Allerton Park & Retreat Center

Experience Level: Beginner 

Learn a new quilting technique at Quilting 101: Foundation Paper Piecing on Tuesday, July 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the The Studio. 

In this class, students will create complex and colorful geometric patterns and motifs with accuracy using paper. If this isn’t enough fun, instructor Billie Theide will be bringing her vintage sewing machines for students to practice on including a Singer Featherweight. 

This quilting process can culminate in a wide range of projects like quilts, bags, and contemporary artworks. All supplies will be provided. 

$130/person*. Registration will close June 21 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final. 

*Students should plan to bring the sewing machine they feel most comfortable using. Allerton has a limited supplie of machines available for rent. Please contact Olivia for more information. 

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodation to participate, please email Olivia at owarren@illinois.edu. 

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken. 

About the instructor 

Billie Theide is a former chair of the Crafts Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she is Professor Emerita. Theide is a metalsmith, jeweler and ceramicist. Her work is in public art collections around the world including the Smithsonian, Museum of Arts & Design in New York City, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City and the Racine Art Museum, among others. 

She is the recipient of a Visual Arts Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and five Artists Fellowship Grants from the Illinois Arts Council. Theide has been recognized for her excellence in teaching and is a Distinguished Member and Past-President of the Society of North American Goldsmiths.