Gwen Marston is a professional fiber artist, author, and teacher. She has taught nationally and internationally for over three decades. She has written 26 books, two of which have won awards: Mary Schafer: American Quilt Maker won a 2005 Michigan Notable Book award, and 37 Sketches won a 2012 New York Book Show award.

She has had twenty-five exhibits of her large quilts, seven exhibits of her small quilts, and her work has been shown in many group exhibits throughout the United States and abroad.

- The AQS National Show is presenting two special exhibits called Spontaneity in Medallion Quilts:45 quilts from "Liberated Medallion Quilts" by Gwen Marston. The first exhibit is in Grand Rapids, MI, August 22-25, 2012, and the second is in Des Moines, IA, Oct 3-6, 2012.

-A special exhibit of her work from 37 Sketches will be shown at the Taupo Art Museum in Taupo, New Zealand during their 2012 Symposium.

Gwen has offered a series of five retreats in the fall of the year for students of quiltmaking for the past 29 years.

Lectures: I need a podium, microphone, two people to hold quilts and a table to put quilts on.

Liberated Log Cabin is also shown in new book Liberated Quiltmaking II.

So Old It's New
Old quilts have been my teachers. The are full of little-used ideas for today's quilters. In this lecture, I will show a sampling of quilts and talk about how I use old ideas to create new quilts. I will provide lots of information and tips on how to study old quilts to find new ideas.

String Quilts
In this lecture I will talk about the history of string quilts. I will discuss the characteristics of classic string quilts and explain some of my new ways to create this look without the time consuming method of foundation piecing. The lecture will be illustrated with my own quilts which are shown in my book Liberated String Quilts, C&T Publishers, 2003.

WORKSHOPS

Materials List:
Sewing machine and basic sewing kit. Rotary cutter, mat and your favorite quilter's rulers. A portable light to sew by if room lighting isn't sufficient.

FABRICS:
Bring mostly solids with some prints for interest. Small Studies are small, so bring 5" strips of a good variety of colors you think might work well together.

Resource books: 37 Sketches, 2011, Marston. It's Here and available from Gwen at Books 
Liberated Quiltmaking II, 2010. Marston
Intuitive Color & Design, 2009. Jean Wells

Liberated Stars (intermediate to advanced)
Gwen's has been teaching students how to make liberated, free pieced stars since the early '90's and explained the process in Liberated Quiltmaking, AQS, 1996, and then expanding her techniques in Liberated Quiltmaking II, 2010. She will demonstrate the entire process, and will repeat the demonstration as many times as needed, making sure that all students 'get it."

Materials List:
Sewing machine and basic sewing kit. Rotary cutter, mat and your favorite quilter's rulers.

Fabrics:
Bring fabrics you like to work with. Contemporary or reproduction prints work equally as well. Choose a background fabric, and fabric for the basket shape. Make sure there is enough contrast so the basket shape shows up. For a one day class, bring 1/2 yard of background fabric and 1/2 yard total of one or more fabrics for the stars.

*optional: *Resource book: Liberated Quiltmaking II, Gwen Marston. AQS, 2010

Sawtooth is also shown in new book Liberated Quiltmaking II.

Working with free-form, improvisational construction, students will create their own, original quilts using Gwen's easy design concepts and techniques. This design class is good for the beginning and advanced, traditional and art quilter. Come and join the fun as Gwen shows you her easy methods for creating your own original quilts.

Gwen's new book Ideas and Inspirations: Abstract Quilts in Solids, is a valuable resource for this class.

Liberated Log Cabin
Liberally illustrated with Gwen's quilts, this class explores the many possibilities inherent in a liberated approach to this grand traditional pattern. Good for beginning or advanced, traditional or art quilter. Quilters will leave class with a quilt top in tow. Learn Gwen's easy as pie techniques for making knock-out quilts.

Quilters need:
Sewing machine and basic sewing kit
Rotary cutter, mat and 6" X 12" ruler
Fabrics: Bring your favorite style of fabrics (Brights, plaids, reproductions, solids) in lights/darks/ mediums. Bring 1/8 yard to 1/4 yards of a lot of different fabrics for variation.

*optional: *Resource book: Liberated Quiltmaking II, Gwen Marston. AQS, 2010

Liberated Baskets
Illustrated with Gwen's quilts, students in this class will learn to make several different Liberated Baskets using Gwen's "easy-as-pie and always charming" methods. Good for beginning or advanced, traditional or art quilter. Quilters will leave class with a quilt top in tow. Learn Gwen's easy as pie techniques for making knock-out quilts.

Quilters need:
Sewing machine and basic sewing kit
Rotary cutter, mat and 6" X 12" ruler
Fabrics: Bring your favorite style of fabrics. Bring lights/darks/ mediums. Bright, plaids, reproductions, or solids. Bring one half yard of a background fabric and fat quarters for the baskets. Students will most likely be able to leave class with a small basket quilt under their arm

*optional: *Resource book: Liberated Quiltmaking II, Gwen Marston. AQS, 2010

Small Quilts
Because they are quick and relatively easy to make, small quilts afford an opportunity to explore designs and patterns that quilters otherwise might not get around to making. Also, they can stand on their own as small, but rewarding quilting projects. This class will take quilters through the entire process and demonstrate just what it is about small quilts that makes them so rewarding. This class is based on traditional pieced block designs. By the end of the day, quilters should have at least one top finished and ready to be quilted. Some of the 300 small quilts I have made will be used as class examples.

Materials List:
I need: If possible, something to pin quilts and paper onto so the class can see my examples.
Students will need to have adequate work space.
Please provide several irons for quilters to share.

Quilters need:
Pencil and eraser, 5 sheets copy paper
Sewing machine and basic sewing kit
Rotary cutter, mat and 6" X 12" ruler
Fabrics: Select 10 to 15 pieces of cotton fabrics that you like, prints and/or solids in ¼ yard pieces. Err on the side of too much fabric.

Gwen's books are optional:

Lively Little Folk-Art Quilts: 20 Traditional Projects to Piece & Applique, C&T 2006
Twenty Little Patchwork Quilts, Dover, 1990
Twenty Little Amish Quilts, Dover, 1993
Twenty Little Pinwheel Quilts, Dover, 1994
Twenty Little Log Cabin Quilts, Dover 1995

String Quilts
String quilts have been made since 1860. Most string quilts were foundation pieced, a precursor to modern paper piecing. Foundation piecing, in my view, is slow. My approach to string quilts has been to discover a quicker technique to create the classic string quilt look. Class illustrated with quilts shown in my book Liberated String Quilts, C&T Publishers, 2003.

Quilters need:
Sewing machine and basic sewing kit, thread scissors, rotary cutter, mat and 6"x12" quilters ruler, iron.
Fabrics: String quilts are almost always scrap quilts, either solids, prints, or a combination. If you want an old-fashioned string quilt look, bring reproduction fabric. The majority of string quilts were made in 30's, so you like the 30's pastels, bring those. Remember they were made earlier so reproduction fabric from 1860 forward works. Quarter yard pieces of 15 or more different fabrics. (If you have pre-cut strips from 1" to 2½" widths, you may bring them to class, though pre-cut strips are not necessary).