Simple Secrets for Starting Art Quilting Class
Registration is now closed for the current session of the live version, we have a great group of mostly new, and several returning, a couple for the third time! Self guided should be back soon! And I am aiming for fall 2025 for the next session of the live one.
Class description for both versions

If you have wanted to try art quilting but are not sure where to start, this is the class for you! My goal is to remove uncertainty and replace it with the confidence and tools to make several successful projects right from the start, then build on that foundation. I want you to have the fun of hearing people say, "You made that?!" 😃 Throughout this page are examples that use some of the principles that we will cover. (There are at least 80-90 sample quilt photos in the class, even more in the Live version!) I will give you some pattern pieces for specific designs, but I will also help show you how to make your own, as the design is really what makes something an art quilt! We'll cover basics of design, methods and techniques, and construction. But the best part is all of my secrets for making things that look more complicated than they are. For example, in the Moonrise quilt (3rd in group pic), the background fabric does almost all of the work! The class is either self guided, do at your own pace, with a Facebook group for questions and interaction, or the Live online version with Zooms for teaching and Q and A. I love my collage class, but this one is kind of my baby, it encompasses so much of what I do, and has been in the works for at least two years! I hope to see you there :-)
*No quilting experience required, but you do need basic sewing skills.
*No quilting experience required, but you do need basic sewing skills.
I have learned so much from you. Coming from a place where I had only sewn a few basic quilts, I was nervous to try these [mini art quilts]. I had read art quilting magazines for years. I wanted to try it, but I didn't know how to start. Your tutorials broke down the steps and made it simple enough that I felt confident to try. With each small step, you have encouraged me to the point I am now trying all sorts of new things and continue learning every day and I am loving every minute of it. There are always new techniques to learn and with the help of your free motion tips, I hope to improve and become more confident in that. I appreciate the tips every day. I am most thankful that you gave me the confidence to try and made it easy to succeed. 🙂 Lynette S
My vision for you!
There are a lot of benefits to anything you do with your hands and creativity, but I have a few specific goals in mind for my students:
1. Quick success, as that motivates you to do more! 2. A clear path to follow. 3. Anything creative involves making a bunch of decisions, which is partly what makes it hard, so I want you to feel more confident in doing that. 4. Practical skills for bringing your ideas to life. 5. A ‘toolbox’ full of simple concepts that make things look more complicated than they are! (That’s how you get the ‘you made that?!” ) |
Registration is now closed for this session. Stay tuned for the next time it comes around, aiming for fall 2025!
Live Simple Secrets Spring 2025
February 3-March 13
How it's different from the self paced: 1. Modules will be delivered one per week for six weeks. 2. Each week will have two live Zoom calls for teaching, questions, and show and tells! (one hour ish each) Recordings will also be available. You will have continued access to the course lessons and Zoom recordings after the course is over! 3. Goody boxes! You will get a box of fun supplies and surprises shipped to you, well over $100 worth! This next session's box includes a new, never before seen wall hanging kit, an envelope to open each week, and LOTS of other fun things! |
Self-paced Class Registration (currently closed until I get it moved to the new platform, I maxed out the other one!)
Who I am and what I do:
![]() In case you have no idea who I am, here it is! My name is Beret Nelson, I live in Fairbanks, AK, and I love to either help people get started in art quilting, or gain confidence if they are already an art quilter. Sometimes people just need encouragement, and sometimes a simple little piece of information changes everything. I'm chock full of those little tips, and I love to share them!
I have three (more coming!) online classes, Framed Collage, Crazy Quilt Greeting Card, and Simple Secrets for Starting Art Quilting, and a line of kits and patterns designed to give people a head start and try some unconventional techniques. Also lots of tutorials here on my website, in my newsletter, (sign up on home page), and also YouTube; On the Trail Creations is my channel. Most of my kits have been in the Keepsake Quilting catalog, and I have also made several appearances in Art Quilting Studio magazine, including the Winter 2023 cover! And now I can add an appearance in the Winter 2025 issue of Quilting Arts Magazine! |