Gail Garber

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For Gail, quilting began as a whim, when friends convinced her to take a hand-quilting class. Quiltmaking quickly became a passion. Gail’s early quilts are traditional with conservative fabric choices. By 1984, she began exploring original design. Bold, colorful, and stunning geometric designs with flying geese galore – that’s how you know you’re looking at one of Gail’s quilts! Her style has become immediately recognizable because of her talent for combining vivid colors with intricate piecework. Her geometric star quilts and pictorial quilts have won awards at shows throughout the U.S. and have been featured in publications worldwide. Students love her ability to make these designs achievable even for novice quilt designers.

She is also Executive Director of Hawks Aloft, a New Mexico conservation organization.

Lecture: Quiltmakers and Their Influences on our Lives
(Sunday morning)

Class: Scrumptious Star Stitchery
(6 hours – Friday all day)

This class is especially tailored for the novice paper foundation-piecer. Working with one of Gail’s designs, learn the ins and outs of this fascinating technique that enables the student to stitch very complex designs with ease and best of all, accuracy. The pattern fee includes both the 30.5″ octagon and the 39″ square.

$15 pattern fee

A fabric kit is available for this class for $45.
To pre-order your kit, please contact Gail at gail@hawksaloft.org at least 30 days prior to the class.

Supply List

  • 1 yard light background fabric
  • 1/2 yard outer border and middle star fabric
  • 1/8 yard inner border fabric
  • 1/3 yard total flying geese fabric (may use several fabrics)
  • 1/4 yard dark fabric for star points 
  • 1/8 yard medium fabric for star center
  • 1/4 yard of your favorite fabric, a fabric with a theme or color scheme you’d like to feature
  • *Mechanical pencil
  • *Good eraser
  • *6″ or 12″ Add-a-Quarter ruler
  • Freezer paper
  • Fabric and paper scissors
  • Rotary cutting equipment
  • Basic sewing supplies
  • Sewing machine

*Specialty tools will be available for purchase in class.

Class: Designing Circular Borders
(6 hours – Saturday all day)

It’s not magic! It’s easy, using simple drafting techniques, with Gail’s surefire, no “scary math words” teaching style. Learn to draft circular flying geese, spirals, big’n’ little, and more. Students will learn drafting techniques for a variety of circular borders, stitch samples, and learn freezer paper foundation techniques.

$7.00 workbook fee

Supply List

  • Sewing machine (afternoon only)
  • Basic sewing supplies
  • ½ yard total assorted fabric scraps
  • ½ yard background fabric
  • 2 sheets of large paper for drafting (17” x 22”)
    (may be freezer paper)
  • Freezer paper
  • Fabric and paper scissors
  • Rotary cutting equipment
  • *Mechanical pencils
  • *Good eraser
  • *4″ square ruler
  • *1″ by 6″ or 1″ by 12″ transparent ruler
  • *6″ or 12″ Add-a-Quarter ruler
  • 24″ transparent ruler
  • *Drafting compass with extender bar

*Specialty tools will be available for purchase in class.