National Quilt Museum

Mary Margaret Pettway

Mary Margaret Pettway Workshop: Quilt Design & Hand Quilting

August 6 – 8, 2025
Class runs 9am – 4pm each day.

$495 Public/ $396 NQM Friend

Take the time to learn hand quilting from Gee’s Bend quilters Mary Margaret Pettway & her daughter Jade Pettway.

Students will design their own quilts and machine piece them. Then, they’ll learn hand quilting techniques from Gee’s Bend quilter Mary Margaret Pettway. Students will learn about the history and tradition of quilting in Gee’s Bend, AL and experience the Gee’s Bend quilt exhibit in the galleries during the class.

All skill levels.

CLASS DETAILS

Day 1 will focus on creating and piecing the quilt top, so having some of your fabrics pre-cut into ready-to-sew pieces/shapes, such as squares, rectangles, triangles, will be helpful. You will choose your design, so size of these shapes is up to you.

 Day 2 & Day 3 will focus on layering and preparing the quilt in the frame, hand quilting instruction, and finishing steps.

 

QUILT SIZE

Recommend a 40” – 45” finished size for the quilt top for the class time provided.

 

SUPPLY LIST

Coats & Clark Hand Quilting Thread – off white

Sharps or In Betweens Needles for hand quilting, size 10

Sewing Machine with power cords, foot pedals, etc.

New Needles for sewing machine

Snap-It Frame – Dritz Quilter’s Floor Frame, adjustable height

All purpose thread

Straight Pins

Scissors

Seam Ripper

Thimble

Painters Tape

Optional: extra chair cushion for comfort (padded chairs are provided)

 

FABRIC

Preferably cotton, all different colors as you like, solids or prints

            Having some shapes pre-cut from these fabrics (squares, triangles, rectangles) will aid in the design process and stitching of the quilt top

 

Fabric for a 3” border to fit the intended quilt size (aiming for a top that’s 40” – 45” square)

 

Batting – cotton or nylon, cut at least 1” larger than the intended quilt top size

Muslin for backing, cut at least 3” larger than then intended quilt top size