Threadscapes with Swan Sheridan - Fri, July 18th, 2025 10 AM to 4 PM

Date: Friday, July 18th, 2025
Time: 10 AM - 4 PM
Teacher: Swan Sheridan

Nebraska Quilt Company is excited to partner with Swan Sheridan of Swan Amity Studios from Tucson, Arizona. She is an amazing pattern, fabric designer, applique and landscape quilting expert.

Get ready to drop your feed dogs as we learn to use this beautiful free motion technique to build detailed landscapes with simple stitching and blended color. Whether your passion is art quilting or you're simply looking to embellish your projects, this class will give you the basics to begin using your threads to a greater advantage. From backgrounds to focal points you'll learn everything you need to know to start making lovely landscapes of your own!

Materials needed:

• Fabric: You will need a selection of scrap fabrics measuring at least 9”x 9”
  • A range of sunset colors (you will need 5 colors, though you may wish to bring more in order to have options).
  • For mountains, two dark shades you might like.
  • Choose one or more colors for sand, and at least one saguaro (tree-like cactus) shade if you would like to make the desert scene.
  • Choose one or more colors for a green valley and at least one color for your river if you would like to make the valley scene.
  • This project works best if you chose fabrics that have little or no print and exhibit some color change within the fabric. Hand dyes and batiks are excellent.
  • Our staff is ready to help you select your fabrics at any time in-store.
• A piece of backing fabric measuring at least 10” x 12” and a batting scrap roughly the same size as the backing fabric.
• Thread: This class is primarily about color and thread. Consider bringing a variety of threads that match, closely match, or accentuate elements of the fabrics that you select. Choose a variety that also reflects elements of the landscape. Use the sample photo as an example to help you with your selections. The sample contains thread from Superior’s King Tut line, Sulky’s variegated line, and several rayon and polyester selections. Don’t feel limited by cotton. This is an art piece and many types of thread are acceptable.
• In the bobbin, choose matching colors for your bobbin threads in the weights of your preferred top threads. (Cotton bobbin threads that work well are Aurfil, Mettler, and DMC machine embroidery thread.)
• Sewing machine in good working order capable of dropping the feed dogs
• Free Motion Quilting foot compatible with your machine (a full circle or an open toe foot will work)
• Teflon free motion slider (optional item, you just need to be able to easily move your fabric through your machine)
• Microtex (sharp) machine needles (80/12 or 90/14 is best)
• Self threading needle (for hand burying knots)
• Paper cutting scissors
• Good sharp fabric cutting scissors
• Small scissors you can get up close to your project surface
• Sewline Glue pen
• ½ yard freezer paper
• Pencil
• Rotary Cutter