and philosophical ideas that have influenced me and my work. There is an extra ordinary range of wonderful images. This is a very colorful lecture. I hope to excite and inspire the audience by exposing them to an unusual combination of fantastic images.
Workshops
supplies and more info.
Abstracting from Nature
Length - 1 day to 5 days
Level - Beginning to advanced
Sewing machine needed for 3 to 5 day class
Nature is an endless source of inspiration. In this class we will examine a wide variety of artists interpretations of nature before beginning to manipulate natural forms ourselves. Through a series of exercises we will experiment with abstraction and exaggeration to capture the essence and energy of your favorite flora and achieve dramatic visual effects. We will then translate these ideas into fabric in the 2 to 5 day workshop.
supplies and more info.
Abstracting from Nature Zoom Seminar
I am offering my most popular workshop, ABSTRACTING from NATURE, via Zoom for two sessions this winter 2025, one in January (10, 17, 24, 30) and the other February (7, 14, 21, 28). There will be a live three hour presentation every Friday at 1:00 PM central. Each weekly meeting will be recorded and available through the following month. Each class is limited to 24 participants. Cost $450. Sign up in my webstore.
supplies and more info.
Bountiful Bouquets
Length - 1 to 2 days
Level - Beginning to intermediate
Sewing machine with satin stitch needed
*This is a great class for stores that carry an abundance of Jane’s FreeSpirit fabrics.
Students will combine Jane’s wonderful printed FreeSpirit fabrics with her machine appliqué techniques to create a unique, colorful and energetic floral broderie perse collage. If this class is not held in a store, Jane will bring fabrics to purchase.
supplies and more info.
Domestic Bliss: Abstract Applique Still Life
LENGTH - 1 to 5 days
LEVEL - All
Sewing machine needed (at least a few of decorative stitches)
supplies and more info.
Leaf of Many Colors
Length - One Day
Level - Beginner to Intermediate
Make a multi-colored leaf using Jane’s unique machine appliqué technique. You will learn how to stabilize fabric, layer shapes, remove unwanted bulk, practice raw edge stitching and appliqué a one piece border while creating this handsome 18” quilt top.
supplies and more info.
Leaf Sampler - Personalities of a Leaf
Length - One day
Level - Beginning to intermediate
Machine embroidery adds personality to your quilts and needlework. The stitches you choose affect the emotion and atmosphere of your work. In this workshop we will make a simple sampler using a repeated leaf appliqué, but by changing the finishing embroidery stitches each leaf takes on different personalities and attitudes.
This is your chance to get familiar with the stitches contained in your sewing machine or to sample some stitches you have never tried before. What ever machine you have, we will try to find the stitches which speak your language and will make your needle projects more expressive.
supplies and more info.
Moon Glow
Length - One Day
Level - Beginner to Intermediate
This is a quick and easy way to learn Jane’s unique machine appliqué technique. You will learn how to stabilize fabric, layer shapes, remove unwanted bulk and practice raw edge stitching while creating this 18” modern quilt top.
supplies and more info.
Moths & Moons
LENGTH - 1 day
LEVEL - Beginning to intermediate
Sewing machine needed (at least a few of decorative stitches)
We will spend the day making marvelous moths! Each student will get a patterns and directions for making the Moths and Moons Quilt, $18. Bring your favorite fabrics or purchase a kit from Jane’s stash of FreeSpirit designs to create one to three giant moths (approximately 27”W X 21”H each). They will be assembled using Jane’s accessible appliqué method. After class you will be able to stitch your background and apply your gorgeous critters.
supplies and more info.
Pattern Play
Length - 1 day to 5 days
Level - Beginning to advanced
NO sewing machine needed for ONE day workshop
This workshop will explore many classic and nontraditional ways of applying pattern. We will examine historic ornament and decorative design throughout the course. We will do several design exercises on paper that will evolve onto a unique fiber project.
This course strives to stimulate new ways to add energy and excitement to your work with surface decoration. It will also supply you with a collection of unique designs to apply to your surface design or fiber art.
supplies and more info.
Shape Shifting
Length - 2 day to 5 days
Level - intermediate to advanced
Sewing machine needed
We all have innate preferences for certain colors, shapes and proportions, as well as natural attractions to certain symbols, images and icons. In this class we will study photographs and slides of a variety of historic and ethnic decorative objects to help uncover some of the motifs and symbols which may have powerful personal resonance. For example, you may be drawn to Buddhist mandalas or Mexican milagros. You may be attracted to the design of an Inuit mask or the pattern from an Art Nouveau vase or the shape of an Egyptian chair. Each student will select historic motifs, shapes and images which they will manipulate and reinterpret into a unique statement in fabric and thread. By lifting an image from one time and place to another the student will begin to exercise the power to recognize their personal touch stones to imagination. The aim of the workshop is to nurture your intuitive skills.
Students should have a desire to develop their own design language and unique visual symbols, plus an interest in the history of decorative design.
supplies and more info.
Simple Silhouettes
Length - One Day
Level - Beginning to intermediate
Sewing machine needed
*This is a great class for quilt stores which carry an abundance of Sassaman fabric and the Simple Silhouette patterns
I have created a series of silhouette designs to be used in combination with my FreeSpirit fabrics. This is a good class for beginning machine appliquérs or quilters who want to make an easy, but dramatic small wall quilt for their home or as a gift. Each student will pick a central motif (flower, butterfly, etc.), a favorite Sassaman fabric and a coordinating background to make an 18” quilt using Jane’s unique “bandage” appliqué technique. Once you grasp the system, you will feel comfortable to make more when you get home.
supplies and more info.
Suns and Moons
Length - one day
Level - beginning to advanced
Sewing machine needed
Suns and Moons is a machine appliqué workshop based on the circle motif. Using Jane’s appliqué techniques and experimenting with our decorative stitches, we will begin by making a series of colorful fabric discs which will then be arranged into a dramatic and contemporary composition.
supplies and more info.
Totem of Life
LENGTH - 2 day to 5 days
LEVEL - all levels, Sewing machine needed
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION -
In this workshop we will stylize some of your favorite characters in nature and arrange them into an interlacing appliquéd fabric collage, a colorful and graphic “Totem of Life”.
Come to class with a chosen “theme” to help organize your ideas. For, example, you could pick “Autumn” as your theme. Your characters could be fall leaves, moths, chrysanthemums and a harvest moon. Or your theme could be Butterflies and Flowers, Ocean Life or even The Planets.
Then you will collect photos and prints of the characters that are candidates for your composition. From these we will stylize ( simplify and exaggerate) each object so they can be made as graphic fabric shapes for appliqué. Your composition will evolve as your shapes begin to “play off” one another.
This is a perfect way to learn my appliqué and construction techniques, but also a chance to make a uniquely personal project.
supplies and more info.
Wings & Wedges
LENGTH - 1or 2 days
LEVEL - All
Sewing machine needed (at least a few of decorative stitches)