Boise Basin Quilters

Learn the Basics of Foundation Paper Piecing - Schoolhouse 10/26/24
2024-10-26 10:00 - 16:00 (America/Boise) | Boise Rigging Supply, 6750 West Victory Road, Boise, ID, 83709, United States
Nancy Messuri is a self-employed Idaho-based quilt designer. Foundation paper piecing is her go-to method of constructing blocks and Electric Quilt 8 is her favorite design platform. Her trademark is intricate designs that require careful piecing, but she sometimes breaks out of that mold with a less complex design when the mood strikes.
Color Tangles Supply List
Designed By Nancy Messuri
Finished Size: 65” x 65”
Learn the Basics of Foundation Paper Piecing
Pattern for Color Tangles must be purchased prior to class. Available for immediate download at https://nancymessuridesigns.com or as a paper pattern at https://quiltwoman.com.
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Introduction: This cheerful, fat quarter friendly quilt will brighten anyone’s day. It goes together easily and accurately with foundation paper piecing. It is the perfect size for a throw or large wall hanging.
Fabric Requirements:
Black: 6 ¼ yds
Cream: 1 yd
36 Bright Colors: 1 Fat Quarter Each
Binding: Pieced binding uses scraps from the bright colored fabrics
Single color binding: ½ yd
Backing: 4 ¼ yds
Batting: 72” x 72” square
Additional Supplies: At least 72 sheets of foundation paper. (I use Carol Doak’s)
Clear ruler such as Creative Grids 12 ½” x 6 ½”. 12” Add-A-Quarter Ruler. 12” x 3” strip of template plastic. Light box.
Please read through entire pattern before beginning this quilt.
Print at least one Center Block Template and one Border Block Template prior to class. Pre-cut fabrics for at least one of each block.

String Piecing Schoolhouse 11/23/24
2024-11-23 10:00 - 16:00 | Boise Rigging Supply, 6750 West Victory Road, Boise, ID, 83709, United States
“String-piecing is an easy, fun technique that can produce spectacular results. In November, our ZOOM speaker, Jean Impey, will describe her obsession with Spiderwebs, a type of string-pieced quilt. Designed to go hand-in-hand with this program, Terri Curry’s November Schoolhouse class will give you an opportunity to explore different types of string-pieced quilts and practice making your own.”

English Paper Piecing/Fussy Cuts Schoolhouse 01/25/25
2025-01-25 10:00 - 16:00 | ID
At this time, the class is full. Thank you!
In this class, taught by Janice Black, you will learn the basics of English Paper Piecing by making a single Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses block. The class will also focus on fussy cuts and how they can add interest to this project and others.
If you’d like to take this class online, please let Janice Black know, and she will make modifications so that you are able to participate!
Supplies:
· I will supply each participant with a set of 25 precut paper templates and a planning sheet. (Online participants would need to print and cut out their own.)
· I will also bring template plastic to be used for fussy-cutting. However, if you already have an acrylic 1″ honeycomb template, please bring that!
· Students are welcome to use a needle supplied by me, or bring their own favorites. A long, thin needle such as a milliners or straw needle is recommended for the piecing, and a shorter, sturdy needle (“Sharps) is recommended for basting.
· If you prefer to use glue for basting, I recommend a glue pen. Second-best choice would be a glue stick. Glue should be non-permanent.
· Please bring a spool of standard-weight, neutral-colored thread.
· Fabric scissors (small ones are best!)
· A pen or pencil that shows up on your fabric (will be on the edge of the seam allowance, so permanent is fine)
· Four fabrics that play well together, with good contrast. You will only be using a tiny bit of each fabric, so scraps or a fat quarter will be okay, with one exception: since you will be experimenting with fussy-cutting, at least one of your fabrics should be suitable for that. Basically, you’ll need a fabric with a small-to-medium sized motif, and enough of that particular fabric to include four or eight repeats. Many Tula Pink or Paula Nadelstern fabrics (like the sample fabric shown here), would be perfect for this. Please feel free to reach out to me with questions or photos of fabrics you’re considering using.
The deadline to register for this class (and to request a refund) is January 18, 2025.

Social Sew Day Schoolhouse 03/29/25
2025-03-29 10:00 - 16:00 | Boise Rigging Supply, 6750 West Victory Road, Boise, ID, 83709, United States
Bring your current sewing project and a sack lunch (feel free to bring goodies to share!) and spend a relaxed day stitching with fellow guild members!
The doors will open at 10:00. If you come later, be sure to use the metal side door on the west side of the building, since the main doors will be locked after about 10:15 to keep confused potential customers from wandering in!
This event is open to all guild members at no cost. Please just come wearing your guild name tag, and email Schoolhouse@boisebasinquilters.org to let us know that you are planning to participate!”

