I signed up for the Dear Jane workshop at City Quilter this summer. Dear Jane is a sampler quilt and the book has 225 patterns from 1863. The workshop meets just one Monday evening per month from May through August and we will learn a different sewing technique, such as paper piecing or applique, at each class. At home, we can choose patterns from the book that use that technique and practice making a few blocks. The blocks are small- just four and a half inches. From what I understand, the patterns are pretty tedious to work with, but I think this is a great way to get a lot of practice.
Here is a beautiful example from Bridgett’s photostream:
