American Quilter Magazine January 2013 Digital 
Description
Your lovely flower photograph becomes a fiber masterpiece as Melinda Bula guides you through the process of choosing the best photograph, making a pattern, and choosing a color palette. Select fabrics that work best with your image, then fuse, make petals, and assemble the complete flower.
From foreground to background, Melinda gives practical tips and encouragement along the way. She even demonstrates her Renegade Thread Play, showing how to best quilt the project.
Melinda’s goal is to show how to think like an artist and sums it up best by saying, “Perfection and creativity do not go together?so go out there and be creative!”
For your convenience, this class can be purchased for online viewing or purchased on DVD.
Click here for full curriculum, supply lists, and more.
Melinda knew early in life that she was going to be an artist, so it was no surprise when she majored in art in college. However, soon she was off to Hawaii to be a flight attendant, a “real” job that paid the bills. But color was in Melinda’s future as she and her husband started a wallpaper and fabric design business, with her designs landing on the covers of major magazines. In 1996, she began quilting and creating wearable arts, soon winning awards for her work in both categories.
Melinda is the author of two books, Cutting Garden Quilts and Candy Cane Lane. Her quilts have been exhibited in the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, at Quilt Expo en Beaujolais in France, and at the Texas Quilt Museum. In 2013, The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky, bought Melinda’s quilt entitled …AND OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE!
Aurelle Locke (verified owner) –
Melinda is one of the best teachers. She is well prepared, explains things thoroughly and has a warm personality. I have her Renegade Stitching class also and it is just as good. Three cheers for Melinda!
Robert Jaminet (verified owner) –
I loved the class, Melinda is a great teacher. She covers every so well yet keeps everything very interesting, especially when she was going over color and values. Great teacher. The class was wonderful, I learned a lot.
Stephanie Risinger (verified owner) –
A wonderful class. I highly recommend it. I learned so much about color and value. Melinda had lots of tips and tricks I will use in all of my quilting. I have been wanting to do a flower quilt from a picture for a long time…now I’m not afraid to get started.
Hilary Stencil (verified owner) –
I absolutely LOVED this class, and Melinda’s way of teaching! I’m looking forward to trying this type of quilt.
Charlotte Mattingly (verified owner) –
Melinda is delightful. I highly recommend this course, I have learned so much. Her tips will really help me.
Pat Duemler (verified owner) –
Melinda, Thank you so much for breaking down the process of actually seeing color shifts in a photo. I make a lot of puzzles and always marvel at the way colors meet/transition. I am really encouraged to try my own color assignments in this project even if I felt like I never really had the artist’s eye.
Dorothy Bishop (verified owner) –
I loved this class. Enjoyed getting new perspectives on design and how to apply them. Thank-you Linda
Cynthia Spurlin (verified owner) –
I loved this class! I love the flower art quilts but was always afraid they would be too difficult to make. This class has given me the confidence to give it a try. I have some beautiful zinnias in my yard that I’ve been taking pictures og and I know just the one I want to try. I’m excited to round up my supplies and get started!
Carlene Gadberry (verified owner) –
I loved Melinda class so much I purchased both classes, we can never get enough knowledge when it comes to technique, thanks fo sharing your expertise and knowledge.
Patricia Vohr (verified owner) –
Great class!!!
Melinda gives instructions in an organized and detailed way. I am an experienced sewer but a new quilter trying to find my niche. This class was very helpful and I am about to embark on my 1st flower quilt. I have also purchased Melinda’s next course.
Thank you,
Pat Vohr
Sally Heal (verified owner) –
Fantastic class!! Thank you so much. Has totally opened up my imagination. Have started my first flower which is a deep red rose and am thoroughly enjoying myself. Really, really looking forward to the other class coming in the Autumn.. Renegade thread play with Melinda.
Again fantastic class, don’t hesitate to jump in and join up.
Sally from uk
Silvia Sarinana (verified owner) –
I absolutely loved this class. Melinda gives very clear explanations and immediately makes you feel at ease. The way she explains color and how she chooses her fabrics is amazing. I learned so much, that I hope she teaches another class. I bought two of her patterns and loved working with them. Now I will have the opportunity to create my own flowers,
Teresa Fitzgerald (verified owner) –
This was a wonderful class. The color part alone was worth the price. Melinda is a natural teacher and she makes you feel like you can be successful with this technique. I would love for her to do another class on the thread painting. I’m sure that the thread work is the icing on the cake.
Janet Ulan (verified owner) –
Melinda made this so much Fun!!! I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect in this class but found the early part of right left thinking and the ability to transcend our dominate one for creativity to be especially profound. My aunt always said she could ‘feel’ color as a shiver or goosebumps in her body while I just looked and ‘thought’. So very many useful tips on choosing fabrics…I would love to see her give an entire class on her ‘color’ method. There was just so much to love in the class…creating depth, using a color finder (first time I have heard of this), being relaxed and having fun with the process. Would definitely take any class Melinda decided to teach…thread painting could be a whole class unto itself. Absolutely recommend this class for anyone interested in realistic art quilts. This is the most fun online class I have ever taken.
Vickie Mazurek (verified owner) –
iquilt is such a great thing for people like myself who don’t really get to travel to go take Melinda’s class. Her teaching style is freeing and stress free ! Love this class !
Jessie Vialpando (verified owner) –
what an awesome class,Melinda takes you step by step on choosing your fabrics, and have your flowers pop. even a beginner can do this class, please have Melinda do more classes on her amazing techniques .
Karen Stenback (verified owner) –
What a Wonderful class!!! Now I am ready to begin!!! She is so clear in her instructions and demonstrations…I really feel like I can do this!
Debra Linker (verified owner) –
This was a fun, informative, inspiring class. Melinda’s relaxed style encourages me to explore and expand my skills without getting bogged down by perfectionism. Her instruction is smooth, easy to follow, not once did I have the “what is she talking about?!” experience. I would highly recommend this class to anyone that wants to move further in to photo-realism work! There is a time lapse part of the class where you watch several days of work being done in a couple of minutes – – very fun! And Melinda’s “wiggly line” tip is worth the cost of the class all by itself!!