I have mustered all the courage I have and sent off emails to a lot of people telling them that I am interested in teaching at their guild/retreat/shop... actually anywhere that people (if any) are ready to come and learn from me!!!

So, I thought it would be good to write a post about what you can expect if you invite me to teach.

I do teach a number of classes locally (in India), but for the international ones, I have chosen two that I feel reflect my best works! 

So first up, ABSTRACT Expressions

This Quilt is inspired by the work of the Canadian artist Martina Shapiro. The process of making this quilt was just so much fun that I had to share it with others!

The plus point

I conduct this workshops in two formats.

First is the TWO day format. Here is how it goes :

This workshop is divided into four quarters. In the first Quarter, we will be talking about basics of Expressionism and Fauvism. We will also discuss the basics of portraiture and the effects of light on the faces. 

We will then spend some time getting acquainted with the process of portraits by Martina Shapiro. Playing with acrylic paints comes next before lunch time!

On the second day, students start working on the colors of the face. This is the most interesting process, as they think about colors and the way they blend. It is absolutely fascinating to see how faces and their expressions evolve! And this part of the workshop gives me pure joy!!! 


At the end of the two days, the class  leaves with  completed portrait quilts. Each quilt is unique and I find that more often than not, you can find a glimpse of the maker in their quilt! By this time, the fears of making a 'portrait' are all gone and people are already wondering what their next portrait will look like.


I also have a shorter version of this class that I conduct. I do prefer the TWO day format though. It makes it fun for the beginners as well as the experienced quilters!

In the ONE day class, We skip the painting part. The students just sketch the portraits in their notebooks and get started on the fabric portrait. Also, we discuss the details about Expressionism and Fauvism while the students work on their portraits instead of keeping dedicated time for it.

This class might feel a little rushed for some people, but they can always get in touch with me via email if they have any doubts.

In both the classes, I have also (now) prepared handouts that I give to the students for them to understand the process better.

Click here to download the supply list for this class.

Now we come to my second class ABOUT face


This class is based on the REVERSE Applique technique that I teach in my eBook ABOUT face.

It is my claim that this is the fastest method one can use to make a portrait quilt. You DO NOT have to be an artist. You DO NOT need to know how to draw.

In the second quarter, we will be stitching the design and we will start cutting away unwanted fabric, revealing the design underneath.


This is a class where the students are much more busy than I am!!! As they cut away layer(s) of fabric, they are simply overjoyed to see their portraits taking shape! By the end of the third quarter the design will be all cut away!!! And the quilt top will be ready!


In the last quarter, the students will learn how to quilt the face so that they can enhance their work even further.