Nine-Patch Pizzazz Schoolhouse - April 26, 2025
2025-04-26 10:00 - 16:00 | Boise Rigging Supply, 6750 West Victory Road, Boise, ID, 83709, United States
Guild members Carolyn Blackwelder and Phyllis Kizer would love to share with you the fun, simple “Nine-Patch Pizzazz” technique that they have used to create some very delightful quilts. This is a beginner-friendly endeavor that quilters of any level will enjoy!
To meet fair-use criteria with respect to Judy Sisneros, each person participating in the class should have their own copy of her book, “9-Patch Pizzazz: Fun, Fast, and Finished in a Day.” This is an older book, but is readily available both as a paperback and a digital file from many online sources.
Participants will need a panel that they are willing to cut up, along with a few fabrics that have been selected to go well with the panel. Landscape panels or ones featuring sea life (as in the samples shown) are ideal.
Supply List:
1. Fabric
• 1 ½ yards focus fabric
• ½ yard second focus fabric
• ½ yard each of two companion fabrics
• ½ yard for inner border
• 1 yard for outer border
• 1 ½ yard flannel for design wall
2. Notions
• Rotary cutter
• Medium mat
• 12 ½” square ruler
• 6” x 12” ruler
• Thread to blend with fabrics
• Seam ripper
• Straight pins
3. Sewing machine in good working condition with a new needle
4. Paper & pen for notetaking
5. Book: 9-Patch Pizzazz by Judy Sisneros
Before class read pages 4-10

One Block Wonder Schoolhouse - 07/12/25 & 07/26/25
2025-07-12 10:00 - 16:00 | Boise Rigging Supply, 6750 West Victory Road, Boise, ID, 83709, United States
Former guild president Jennifer Price will show you how to create a “One-Block Wonder”! This is a two-part class, but your $15 registration fee will get you into both sections! In the first class you will learn to line up your panels, cut your triangles to create the hexagons for your quilt. We will talk about techniques to keep your cut hexagons organized and how to assemble them, and begin sewing them together.
In the second class, you will come with all of your half hexagons sewn together and you will learn how to assemble your quilt. This is when your creativity will get to shine. We will talk about different ways to design and lay out your quilt design.
You will need:
Seven (7) fabric panels, all alike.
60 degree triangle ruler (I have one that can be shared, but you will probably want your own)
24” Ruler for cutting
Flat head pins (the flowers work best)
A fine point Sharpie, or a regular pen and lots of small scraps of paper
Cutting Mat and rotary cutter (There will be a couple of cutting stations but you may want your own.)
Sewing Machine
Neutral or matching color thread (wind bobbins for class to save some frustration)
Scissors or snips
Usual Notions
You may also want to locate one of the books written by Maxine Rosenthal and Nancy Miller on this technique. The book is not required for the class (nor is “One Block Wonder” a copyrighted technique!) but you might find the book helpful later in remembering the steps and processes.

Tiny Treasures: Tips and Techniques for Foundatio Paper Piecing by Esther Kleinkauf 10/24/26
2025-10-17 08:00 - 17:00 | ID
More information to follow.

Quilt as You Go Schoolhouse by Kathy Hansen 10/25/25
2025-10-25 10:00 - 16:00 | Boise Rigging Supply, 6750 West Victory Road, Boise, ID, 83709, United States
Kathy Hansen describes her Quilt As You Go Class as a flexible quilting technique that is fast, fun and scrap friendly. There are many variations to this technique which we will discuss in class, but I will show you how to strip piece and quilt at the same time. When your four blocks are completed, we will attach them with sashing on the front and back of the quilt. Voila, a completed 4 block quilt ready to bind.
We will make strip quilt blocks in class, but this technique can be used with any block, and even borders can be attached with the sashing. The back can be one fabric, or a variety of coordinating fabrics can be used to make a reversible quilt. You may choose to keep adding blocks to make a larger quilt. The strip placement can be random or organized to form a pattern. This technique can be personalized in many ways.
Things to consider:

The size you want this quilt to be. The 4 blocks can be bound as a small wall hanging/table topper or be the beginning of a larger
The back pieces can be the same on all the blocks, or they can be random fabrics.
If you choose to make more than the four blocks, you will need more of the sashing fabric. The sashing fabric requires more yardage than expected, as there are pieces on the top and bottom.
You can make your blocks random or use the same fabrics in each block to form a You can even make a portion of the block a single piece of fabric.
Adding quilting on the top of a finished block adds more interest, and it is a good opportunity to use the decorative stitches on your sewing machine.

