Please review the registration and refund policy prior to registering for a class.
Questions? Contact workshopregistrar@gaaqg.com
Note: If your membership has lapsed please contact membership@gaaqg.com. Do not join as a new member.
Online registration requires one of the following payment types:
When paying by check, the online store assigns a pending status.
Mail your check, including your name and phone number, to:
GAAQG Treasurer
P.O. Box 131272
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48113-1272
Note: When paying by check for either an online or paper registration, your registration is pending until the check is both received and cleared. You will be notified when payment is completed and your registration is confirmed.
Mail-in registration requires a personal check and a completed paper registration form. Please mail both to the GAAQG Treasurer.
Mail your check, including your name and phone number, to:
GAAQG Treasurer
P.O. Box 131272
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48113-1272
Note: When paying by check for either an online or paper registration, your registration is pending until the check is both received and cleared. You will be notified when payment is completed and your registration is confirmed.
Before placing your order, please review the GAAQG Workshop Registration & Cancellation Policy.
When a workshop sells out, it will be removed from the online store’s list of available products. In this event, you can be added to a waiting list by emailing workshopregistrar@gaaqg.com.
Ana Buzzalino is an award-winning textile artist, quilt maker, and teacher whose work
blends traditional and contemporary surface design techniques. She has won multiple
awards at Quilt Canada, honorable mention at Festival of Quilts, UK and has a first prize
in Abstract at the International Quilt Festival, Houston, under her belt.
Ana’s work is defined by layered textures and historical references. She is drawn to the
“soul” of old buildings, weathered surfaces, and the marks of time, translating these into
tactile textile pieces that feel both timeless and contemporary. Her pieces often invite viewers to “look again,” encouraging attention to detail and texture.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ana grew up immersed in sewing and art, studying
dressmaking and art in school. In 1983, while in Calgary, Alberta, she discovered quilting and enrolled in a beginner’s class the same day, launching a teaching career that has spanned over 40 years. Her teaching emphasizes process, experimentation, and building a personal visual
language.
She is the founder and CEO of Create2Flourish, a program to help artists find their own
creative voice.
January 16, 9:15 am – via Zoom
An inspiring journey into the fascinating realm of creativity. Creativity often appears elusive to many. We’ve all heard statements like “I’m not at all creative” or “I’m not talented.” It’s time to challenge these notions and embrace the inherent creativity within each of us.
In this presentation, we’ll explore the multifaceted concept of creativity, debunking myths and shedding light on what creativity truly is – a skill that can be cultivated and nurtured by anyone. Drawing on insights from leading experts, we will navigate through the misconceptions surrounding creativity and provide practical tips to seamlessly integrate creative practices into your everyday routine.
Instructor: Ana Buzzalino, via Zoom
Friday, January 15, 2027, 9am-4pm
$100 for members, $120 for nonmembers
Kit fee TBD
Skill Level: All levels
Supply List: Coming soon
Step into a world of soft textures and charm in this peaceful workshop.
You’ll begin by layering lace, ribbons, bits of trim, and buttons onto a linen base to build a beautifully tactile journal page.
Once your collage-like base is complete, you’ll add a stitched design—pattern provided—to give your page a focal point that ties everything together.
Perfect for anyone who loves slow stitching, beautiful trims and fabrics, and creating meaningful small pieces of art.
This workshop has a kit fee (optional).Come spend some time immersing yourself in color, texture, slow stitching, and creative play.
Instructor: Ana Buzzalino, via Zoom
Saturday, January 16, 2027, 1 pm – 4 pm
$50 for members, $60 for nonmembers
Skill Level: All levels
Class Preparation:
Supply List
In this workshop you’ll learn to create acrylic skins to use in your work. These acrylic skins require few supplies and are fun and addictive to make and will add an element of surprise and interest to your artwork: quilts, sketchbooks, painting, collages, etc.
Buzzalino will show you different ways to create the acrylic skins. Part of this workshop will be a demo on different products you can use to prepare the skins, how to finish them and how to apply them to your work.
This will be a 2-hr. workshop and then an approximately 1 hour demonstration at the end to finish the acrylic skins as they need to dry before adding the medium and applying to the work.
