Modern Medallion Workbook
Migration Medallion - Center Medallion
From The Modern Medallion Workbook by Janice Zeller Ryan and Beth Vassalo
Class Description
Conquer your fear of curves and paper-piecing by making this eye-catching circle medallion (pg.15). Each student will make an intricate, paper-pieced block and acquire the skills to complete the 21½”x 21½”medallion center at home. Will you make yours into a wall hanging, a pillow or a full-sized medallion quilt?
- Skill level - Beginner to Intermediate. Students need to have basic sewing experience and preferably some quilt-making experience.
- Special skills students will - Paper-piecing, Sewing curves.
- Finished project(s) will be 1 of 4 blocks for the center medallion of the Migration Medallion quilt. The other 4 blocks are exactly the same and once they complete those at home they can use their quilt to make a pillow, a wall mini or they can add medallion borders to make a full-sized quilt.
- Enjoyment of class - The satisfaction of tackling and learning new sewing skills.
Class Length
This should be an all day class (3 hours, lunch, 3 hours), or you could do two shorter classes.
Class Supply List
- The Modern Medallion Workbook
- Printed foundations A, B & C and templates D & E for the center medallion (A, B, & C could be printed on special foundation paper and D and E could be tracings from the pullouts).
- (Optional): Print out of page 128 with the center colored using the colors they want (you could also have them color it in class).
- Fabrics (for the entire 4-block medallion center):
1 fat quarter for Navy Blue outer circle
1 yard for white background
32 various colored scraps at least 5”x 8”.
- Scissors
- Pins
- Matching thread
- Quilters ruler
- Rotary cutter and mat
- Fabric marking pen
Classroom Preparation
It is helpful to have extra foundations printed out, because students may bring templates printed in the wrong scale or not printed at all, or some students work faster and will need more templates.
You will need sewing machines for each student and at least two ironing stations per 8-10 students.
Class Agenda
- Optional: you can have them color in the center medallion from page 128 to plan their colors. You may have them do this prior to class, to save time.
- Begin by discussing paper-piecing with the students: smaller stitch length, placing fabrics on the unprinted side of the templates, backstitching at the beginning and end of seams so they don’t open as you gently tear the papers.
- Follow page 17 in The Modern Medallion Workbook to construct the center medallion.
- Since they are only making one block, they will only need to cut 1/4 of the amounts of pieces listed in the book. I would suggest having them cut pieces for one foundation at a time. They may find they would like to cut their pieces larger once they paper-piece the first foundation.
- Once the foundations (A, B & C) are sewn, they should tear off the papers.
- Cut pieces D and E (if they want the quilt to be larger than 21½”x 21½, show them how to cut Template E larger).
- Go over the basics of sewing curves (pinning, easing, matching ends and centers).
- Sew all pieces together and show off the finished block!
- If someone finishes early, they may start on another block.