Supplies:
Fabrics:
Enough strips, at least six inches long and any width, precut or cut before coming to class, to make four blocks 12 1/2 inches square. I use mostly 2 1/2-inch strips, and a jelly roll can be used.
1/2 yard of a sashing fabric. We will cut the sashing in class
4 -13 1/2 inches squares of batting
4 -13 1/2-inch squares of backing, all the same or a variety of fabrics

You will also need:
Sewing machine
Rotary cutter, mat,
Rulers, one to cut sashing, and a 12 1/2 inch ruler if you have one Thread, and quilting thread if you want to add quilting
Seam ripper, pins, scissors
Other sewing tools you regularly use

01/31/26 - No-Sew Braided Rug Schoolhouse Janice Black
2026-01-31 10:00 - 15:00 | Boise Rigging Supply, 6750 West Victory Road, Boise, ID, 83709, United States
Would you like to try your hand at making a small braided rug entirely from braiding, with no sewing at all involved? If so, this class is for you! Janice Black, our Schoolhouse chair, would love to share this technique with you!
Supplies and Fabric Choices:
You can make your rug as scrappy or as color-coordinated as you like, but I have found that choosing a single fabric and including it throughout most of the rug (like the solid dark red in one of the rugs shown, and the dusty solid plum color in the other rug) can help tie everything else together. You will find that colors play together very differently in a braided rug than they do in a quilt, so once you have found your main “foundation” fabric to use throughout the rug, you may find it the most pleasing to pull colors from just one other color family to use with it. Your fabrics do not need to be carefully chosen to exactly match . . . they will end up blending in a way that is similar to mixing paint. So, for example, two different shades of pink that would look terrible if used together in a quilt would probably look just fine when braided together.
I’m really not sure how to estimate how much fabric you will need, but you’ll probably need more than you would think! It partly depends on the size of rug you’d like to complete, and on how wide you choose to cut your strips (which is what determines the thickness of the rug). To keep your cost down, I would recommend purchasing an old sheet or two from a thrift store that could be used to create the major part of the rug. There is no need to use high-quality quilting cottons for this. The red rug is one that I made for my daughter from vintage double-knit fabrics, and it turned out really well!
To help with guesstimating the amount of fabric needed . . . I used about seven yards of the solid plum fabric, so probably a total of more than fourteen yards of fabric in all. For a small rug just big enough to allow you to learn the technique, I’m guessing you would need at least 3-5 yards of fabric.
You will also need a pair of scissors or small but heavy-duty snips for cutting slits to join the strips together. The strips can also be cut with scissors, or you may want to bring a rotary cutter for that. I do not recommend cutting all of your strips in advance, because stopping periodically to cut strips can give your wrists a break from the repetitive motion of braiding the rug.
Additional Recommendations: Please note that knowing how to braid before coming to class would be very helpful. The class will probably also be easier for you if you are familiar with the concept of increasing on curves from having done some crochet or knitting (although I can certainly try to guide you through this if you are not familiar with it). Finally, I would not recommend the class for someone who currently experiences a lot of pain in their wrists or hands.

02/28/26 - Quartered Stripes Baby Quilt Schoolhouse by Barbara Doogan
2026-02-28 10:00 - 16:00 | Boise Rigging Supply, 6750 West Victory Road, Boise, ID, 83709, United States
This can be a baby quilt or a wall hanging. There is the option to make it bigger. All you need is a striped fabric and a border fabric (or two). The most difficult part is actually finding a striped fabric you like. Although a fabric with regularly spaced lines will work just fine. Try to find a fabric with irregular stripes. The amount of fabric listed will yield 16 blocks. There are 2 different blocks. You can add applique’ or replace some blocks with other designs. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination!
Supplies –
• 1 ¼ yard of striped cotton fabric
• Coordinating fabric for borders
The body of this quilt finishes about 36” plus the width of any border you want to add. Double the amount of fabric if you want a larger quilt
• Straight stitch sewing machine-cleaned, oiled, new needle
• Pins and clips
• Thread
• Rotary cutter with a new blade
• Rotary mat (minimum 12×18” Use larger mat if possible)
• Square ruler with diagonal line 10” or bigger
• Rotary ruler – longer than 10”
• Rotary turntable 10” or larger (Optional)
The registration and cancellation deadline is February 21, 2026.