Instructor: Ana Buzzalino, via Zoom
Sunday, January 17, 2027, 9am – 4pm
$100 for members, $120 for nonmembers
Kit Fee: optional – $40 (Canadian)
Skill Level: All levels
Supply List: Coming soon
Discover the joy of creative expression in this class where you’ll learn to make your own rubbing plates to use with Paintstiks. Join us for a fun and relaxing time as we explore the fascinating world of fabric embellishment and personalized prints.
Paintstiks, with their creamy and thick consistency, offer a user-friendly medium. Throughout the class, you’ll learn various techniques to use them, unlocking the potential to transform fabric into unique masterpieces.
Caution: This experience may be highly addictive!
Kit fee (optional) $40 CAN – kit includes supplies to make the rubbing plates plus textures to use with the Paintstiks
Jenny Lyon’s Bio
“I have been joyfully teaching the art of quilting since 2006. My classes are encouraging, supportive, and light-hearted. I love seeing my students realize that they CAN quilt their own work on a domestic machine. I teach at various guilds, shops, and events throughout the country as well as at major international shows.
In 2025 I began to train as a Quilt Judge and am now a Candidate in the Certification process of the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges.
I use my domestic sewing machine to create art quilts and wearable art. I love to watch my machine stitches create line, texture and shadow as they merge on the surface of the fabric.
My work has been juried into a variety of major shows including Houston and Paducah as well art galleries and SAQA exhibits. Some is held by private collectors.
I call myself the Quilt Skipper because once while quilting my own quilt, I was so delighted by the unexpected beauty of it and what emerged from my needle, that I found myself cheerfully skipping around the house when I took my breaks. It is my joy to create art with free motion quilting.
I live in Northern California with my oh-so-patient hubby. Our two grown sons have left the nest to become men, leaving more room for books, fabric and notions.
My current work is centered around whole-cloth pieces, with intricate free-hand free-motion quilting. Because there is little or no piecing, the story is told through the line of the thread. I consider this work to be “sculpting” the fabric, since the stitches create line and shadow upon the quilt’s surface.”
March 20, 9:15 am
This is an informative and engaging discussion of useful tools, products and “tippy top tips” that will enhance your free motion quilting, some of them downright quirky!
Instructor: Jenny Lyon, in person
Friday March 19, 2027, 9am – 4pm
$100 for members, $120 for nonmembers
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Class Preparation: Supply List
Learn to free motion quilt in a supportive and fun atmosphere. I will bring numerous quilts, photos and samples to illustrate what is taught in class.
We will work on 5 beautiful and fun motifs that you can put on your own quilts using your home sewing machine.
Instructor: Jenny Lyon, in person
Saturday March 20, 2027, 1 – 4pm
$50 for members, $60 for nonmembers
$20 optional fee for shear fabrics
Skill Level: Ambitious Beginner
Class Preparation: Supply List
This is just pure fun! Let’s play with squares of sheer fabric, layering them on a quilted background to create colorful effects. This is color theory without color wheels or rules, just playing with color like a Kindergartner! This is a great class for a timid free motion quilter and more experienced quilters can add quilted plants, insects, animals…. This is a joyful class with a minimal supply list – does it get any better than that?
Instructor: Jenny Lyon, in person
Sunday, March 21, 2026 9am-4pm
$100 for members, $120 for nonmembers
Skill Level: Ambitious Beginner +
Class Preparation: Supply List
Modern Quilts have unique quilting needs. Learn some fun and creative ways to quilt your work at home using your home sewing machine! We’ll practice various patterns and combinations and see how your quilting can create interest without detracting from your quilt design. Relax and begin to launch your own personal style.
Students who register for early for this class, will have an opportunity to pick which motifs they would like to learn.
Sandy is an artist and instructor. She specializes in fiber arts, surface design and encaustics. Her work has been in several publications and juried art exhibitions.
She took her first quilting class in 1984, and began to see quilting as an art form and a means of self-expression. Her work has been included in prestigious exhibits such as Quilt National, Fiberarts International, Quilts=Art-Quilts, Visions Art Museum in San Diego, CA and Ohio Craft Museum. Sandy loves teaching and sharing her knowledge and passion for the creative process.
Sandy describes her art …
“My art is an expression of my internal dialog. I love process, pattern, texture and repetition. I work intuitively until the design feels right to me. I strive to create a mood or energy in my work that sparks a connection. It is this interaction with the art and viewer that brings personal meaning to my life.”
May 15, 9:15 am
This lecture will share Sandy Shelenberger’s artwork and the processes used to create them.
Instructor: Sandy Shelenberger, in person
Friday May 14, 2027, 9am-4pm
$100 for members, $120 for nonmembers
Kit fee: $20
Explore using soy wax as a resist on fabric to create a sophisticated look of multi-dimensional layering in easy to do steps.
You will work with fabric dyes to create a rich color palette. We will discuss the layering of colors. You will dye paint on the cloth before using a wax resist. We will use found objects as well as traditional tjaps (copper blocks) for stamping into the cloth using the soy wax. Then another layer of dye will be applied.
Sandy will demonstrate methods of wax removal, which is an easier process and less toxic than paraffin or bees wax. Participants will leave with their own uniquely dyed and patterned cloth.
Instructor: Sandy Shelenberger, in person
2 Day Workshop: Saturday, May 15, 1pm-4pm and Sunday, May 16, 9am – 4pm
$150 for members, $180 for nonmembers
Kit fee: $20
Shibori is an ancient technique used to create patterning on cloth. You will learn how to create patterns on fabric and a scarf, which will then be dyed in an Indigo vat, creating the traditional magical blue coloring.
Shibori is a Japanese word used to describe a variety of manual resist techniques such as binding, twisting, or clamping that create a variety of patterns. Techniques covered are Arashi Shibori; wrapping the fabric using a cylinder or rope as the core, and Itajime Shibori; clamping and binding the fabric with various shapes to create patterns. Stitched Shibori will also be included. Beautiful patterns can be made by using a simple running stitch or overcast stitch. These stitches can then be sewn in rows or fill in shapes to make unique pattern. These stitches are pulled up and gathered to form a resist. The gathered cloth is then dyed in Indigo.
Learn the traditional methods of Shibori, then experience the joy of creating your own patterns.
Bob Purcell has been in the thread and sewing industry for 28 years. He and his wife started and built one of the most successful specialized thread companies in the world. They sold that company in 2016, with the intent of enjoying retirement life with family and grandchildren.
Seven years later in 2023, Bob, who has no hobbies other than work and grandchildren, realized that retirement wasn’t for him. He bought Y.L.I. Threads, a company with a 45-year history in the quilting, embroidery, and sewing world, and is once again doing what he loves — educating the sewing world and supplying the best sewing products.
Working again with the top three thread factories in the world, nine new lines of the highest quality quilting and sewing threads have been introduced in the past year and more are in the works.
July 17, 9:15 am
Bob Purcell will draw on his 28 years of thread experience and explain thread, needles, and tension in ways that really make sense.
Bob will share his booklet Thread Mastery Institute™ Booklet (Y.L.I. Threads, 866-212-6669)
Roxane was a professional ballet dancer before she transitioned to the visual arts. She has shown her work nationally and internationally in many shows. She most recently won the Niche Award in 2012 for Decorative Fiber.
She specializes in creating custom textile art for home or business. Roxane enjoys the custom design process, and works in a client-focused way, emphasizing communication and follow-up with both client and designer during the whole process. Her work has been purchased for private collections and for the Duke School of Nursing in Durham, NC.
Her inspiration comes from many sources: botanicals, landscapes, Italy, water, and galaxies. Sensual color, lines, and textures are a common thread.
Currently, she is teaching fiber arts here in North Carolina for quilt guilds and at the prestigious Houston International Quilt Festival. She has appeared on Quilting Arts TV and written for numerous quilting arts publications. Her work has appeared in several books on art quilting, most recently, Art Quilts International, Abstract & Geometric.
September 18, 9:15 am
Create more excitement, and texture on your art quilts. We love the textures that various materials can provide, but don’t always know how to use them. Find out how in this fun lecture.
Spotlight: Roxane Lessa, Fiber Artist
Instructor: Roxane Lessa – In person
Friday, September 17, 2027 9am-4pm
$100 for members, $120 for nonmembers
Kit fee: $50 if you would like charmeuse silk, wool batting and backing provided by instructor
Explore the 3-D technique called Sculptured Silk as seen on Quilting Arts TV! Working with a gorgeous piece of hand dyed silk, Roxane will show you how to create your own 3-D art quilt.
Instructor: Roxane Lessa – In person
Saturday, September 18, 2027 1pm-4pm
$50 for members, $60 for nonmembers
Skill Level: All levels
Have you always wanted to do improv quilting? But are not sure how to get started? Maybe you want an easier way to sew curved shapes together? What if you could do both??
Let me share with you a cool way, using tools you probably already have, and using invisible applique. Once you learn this way of using invisible applique, you will have more freedom and more possibilities open to you to create improv art quilts.
Sewing machine required with zig-zag foot
Instructor: Roxane Lessa – In person
Sunday, September 19, 2027 9pm-4pm
$100 for members, $120 for nonmembers
Explore working with scraps and a limited palette to create an improv small art quilt using only straight-line seams. You will learn some design and color basics as you practice putting together your quilt to make a unified modern art quilt.
Lyric Montgomery Kinard is an award-winning quilt artist with a passion for sparking the creativity that she knows each of her students possesses. With playful support and gentle encouragement, she creates a classroom environment where discovery and joy are the products of a willingness to freely play and fearlessly learn.
One of Lyric’s greatest joys is sharing that moment when a student realizes that they do, indeed, have a spark of creativity inside them. She then gives them the tools to fan that spark into a steady flame.
As a recognition of her skill in the classroom she has been named one of IAPQ’s Teachers of the Year. She is the author of the book Art + Quilt: design principles and creativity exercises. She has written extensively for Quilting Arts and a number of other magazines, appeared on Quilting Arts TV, and The Quilt Show, and is co-founder of the Global Quilt Connection.
Lyric is also cofounder of the Global Quilt Connection, an online resource connecting virtual teachers with guilds worldwide, and dean at The Academy for Virtual Teaching, where creatives learn the tech needed to build successful online teaching careers.
You can see her work at LyricKinard.com
November 20, 9:15 am
This lecture will help you learn a few simple tools from the artist’s kit that will help you take your work, whether traditional or contemporary, to the next level. Audience participation keeps viewers engaged after the lights go down and the gorgeous quilts go up on your screen.
Lyric translates the language of ART into delightful and simple to understand concepts and presents them in such an entertaining and practical way that everyone goes home thinking, “I can do that!” She is on a crusade to convince every quilter that they can use the principles of art in whatever kinds of quilts they love to create.
Instructor: Lyric Montgomery Kinard
Friday, November 19, 2027 9am-4pm
$125 for members, $150 for nonmembers
Ever wish you could turn a favorite photo into a quilt—but have no idea where to begin? In this fun, fear-free workshop, you’ll learn how to create quilted portraits using a simple, step-by-step method that makes faces approachable and fun.
We’ll start with giggle-worthy selfie postcards to warm up, then move on to a practice photo provided by Lyric. You’ll learn how to trace key shapes, create a pattern, and bring it to life with fusible appliqué—no drawing skills required. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s play, discovery, and building skills.
By the end of class, you’ll be ready and excited to go home and turn your favorite photo into a quilted portrait all your own.
Instructor: Lyric Montgomery Kinard – In Person
Saturday, November 20, 2027 1pm-4pm
$60 for members, $75 for nonmembers
Skill Level: All levels
Optional: Art + Quilt: Design principles and creativity exercises by Lyric Kinard
If you’ve looked with secret longing to the world of art quilts but don’t know where to start, this is the class for you. Lyric will gently guide you through concrete exercises designed to help you create ideas for original abstract quilts.
Doodles will be scribbled, eyes and minds will be opened, and fun will be had. You will learn the basics of fused collage as you assemble your quilt top. Even students who have never created their own designs before will end the day with at least one small and uniquely original art quilt top.
This a condensed workshop. Students will be glueing not sewing the fabric in this workshop.
Instructor: Lyric Montgomery Kinard
Sunday, November 21, 2027 9am-4pm
$125 for members, $150 for nonmembers
Kick-start your creativity and learn about the basic elements of good design through a series of short, hands-on exercises. Learn why some colors fizz while others explode, why some quilts calm and some excite. A few simple tools from the artists kit will help you take your work, whether traditional or contemporary, to the next level.
Lyric translates the language of ART into delightful and simple to understand concepts and presents them in such an entertaining and practical way that everyone goes home thinking, “I can do that!” She is on a crusade to convince everyone that they can use the principles of art in whatever kinds of quilts they love to create.
https://blog.lyrickinard.com/live-workshops/the-elements-of-art-for-quilters
