Spokane Fairgrounds
404 North Havana StreetImagine the delight of designing your own fabric, where every brushstroke breathes life into a unique creation. This journey into fabric painting allows you to craft whole cloth painted quilt tops.
In this class, you will be introduced to the fundamental techniques of using paint on fabric. You will learn about distinct types of paints and brushes, as well as the essential step of heat-setting your artwork to ensure it lasts. With a selection of designs to choose from, you will have the opportunity to try your hand at painting and transforming plain white fabric into vibrant color. In this workshop, we will also explore how to turn your favorite photos into unique fabric designs you can use in later projects.
Participants will trace an approximately 12” block pattern provided by Judith onto their fabric. They will then paint the block. Judith has designed blocks specifically for use in the workshops. (See the examples shown.) