Meet Your Machine (November 15, 2026)

Sun, 15 Nov 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Curious about sewing but not sure where to begin? Join the Austin Area Quilt Guild for a fun, hands-on introduction to sewing machine basics!

In this beginner-friendly class, you'll learn how to set up and thread a sewing machine, sew your first stitches, troubleshoot common problems, and care for your machine. You'll practice sewing straight, accurate seams and learn basic techniques used in quilting.

Put your new skills to work as you create a simple coaster to take home!

No sewing experience or machine ownership is required. Loaner sewing machines and basic sewing supplies are available upon request.

Class Details

Class Fee: $5

Class Length: 3 hours

Instructor: Carrie Thielemann, AAQG Web Manager and Beginner Classes Coordinator

What You'll Learn

Sewing machine setup and threading
Basic stitching and sewing straight seams
Troubleshooting common sewing machine problems
Routine sewing machine care
Basic sewing techniques used in quilting

Your Instructor

Carrie Thielemann has been sewing for decades and began making quilts about nine years ago. She honed her quilting skills by making dozens of simple, beautiful quilts for the guild's charity quilting projects.

Carrie enjoys sharing her love of sewing and quilting by helping others discover the joy of creating with fabric.

Supplies

Fabric and batting to make your coaster will be provided, along with basic sewing supplies and sewing machines as needed.

If you have them, please bring:

Sewing machine with accessories, power cord, foot control, and manual
Basic sewing supplies, including scissors, machine needles, neutral thread, seam ripper, and straight pins or clips

No need to purchase any supplies for this class! Basic sewing supplies will be available for use during class.

If you don't own a portable sewing machine, please email beginnerclasses@aaqg.org after registering so we know how many loaner machines to bring.

Cut Into Quilting (November 22, 2026)

Sun, 22 Nov 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Ready to take the next step toward quilting? Before you sew your first quilt, you need to know what fabric to buy, how to choose fabrics for your project, and how to cut them accurately!

In this hands-on beginner class, you'll learn the basics of selecting quilting fabric and preparing it for a project. We'll explore fabric types, prewashing, fabric grain, bias, and selvages. You'll also learn how to use a rotary cutter, ruler, and cutting mat safely and accurately.

Then put your new skills to work making a simple rug mug using fabric strips!

Students should know the basics of using a sewing machine and how to sew straight seams. No quilting experience is needed. Come ready to learn, ask questions, and take your first steps toward becoming a confident quilter.

Class Details

Class Fee: $5
Class Length: 3 hours
Instructor: Renita Bankhead, AAQG Workshops Chairperson and Newsletter Editor

What You’ll Learn

Which fabrics are best for quilting and what to look for when shopping
How to estimate how much fabric to buy
Whether to prewash fabric and why quilters differ on this
How to identify fabric grain, bias, and selvages
How to use a rotary cutter, quilting ruler, and cutting mat
Tips for measuring and cutting fabric strips accurately

Your Instructor

Renita’s sewing experience began in high school with clothing construction, continuing until the early 1980s when quilting became her primary focus. She has made bags for the past 15 years, progressing from simple totes to ByAnnie patterns, many of which she has taught.

Supplies

Fabric to make your mug rug will be provided.

If you have them, please bring:

Sewing machine with accessories, power cord, foot control, and manual
Basic sewing supplies, including scissors, machine needles, neutral thread, seam ripper, and straight pins or clips
Rotary cutter, quilting ruler and cutting mat

No need to purchase any supplies or tools for this class!

Basic sewing supplies and cutting tools will be available for use during class.

If you don't own a portable sewing machine, please email beginnerclasses@aaqg.org after registering so we know how many loaner machines to bring.

Austin Area Quilt Guild upcoming events

Meet Your Machine (November 15, 2026)

Cut Into Quilting (November 22, 2026)