Ever wish you could turn a favorite photo into a quilt—but have no idea where to begin? In this fun, fear-free workshop, you’ll learn how to create quilted portraits using a simple, step-by-step method that makes faces approachable and fun.

We’ll start with giggle-worthy selfie postcards to warm up, then move on to a practice photo provided by Lyric. You’ll learn how to trace key shapes, create a pattern, and bring it to life with fusible appliqué—no drawing skills required. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s play, discovery, and building skills.

By the end of class, you’ll be ready and excited to go home and turn your favorite photo into a quilted portrait all your own.

3 or 6 hour class

"Thank you for your great teaching. I really appreciate that you focused on giving us tools and processes that we can use in our own creative journeys.  Your class was the first class I’ve attended that I didn’t feel any suggestion that I should try and duplicate a certain look or style. Thank you!"
Katherine Nichols

 

Live Virtual Class options: Please click HERE

In this workshop you will:

Get helpful tips for very beginners -  learning to draw faces

Get seriously silly fun making cartoon self portraits as we learn the concepts of placement and proportion in portraiture

Learn what makes a photo easy to work with

Also have the choice to use a practice photo that Lyric provides (or use your own in a six hour workshop)

Learn to make decisions about how to capture the character of your subject

Learn how to enlarge your pattern

Use the patterns Lyric provides to learn the process (or use your own in a six hour workshop)

Learn the basic techniques for how to easily transfer your pattern to fused fabric

Learn tips and tricks for layering and fabric choices in appliquéd portrait construction
Students in live workshops will have the option to purchase the on-demand version of Playful Portraiture, (includes further tutorials for finishing edges, showing a background, quilting, and facing your finished portrait) for a steep discount.

Three hour class supplies (virtual only)

SUPPLIES

For making silly postcards

• 5" x 7" postcard base: peltex, stabilizer, muslin, paper (lyric provides this during an in-person class)
• Small pile of fabric or colored paper scraps (to be shared during in-person classes)
• Glue stick, damp cloth to wipe off hands
• Very sharp, pointy, scissors
• Optional tweezers for handling small pieces of fabric
• Optional mirror if you want to make a self portrait in virtual class

For Learning how to create a pattern by tracing

• Pencil
• Black Sharpie (regular, not fine-point, fresh is best)
• Tracing paper
• Photo (practice photo provided by Lyric)
• Light table or LED Light Box Tracer

For creating a fat-quarter sized fusible appliqué portrait

• Pattern (11 x 17 practice pattern provided in PDF handout, your choice of Ella Fitzgerald or Audrey Hepburn)
• Baking Parchment 
• More parchment or Silicone press sheet
• Black sharpie
• Opaque silver sharpie, or light table and white pencil
• 1/2 yard Fusible Web (Wonder-Under, Misty-Fuse, Steam-a-Seam not Heat 'n Bond)
• Scraps of solid white and black fabric
• Iron and pressing surface
• Sharp pointy scissors
• Fat-Quarter of solid or tone-on-tone fabric for "skin" (be wild and creative! Lyric can help you choose in a virtual class)
• 2-3 Fat-Eigths or Scraps of fabric that are a little darker, and more, than your skin fabric
• Various other scraps that might work for hair and shadows and eyes (shared with your in-person classmates.)
• Fabric for background (can be chosen after face is finished)

Six hour class supplies

In a 6hr class you can practice with the photos and patterns provided, or use your own photo.

SUPPLIES

For making silly postcards

• 5" x 7" postcard base: peltex, stabilizer, muslin, paper (virtual only, lyric will supply this for in-person classes)
• Pile of fabric or colored paper scraps (to be shared during in-person classes)
• Glue stick, damp cloth to wipe off hands
• Very sharp, pointy, scissors
• Optional tweezers for handling small pieces of fabric
• Optional mirror if you want to make a self portrait in Virtual class

For Learning how to create a pattern by tracing

• Pencil
• Black Sharpie (regular sized - not fine point, fresh is best)
• Tracing paper, several sheets
• Lyric will provide practice photos for learning the techniques
• If you are feeling brave bring your own black and white photo, enlarged so the face fills up an 11 x 17 paper (see the link below for advanced preparation)
• Light table or LED Light Box Tracer
  

For creating a fat-quarter sized fusible appliqué portrait

• Lyric will provide a practice pattern (11 x 17)
• Reynolds Baking Parchment for building your fused portrait - dollar store parchment has been found NOT to work (get together and share a roll)
• More parchment or Silicone press sheet to protect irons and surfaces
• Regular tip Black sharpie
• Opaque silver sharpie
• Light tablet (same as above)
• White pencil for dark fabrics
• 1/2 yard Fusible Web (Regular weight Wonder-Under, Misty-Fuse, Steam-a-Seam light not Heat 'n Bond)
• Scraps of solid white and black fabric
• Optional: Mini Iron and pressing surface
• Sharp pointy scissors
• 1 Fat-Quarter of solid or tone-on-tone fabric for “skin”, can be any color!
• 1/8 yard a little darker than your “skin” fabric, plus one more fabric -1/8 yard even darker
• 2-3 Fat-Eigths tone-on-tone prints to share with the class
• Zip-loc bag fully filled with fabric scraps to share with class 
  • include as many solids or tone-on-tone prints as you can (same as above, include larger pieces)
  • wild prints are fantastic for hair
• •You will choose your background fabric at home after class

Please read through this advanced preparation page for six hour classes: 

https://lyrickinard.com/playful-portraiture-advanced-preparation/

 

OPTIONAL TECH INFO

This portion of class with be a demonstration only. Be advised that we don't have time to help you learn to use your particular phone or tablet. 

Lyric will spend the last 1/2 hour of class demonstrating how digital tools such as tablets and smartphones can make your portrait pattern making easier. These tools simply make what we do in class with a light table and tracing paper a little faster. These skills are not necessary. You can implement everything you learn in class without them.

If you want to download Adobe Fresco and Snapseed you can work along with me but it is not necessary. 

You will have access to video tutorials online so that you can really dig into the technology later.

Many of the Apps need you to configure permissions, such as allowing your camera to access the App. Don’t be afraid to play around with each App before class and discover some of the things they can do.  I promise you will be MUCH happier if you get a little practice in before class.

• Know how to turn on your device: I will not be able to help each individual in class turn on and configure their device
• Have your device fully charged
• On your device, open your App Store or Google Play and search for the app and download it
• Download Adobe Fresco on a tablet - it's not really useful on a phone

• Download Snapseed on a tablet or smartphone and open and play around with it BEFORE CLASS
  • You will find a tutorial for how we will use the app in class HERE