GYLEEN FITZGERALD. Willingness of mind To dream the impossible Changes tomorrow.

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1 GYLEEN FITZGERALD Willingness of mind To dream the impossible Changes tomorrow. I want children to be do-ers of life and not just watch-ers. I hope my writing inspires them to laugh and read out loud; one day it may lead to art and creative thinking. Fitzgerald was born in Philadelphia, PA but grew up in Taiwan and Japan. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering at Drexel University and opened Colourful Stitches in Its first subsidiary, FPI Publishing was launched in 2005 with the publication of her first two books. Its second subsidiary, Tools by Gyleen was launched in 2010 with the Pineapple Tool. In 2011, she obtained the Trademark for her Butterfly Seam. Those formative years in the Far East developed her love for simplistic artistry. She began needlework at the very young age of 4 and has since pursued artistic expression in

2 drawing and quilt making. Her quilts blend colour, pattern and texture to provide a contemporary essence to traditional quilting. Her strength as a quilter is demonstrated by the infusion of engineering tools and techniques to simplify visually complex quilts. Her writing life came much later; she started with technical reports, moved to technical instructions and finally got the courage to do creative organized thinking. Her written works center around Haiku poetry, Quilt project books, patterns and magazine articles and of course the crème de la crème, children s books. As an artist she has achieved Best of Show recognition; as a writer and publisher she has achieved award winning status with Quilts: Unfinished Stories with New Endings. Gyleen has appeared on The Quilt Show and Lifetime TV promoting finishing antique quilts and the new spirit of traditional quilting. Gyleen has an active social media presence on three Facebook group pages and in the Forum of The Quilt Show s website. For Gyleen, quilting is the passion which colours her world as her writing journey continues. CLASSES AND SUPPLIES #101 ENGAGED - A POLYGON AFFAIR Thursday March 7, 2013 All Levels

3 Engaged: Are you ready for love? It s a Polygon Affair. Engaged combines 4 shapes (diamonds, pyramids, hexagons and cones) into one stunning quilt all cut from your stash. You will learn how to construct a Butterfly Seam for effortless stitching. It s so easy you ll fall in love. Supplies: Required pattern ($5.00) and Polygon Tool ($14.00) will be sold in class. Fabrics (refer to photo): *Precut 45 strips 3" x 40" (or 2" x 22") from assorted fabrics for scrappy or at least 6 fabrics for controlled *1 1/2 yards for pyramid and edge fabric *2 yards for background pyramids and border 1 *1/2 yard for border 2 *1 yard for border 3 Thread that can be "seen" in the bobbin Seam ripper 1/4" foot without guide is handy Rotary cutter and mat and basic sewing supplies #201 ME AND MOM MAKE BLUEBERRY BUCKLE Friday March 8, 2013 All Levels.

4 Nice size blocks to learn the basic skill and end up with a nine-patch quilt with a huge twist to elegance. The challenge in the simplicity is to match all the seams in the nine patches, to set them apart with a commanding color and to trust unusual combinations in the pieced border. Great quilt for solids, hand-dyed, batik, sateen and the host of fabrics from your scrap bag. Supplies: Lap Quilt (61 x 61 ) (111) 4 squares in a variety of prints 1 ½ yards for Background 1 ½ yards for Border and Binding ~5 yards for Backing (not needed for the workshop) Twin Batting (not needed for the workshop) Cutting Instruction: Basic supplies: Size Lap Quilt 61 x 61 4 charm squares squares background 4 8 ¼ strips background 2 8 ¾ squares 2 background 4 squares border 30 Sewing machine with ¼ foot Rotary cutting supplies with 6 x 24 ruler Neutral sewing thread that blends in with most of your fabric Sense of adventure

5 #301 TRASH TO TREASURE PINEAPPLES Saturday March 9, 2013 All Levels Okay isn t it time to clear the clutter in your life? Oops, too much? What about using up all those bits and pieces stuff in nooks, crannies and boxes? Better? Let s make an old fashion favorite pineapple quilt with a new and contemporary twist; sewn with perfection and totally random; and without paper piecing! This workshop turns trash to a treasured one of a kind pineapple quilt. Supply List: Mission: To clear your studio of clutter. Let s use it up. Supply List and Homework 1. Gather all your scraps squirreled away waiting for that special day. I mean all of it. This can be vintage, novelty, floral, geometric, folk art etc. No solids unless you have a huge collection that you are trying to get rid of /4 yard or more fabric that you believe is stunning. Hopefully this is in your stash but if you must buy, don t buy much. This is for your border and center squares. I generally don t buy larger than 1 yard so I usually plan to put several fabrics together

6 for my borders if I need to make a lap quilt or larger. Bring choices. I like to mix styles of fabric within one quilt so don t worry about that /4 yard of solid or semi-solid fabric. This is used in the blocks and will frame or showcase your scrap collection. Any color will work; when in doubt pick your favorite color or a super dark that is in your border fabric or a super light that is in your border fabric. Homework: Cut down all the scraps that you gathered to 1-1/2 strips. Grain doesn t matter. The shortest piece needed is 1-1/2 and the longest is 5. You re going to need lots of strips. Cut (4) or so 1-1/2 strips of your solid or semi-solid. Bring the rest to class. Special Tool: Pineapple Tool by Gyleen ($15) Optional: Trash to Treasure Pineapple Quilts Book Basic Supplies Huge bag or basket that stays open for your strips. Rotary cutting mat, cutter and ruler Bright sewing thread for the bobbin. Good place to use up some old thread. You can use any color on top. Power cord and foot pedal to the sewing machine 1/4 foot (without the edge guide if you have one) Seat cushion and cup or mug Paper bag or something for trash Wonderful can get this done attitude! Confused? Send me an , Gyleen