Totem of Life with Jane Sassaman

5 Days Monday to Friday, July 20-24, 2026

In this workshop, we will stylize some of your favorite characters in nature and arrange them into an interlacing appliquéd fabric collage, a colorful and graphic Totem of Life.

Come to class with a chosen theme to help organize your ideas. For, example, you could pick autumn as your theme and your characters could be fall leaves, moths, chrysanthemums and a harvest moon. Or your theme could be butterflies and flowers, ocean life, or even the planets. Then you will collect photos and prints of the characters that are candidates for your composition. From these we will stylize (simplify and exaggerate) each object so they can be made as graphic fabric shapes for appliqué. Your composition will evolve as your shapes begin to “play off” one another.

This is a perfect way to learn my appliqué and construction techniques, but also a chance to make a uniquely personal project.

Skill level:  All levels

All QBL workshops begin on Monday and end on Friday. Workshops are from 8:30 am to 4 pm daily. Students check in to their dorms and move into classrooms on the Sunday before the workshop begins. There is a welcome dinner with a lecture Sunday night.