SFMQG is pleased to present another great workshop.
Workshop: Fruit Salad
Instructor: Nicholas Ball
Date: Saturday January 24th, 2026 Time: 10am - 1pm EDT
Cost: $30
Registration open in the Store Dec 6th, 2025 9am EST - 30 students max.
Workshop Description:
I’ve always been a little bit obsessed with creating quilts that have unusual inspiration behind them. My earliest foray into improv quilting was my Vegetable Patch Quilt. Made in 2014, this quilt features a selection of vegetables, including red cabbage and leek, and highlights through liberated piecing the shapes and texture found within them. I’m excited to continue this theme with this class with fruits as the focus. These fruits can be as fantastical as you like. We will be using our imaginations to create a piece that is truly unique to you!
Students will learn the basics of several of my core piecing techniques and the art of observation as we work together to create a small fantasy fruit study. We will look at working from the inside out by first creating “seeds” or “pips” using my confetti insert technique. These will then be sewn together as we practice joining irregular sized pieces. Next, shape will be added with freehand curves and rings, before the piece is surrounded by a vibrant background, perfect for showing off some free motion quilting. As always, I will spend some time discussing fabric and colour choices, though really anything goes in this creative exploration. These are fantasy fruits after all!
The workshop is suitable for all abilities. The techniques explored will provide a gentle introduction to improv piecing if you are a beginner. The skills learnt can be easily expanded and used in lots of other quilts, not just ones inspired by fruits, for those looking for another creative challenge. Curves and inserts are so useful and a great addition to your improv arsenal.
A supply list will be provided prior to the class.
About Nicholas:
Nicholas Ball is an improv quilter from South Wales. After graduating Art School in 2006, it would be some six years before the quilting bug bit. With a passion for improv quilting, Nicholas' aesthetic is an organic one, preferring to sew without the use of patterns or templates. He takes a lot of inspiration from the natural world and his Vegetable Patch, Koi Carp and Shoal quilts showcase his love of liberated sewing.
He has taught improv quilting both nationally and internationally, contributed to the UK’s leading quilting magazines and was a co-presenter of the QNNTV show Quilt Monkey, alongside fellow UK quilter Katy Jones. His debut book Inspiring Improv was published in April 2019 by Lucky Spool and his second title, Use & Ornament, followed in 2024. He is an Aurifil thread designer and Aurifilosopher and has released two thread collections.
Follow Nicholas on Instagram @quiltsfromtheattic