10/12/2026
Taking the Fabulous Faces class tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 13)? Here is prep info.
These “portraits” are meant to be very whimsical. The example above is what I did in a class taught by Jean Impey. You may want to consider basing your portrait on someone you know, adding details to emphasize their personality.
Choose a background fabric for your portrait. A fat quarter will work well. Collect an assortment of scraps and fat quarters. Consider fabric with small words or texture for the face and neck. Bring some larger scale novelty fabrics that can add character to your portraits. Look for motifs that can be used for eyes and hair. Paisley shapes, peacock feathers or other shapes can be fussy cut to add details. Think about what you want your portrait to wear.
Items to bring to class:
Cutting tools (scissors, rotary cutter, cutting mat)
Elmers washable school glue (The purple sticks work well)
Black thread and sewing machine capable of free-motion quilting
Fabric (background, head, neck, outfit, hair, facial features, details, backing)
Batting
In this workshop, we will put together our portrait and learn how to “double quilt” it. Basically, we will free-motion outline all the facial features and face shapes with black thread, then quilt the entire portrait with whatever method you prefer. You can expect to finish the portrait and at least start the outline quilting in class. Completing the quilting and finishing the project will need to be done at home.