03/14/26 - Seeking Sunflowers! Schoolhouse - Becky Kinzer
2026-03-14 13:00 - 17:00 | Boise Rigging Supply, 6750 West Victory Road, Boise, ID, 83709, United States
Seeking Sunflowers! From 1:00-5:00 on the afternoon of March 14th, please join our 2026 Programs Chair, Becky Kinzer, in stitching two 12 ½” sunflower blocks in support of Ukrainians. Blue and yellow are the colors of the Ukrainian flag, and the sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower. We hope that you will join us to learn these patterns and methods to create a sunflower block and then donate your block to “Wrap The World In Quilts,” a non-profit organization providing quilt blocks to Ukraine. You may have time to make a block in class to take home as well . . . and of course you may use the patterns to create as many blocks as you wish after class has ended.
The class fee of $15 will be donated to Wrap The World In Quilts.
For one of the blocks, Becky will teach a method to create multiple half-square-triangles that results in a beautiful flower. The other block does not use HST but makes a fast Bear Paw block that depicts a sunflower.
When your donated blocks arrive in Ukraine they will be used to build a 1,100 meter-long quilt to stretch the length of Kyiv’s main street. The blocks provided by over 36 countries will create a demonstration to symbolize unity, resilience, and peace. The blocks will then be made into quilts for distribution to civilians and soldiers there.
Thank you for sharing your talent by providing one or more sunflower blocks. Cash donations can also be included if you choose.
Please bring yellow, blue and any other supporting colored fabric that you choose (green, brown and white were used in these examples). Some blue and yellow fabric will be provided so feel free to come even if you do not have that fabric.
Supplies Needed:
Fabric cut to size as per block instructions
Straight stitch sewing machine
Neutral Thread, a few pins
Rotary Cutter and mat
Rulers helpful are 6 ½” square and 12” or longer ruler
Pencil or chalk marker
Iron, pad and extension cord (or you can use the iron provided)

04/18/26 - 4-Patch-Posie Schoolhouse by Dianne Kane
2026-04-18 09:30 - 16:00 | Boise Rigging Supply, 6750 West Victory Road, Boise, ID, 83709, United States
Dianne Kane has agreed to teach a “4-Patch Posie” Schoolhouse Class for us on April 18th, 2026.
Are you ready for some surprises? Like a simplified form of stack-n-whack, this technique will create surprising new blocks, each with its own special design. It’s as satisfying and addictive as eating a box of chocolates, because every block you make will automatically create four design options and you’ll get to choose your favorite! Because you’ll be making 4-patches, the process will go pretty quickly, and it’s likely that you’ll get many of the blocks made during our sewing time. We’ll also talk about how you can set and lay out the blocks: for example, with or without sashing or borders; on-point; with mitered strips on 2 sides; courthouse steps; and more. This is a technique that you’ll want to use again and again – just because each block is a pleasant surprise!
Supplies
Matt (bring the largest one you can)
Rotary cutter (consider a new blade)
Ruler (at least 4 x 12″ up to 8½ x 24″)
Sewing machine (only need straight stitch)
Thread for piecing
Scissors, seam ripper
Pencil & paper for taking notes
Flat head pins
Optional
(Bring along if you have them but no need to purchase)
Pattern: 4-Patch Stacked Posies by H.D. Designs
A folding mirror
Design wall
Digital camera
Square rulers (any and all sizes 3″ to 12½”)
extension cord
Fabrics
This technique works best with a “busy” fabric. A piece with lots of variations in color will create a variety of unique blocks. Retro, floral, geometric, and Asian are all good choices. (Batiks are not a good choice for the focus fabric.) Because there are so many options in the cutting and layout of the fabrics, it’s hard to provide specific fabric requirements.
You will be sent a supply list with more detail about this, but be aware that you must have at least 4 repeats of the design in the focus fabric. (Look along the selvedge edge to help you find the repeats.) You might consider buying extra yardage for borders or get at least one more repeat to use on the backing. It’s fun to use a piece of the “mother” fabric somewhere so others will know what you actually started with! If you want a large quilt and the repeat is only 12″ you might consider getting 8 repeats.
You may want to purchase coordinating fabrics for sashings or borders. Or, you may want to wait until you’ve made some blocks and decided how you will lay out the design.
If you have questions, please contact Dianne.

10/26/26 Tiny Treasures: Tips & Techniques for Foundation Paper Piecing by Esther Kleinkauf Schoolhouse
2026-10-24 10:00 - 17:00 | Boise Rigging Supply, 6750 West Victory Road, Boise, ID, 83709, United States

11/21/26 Quilting on Your Domestic Machine by Madeline Trainor Schoolhouse
2026-11-21 10:00 - 16:00 | Boise Rigging Supply, 6750 West Victory Road, Boise, ID, 83709, United States
