Joyce Hughes will be teaching 3 classes during Road@Home:
On Thursday, T105 – Dimensional Thread Painting With Sunflower Panel
On Friday, F110 – Sketch, Color And Quilt
and on Saturday, S106 – Dimensional Thread Painting With Raw Edge Floral Designs
T-Shirt Quilt Success
Joyce Hughes’ first “adventure” with quilting was making a T-Shirt quilt for her daughter as a graduation gift. Joyce, along with 10 of her friends, got together and read tips online on how to make them. They worked together for several months to complete the quilts.
After making the T-Shirt quilt, Joyce realized that she did not like trying to make all the points match perfectly. But she did enjoy the creative process of quilt making. She quickly changed her quilting into making art quilts with thread painting. As Joyce says, “No need to have matching points!”
Thread Painting Teacher
Joyce Hughes started teaching quilting at her local quilt store 12 years ago. That has led to traveling and teaching on a national level for quilt guilds, quilt stores and National Quilt Shows for the past 10 years
Joyce loves to share her thread painting techniques. Her biggest reward is when she sees a student look at their work with a smile. Joyce says, “It is very rewarding when a student takes what they have learned, and apply my techniques to their own beautiful quilts. Many students have sent photos to me with the ribbons they received from entering their quilts into a quilt show- A VERY proud moment for me and the student!”
Lessons Learned From COVID
Joyce Hughes actually had the Coronavirus earlier this year. She says that that experience has changed her life’s priorities: “I look at things so differently now. What I use to get upset and stress about, I learned are really not as important as I once thought. I learned to slow down an appreciate who and what really matters. My family, my pets, dear friends and a home is really all I need to feel safe and loved. I take the time to look at simple things such as a flower and see the beauty in the detail, or take a quite walk with my dogs and see how happy they are to be with me. I do miss seeing people and being able to teach in person. I miss being able to hug and share our life stories. So I try my best to stay connected with others. I feel at this time, we can feel insolated and lonely and by reaching out just to say Hi, can lift a persons day and maybe bring some comfort and smile to our faces.”
During the lockdowns, Joyce has spent a lot of time figuring out how to continue with her teaching, in a “safe and very professional way.” She has learned a lot of new technology working with virtual presentations. To get away from all the stress of the virus, Joyce works in her garden, maintaining her flower beds. “Gardening is very relaxing for me,” shared Joyce. “When I am gardening, my mind is focused on the beautiful flowers. The garden helps with my creativity and I will look at the garden and get ideas for my next quilts and classes.”
Teaching for Road@Home
Joyce has prepared for her classes for Road@Home by adding technology and equipment that she had not used in a classroom setting. She has incorporated a power point presentation with detailed photos of the threading steps and a camera focused on the machine so that the students can see her demonstrating the correct stitching.
Joyce is most looking forward to meeting her students and finding out why they want to thread paint. She hopes her students will feel “comfortable with the process and be able to create and express their creativity.”
To learn more about Joyce Hughes, please visit her website.
