Create Your Own One-of-a-Kind Quilted Bag with Elissa Ziccardi of Quilting Elissa™
5-Day Workshop
Tuesday May 12 - Saturday May 16
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Elissa will guide you step-by-step through the entire bag-making process using your own unique fabric combinations, quilting techniques, and piecework.
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You'll learn best practices, insider tips, and finishing techniques to help you create a professional-looking quilted bag with custom details that reflect your personal style
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Elissa specializes in ByAnnie bags, and during this workshop, you’ll be creating your very own "Courtside" bag — a versatile, and popular, pattern from ByAnnie.com.
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Getting Started:
Master the Art of Foundation Paper Piecing
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Join Elissa for the first 2-days learning the machine piecing technique of Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP). Elissa will share her expert guidance to help you elevate your piecing skills with precision, creativity, and confidence. Sewists will learn the skills of reading and following a printed foundation paper pieced pattern, measuring, cutting and sorting your fabric for organized sewing, building foundation blocks in sequential order using the Add-a-Quarter PLUS Ruler for FPP, and securing, trimming, and finishing your blocks.
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You’ll gain the knowledge to produce sharp, uniform seams with maximum efficiency—giving you the tools to create beautifully finished and impressive projects. Discover the essential tools and techniques that make FPP more enjoyable and fuss-free.
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Be inspired by Elissa’s own work as she shares up-close examples of finished projects featuring a wide variety of foundation paper pieced patterns—including quilts, bags, and quilted garments.
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NEW! Foundation patterns designed by Elissa specifically for the COURTSIDE bag to be announced SPRING 2026. Stay Tuned! ​​
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​Skill level: Intermediate
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This workshop is suitable for makers with experience using quilting rulers, basic quilting skills required, ability to sew accurate seam allowances (1/8", 1/4", zipper foot), previous bag making experience preferred but not required.​​
Bag makers will learn multiple binding techniques including bias binding, zipper insertion, rounding of corners and shaping of a bag gusset, as well as use of mesh and/or vinyl, installing bag hardware, working with webbing/strapping,
and creating bellowed divided pockets.
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Please consider the throat space and power of your machine when choosing which machine to bring for this workshop. This bag has multiple bulky points. Elissa wants your bag making experience as enjoyable as possible!
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A machine equipped with a built in dual-feed system is ideal. Straight stitch semi-industrial machines are also acceptable.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​WELCOME GUIDE & SUPPLY LIST:
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Will be sent directly to registered participants 90 days before class including tools, supplies, pattern information, materials, and notions.
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Supply Kit Information to follow... available from Cousin's Quilt Shop.
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ByAnnie “Courtside” pattern - all bag makers must have their own physical printed copy of the bag pattern for the workshop to adhere with pattern copyright.
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​​Add-a-Quarter PLUS Ruler and FPP toolkit
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Additional necessary tools.
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PLAN & PREP GUIDE:
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Will be sent directly to registered participants 45 days before class. The guide will have you retreat ready - checklists, cutting charts, birds-eye-view styling page of the bag model to customize your bag, and finally a detailed checklist and labels to get you organized and ready for your time in the workshop, and keep you organized as you progress in class and become a master bag maker!
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Elissa Ziccardi: Her creative style is bold, bright,
& beautiful with a dash of over the top! ​
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Elissa is a textile artist with an aesthetic that is designed to inspire - she combines her love of quilting and background in garment making to passionately create pieces that are modern and made-to-stand-out.
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She is passionate about pushing the boundaries of mixing endless color and loads of pattern in her creations. Her favorite methods of sewing include foundation paper piecing and English paper piecing – detailed fussy cutting and precision work is where she puts the love in the details.
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Elissa’s current body of work specializes in quilted garments, bags, and footwear - and of course quilt making! Her aim is to encourage the unique spirit in each of us to create with authenticity and passion as a national educator, industry influencer, speaker, and pattern author. Elissa is a FreeSpirit Fabrics Circle of Makers Brand Ambassador, an Aurifil Artisan, and her favorite fabric designer is the creative genius, Tula Pink.
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When she is not in her studio creating, she can be found loudly cheering on her busy teens, or reading a book accompanied by her family pups, Max and Rudy.
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To learn more about Elissa and her creative journey, please visit the
“Meet the Maker” feature article HERE.