May Newsletter
Claudia Shearer Quilts Newsletter — May 2026
Website: Claudia Shearer Quilts
Hello quilters & textile lovers,
Spring has been a very busy and productive time for my quilting business. My days were full with preparing for workshops and lectures, traveling, teaching and lecturing to quilt guilds and teaching locally through Hellostitch Studio. I developed two brand new workshops which lead me to write about the experience on Substack.
As the Spring winds down into Summer, and with fewer commitments on my calendar for the remainder of the year I’m looking forward to prioritizing time spent on my own creative practice, finishing WIPs and starting on some new ones.
Now, on to quilting…
May News
In May, I was delighted to spend time with the Sierra Mountain Quilters, teaching and lecturing in beautiful Oakhurst, a mere 20 miles from the southern entrance to Yosemite and enjoyed a quick, yet very memorable time visiting the National Park before heading home. My next engagement had me traveling to Sacramento to spend quality time with the River City Quilters’.
Upcoming Schedule
June 22, 2026 Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association, Lecture (Zoom)
September 11, 2026 Truckee Meadows Quilters & the North/South Quilters, Virtual Workshop
October 24, 2026 Bay Area Modern Quilting, Workshop
January 10-11, 2027 Pajaro Valley Quilt Association, Lecture & Workshop
March 17, 2027 Moonlighters Quilt Guild, Lecture/Trunk Show & Workshop
March 18, 2027 Santa Rosa Quilt Guild, Lecture & Trunk Show & Workshop
March 26, 2027 Rossmoor Quilters, Lecture
My full lecture and teaching schedule is on my website.
My First Article on Substack
What goes into developing a new workshop?
More than you might think. Before I teach a class, I work through the exercises myself, testing ideas, refining instructions, and considering how students with different experience levels will engage with the material.
In my latest article you can read it here, I share some behind-the-scenes thoughts on developing Crazy for Stripes, what I learned from teaching it for the first time, and why finding the balance between challenge and accomplishment is one of the most interesting aspects of teaching improv quilting.
Why publish on Substack instead of a blog post on my website? Substack gives me the opportunity to share more in-depth information about improv quilting and create dialog with my readers. Substack also allows me as an artist and creative supporting myself on a limited income to receive financial support for my work which includes writing and creating content. Please consider supporting me through a paid subscription.
On the Design Wall
Some WIPs from May —
This past month I finally completed the top I’ve been working on for a long period of time and shared here with my readers. I look forward to getting the quilt assembled (front, back, batting) and quilted. I usually quilt all of my own quilts on my Brother domestic machine but my plan is to longarm this one at a local shop. I signed up for a long-arm certification class at a local shop in June. More updates to come …
Working title is either “Magic Pills” or “Happy Pills”.
Glitch-themed block for my @Sfsewandsews collaborative group
These are the blocks made by my quilt-mates with @sfsewandsews in response to my “dementia” prompt. I have sorted out the layout for the top portion of the quilt that is in grayscale. I sewed up some new components as a bridge between my mates designs and adjusted some of the blocks as I strive for some cohesion. The bottom half of this quilt is in utter chaos, much like dementia can feel I suppose. It’s going to take some time experimenting with these disparate pieces before I land on a final layout.
Hire Me for Lectures & Workshops
Please reach out if your guild or group is interested in a workshop or lecture. I’m available for travel in the SF Bay Area and beyond as well as virtually.
River City Quilters’ “Improv Made Easy” workshop
Sierra Mountain Quilters making Crazy Stripes.
Yosemite trip
