Before completing our Skill Stage 3 Patchwork and Quilting course, Giuseppina Aleo was a self-taught, self professed ‘beginner’. She wanted to complete our course to gain enough confidence to share her quilted creations with other quilters. Giuseppina tell us that she has learnt so much. She has grown in confidence, had one of her pieces shortlisted at an exhibition and is currently being featured in our Skill Stage 3 Student Excellence Awards Exhibition, in recognition for her creative achievements and dedication shown towards her work. This is Guiseppina Aleo’s amazing #MyStitchJourney.
“This course was the ultimate turning point for me in which my confidence, skills and self-expression moved to the next level. It doesn’t end there either as I am transferring these acquired skills into creating my new quilting business. It’s quite surreal that what once was a dream, is now taking shape!”
Giuseppina Aleo
Before I started the course, I had a little experience in patchwork quilting. I was self-taught and followed online resources for about a year, where I made a few small, pieced quilts.
I was hooked and completely fascinated with patchwork and quilting that I wanted to learn much more in a structured manner where I could develop my skills. Ultimately, I chose Skill Stage 3 with the intention that at the end I would be confident and competent to share my quilting creations and skills with other quilters.
Motivation for Studying
An accredited course for me, held so much more strength than trying to fumble my way through finding tutorials and classes for one quilting project to another. I quickly realised this was a craft that I wanted to develop in further and couldn’t think of a better way to learn than to invest myself in an accredited course.
I was excited to learn about the online group mentoring and one to one help with a personal tutor. I was also attracted to the fact it was an online course so, no matter what else was happening in our lives, including the unanticipated Pandemic and lockdown, we could continue in our own time and at our own pace.
My Experience
I have learnt so many things from the course. Overall, I found the confidence to believe in myself and through hard work and dedication, anything is possible!
I actually found the preparatory research skills to be the most helpful thing. Although not the most exciting – as I’d rather be hands on – it made a huge difference in my growth both technically and artistically. This helped me to identify my own unique style and preferences, which in turn, gave me the confidence to express myself through my creative works. I had always wanted to create patchwork clothing, never did I think I could do it but with the right skills, guidance and mentoring I created a beautiful patchwork vest and unique pieced poncho for my assessment pieces. Through working on these pieces, I also found a new love for free motion quilting!
The most rewarding experience gained through this course was having the ability and confidence to share my work for the first time at an exhibition. I decided to enter my final assessment piece into the Festival of Quilts 2022 to experience the process and share my work. I was amazed to find it was shortlisted! That was one of the happiest moments I’ve had!
What’s Next?
I would like to develop further with Skill Stage 4 Patchwork and Quilting when the time is right. For now, I have exciting times ahead whilst I am becoming a certified teacher for US author, quilt and fabric designer, Shannon Brinkley. In early 2023, I will be teaching her licensed Colour Confidence for Quilters and Scrappy Applique technique in the UK and online. Alongside this, I have taken a huge interest in quilt pattern designing and have started creating unique quilt patterns with accompanying tutorials. This will be the start of my new business venture as Pina Quilts.
My focus is to keep quilting, designing, and sharing to inspire others to have fun with quilting. It has helped me immensely through challenging times, physically and emotionally so it’s a win-win situation. I have found the learning process is a never-ending journey, I love learning and love creating to inspire more people. The quilting community is a wonderful niche to be a part of worldwide.
Advice for Other Students
I would absolutely recommend this course to others as it is accredited with a City & Guilds qualification, and you get valuable online mentoring that helps you grow each step of the way. There is so much content in the course that I didn’t expect such as hand-dyeing fabrics (another newfound love), creating embellishments, learning about other artists’ work, business skills, as well as patchwork and quilting skills which all help you develop as an all-round artist and professional.
If you are considering this course, or are on the fence, then I can only speak from my own personal experience and say this was the ultimate turning point for me in which my confidence, skills and self-expression moved to the next level. It doesn’t end there either as I am transferring these acquired skills into creating my new quilting business. It’s quite surreal that what once was a dream, is now taking shape!
If you are interested in learning more about my quilting journey you can find me on: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pinaquiltstudio
