speaking insert-ease

Patricia is teaching her Creativity & Inserted Curves Workshop in-person in La Conner in June 2024. +learn more

By Patricia Belyea

OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS WA I just finished teaching my Creativity & Inserted Curves workshop to a cadre of enthusiastic students online. By the end of the fifth session, they were speaking Insert-ease!

Their projects were filled with curved design elements inserted into backgrounds of patterned fabrics and square blocks.

Let me share some of the amazing homework projects my students completed during the two weeks between each 3-hour teaching session.

X EXERCISE BLOCK

To get started, students inserted two curved lines into a patterned fabric. The X Exercise Block got everyone started with the basic technique. And some students didn’t stop with just one block!

X Exercise block made with a square of yukata cotton (vintage Japanese textile) and two curved line insertions E Exercise Block, a homework project from the Creativity & Inserted Curves Workshop taught by Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts X Exercise blocks made with a squares of patterned cotton and two curved line insertions X Exercise blocks made with squares of yukata cotton (vintage Japanese textile) and two curved line insertions in each square of fabric

CENTRUM QUILT

This homework project spanned two sessions as students prepped their fabric grids, designed their insertions, and finally sewed it all together. Note the clever details in the skinny inner borders.

Centrum Quilt, a student project from the Creativity & Inserted Curves workshop taught by Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts Centrum Quilt, a homework project for the Creativity & Inserted Curves Workshop taught by Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts

MIRROR QUILT

The grand finale project was a mind-bender as students took everything they learned about inserted curves and playfully explored the illusion of mirrored designs—but without complete symmetry.

Mirror Quilt, a student project from the Creativity & Inserted Curves Workshop taught by Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts Mirror Quilt, a homework project for the Creativity & Inserted Curves Workshop taught by Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts

This workshop pushed and pulled students! Here are some of their comments:

It’s always a challenge to expand one’s capabilities and learn something new. And your class certainly did that.

Opened up my mind which is now exploding with visions of art quilts of my creation! SO CRAZY!!

I came up against all kinds of resistance in myself with a demand to grow.

The spark of ah-ha in a student’s eyes is a precious reward for a teacher. And there were some true fires started within my eager students as they learned the language of Insert-ease.

This is the tip of the needle of the amazing work that was accomplished in the workshop. Many students are not represented but I can say that all who participated truly did get stretched in new ways.

ABOUT US: Okan Arts, a petite family business, is co-owned by mother-daughter duo Patricia Belyea and Victoria Stone. Patricia and Victoria sell Japanese textiles online, host creative quilting experiences, and lead quilting & textile tours to Japan.

FOLLOW OKAN ARTS ON INSTAGRAM @okanarts