Looking Back at the 20th Century

Quilts from each decade are paired with news headlines from the period -- some momentous and some downright silly. A great way to review what happened in quiltmaking during the last 100 years as we enter a new century. $700 (no attendance limit)

Fabric Addict or Fabric Collector? Building your stash without guilt.

Nancy gives guidelines for building a fabric collection and how to serve as its curator. She also shares the many clever ways her customers have gotten new fabric into the house without detection. Plus strategies to bring it in with no arguments. $700 (no attendance limit)

Tell Me About Grandmother's Quilt

A participation event where those attending bring antique quilts and Nancy comments on each one in a "Show and Tell" format. Popular for guilds as well as museum programs, antique shows and home shows. $700 for a one-hour lecture, $1000 for a three-hour event. (no attendance limit, but the number of quilts we can handle is limited to 25-30 per hour.)

Taking Care of Grandmother's Quilt

Nancy explains how to store, preserve, conserve and display quilts to help them last for another century -- at least. We will discuss cleaning quilts, how long acid free boxes remain acid free, and demonstrate folding with acid free tissue. Good for non-quilters as well as quilters.
$700 lecture (no attendance limit); $900 for 2.5 hour lecture/workshop with hands-on practice (limit 50).

From Concept to Quilt: Making A Line of Fabric

Nancy shares the behind the scenes process of developing a new line of fabric, from initial concept through design, coloring, cutting screens, strikeoffs, printing and marketing. How do those fabrics actually get to your local quilt shop? Nancy currently has two lines of Civil War reproduction fabrics with Benartex and brings sample quilts using those fabrics. $700

How Much is My Quilt Worth?

The basics of appraising, five different values a quilt can have and how the values are determined. Actual values given on a collection that Nancy brings. $700 This can be combined with an Appraisal Day.

Workshops

New Quilts from Old Tops and Blocks

Participants bring sets of blocks of old tops and together we design a new quilt every ten minutes. Recommended size 15 people, 3 hours. If there are more participants, it is best to schedule two sessions. $700 for one half-day workshop, $1000 for two sessions on the same day.

Saving Grandmother's Quilts

Basics of restoration with an intensive "triage" session analyzing what each quilt needs to help preserve it for the future. How to fold quilts properly for storage, cleaning, and special considerations for Victorian silk quilts. Max. 30 people, 6 hours. $1200

Beginning Quilt Restoration: Two Days

This is a two-day intensive workshop covering basic restoration techniques, dating fabrics, care, cleaning and storage of antique quilts. Includes an optional one-hour session at the end of the first day on The Business of Restoration.

Each participant brings a quilt she is planning to restore and goes home with a restoration plan for that quilt. 25 participants maximum, $2000

Advanced Quilt Restoration: Two Days

This two-day intensive workshop focuses on Victorian Crazy Quilts and other silk quilts, ethics of restoration, business practices and stabilization tactics. Each participant brings a quilt and goes home with a restoration plan for her/his quilt. 20 participants maximum. $2000

Crazy Quilting with Nancy

Fine for beginners, fund for more advanced quilters, this approach to hand-piecing a crazy quilt block allows tremendous creativity and freedom to improvise. A one-day workshop will cover basic piecing with demos of two or three embellishment stitches and introduction to other embellishment techniques. A two day workshop will include embellishing the block, three-dimensional embellishments and discussion finishing techniques. Max 25 people, one or two 6 hour sessions. $1200 for one-day class, $2000 for two day class. In a retreat setting, stitching can continue into the evening.

Lecture and Workshop Scheduling

Half-day workshops can be scheduled on the same day as a lecture. Generally workshops should be scheduled the day before or day after a lecture.

The sponsor is responsible for round-trip airfare (or mileage at $.45 per mile if within driving distance Omaha), hotel and meals during the engagement. Nancy prefers to arrive the day before the workshop to avoid any problems with air traffic delays.

Nancy is happy to provide newspaper, radio or TV interviews in advance of the event, and will provide color or black and white photos or electronic photo files on request.

It is best to schedule lectures and workshops at least three months in advance.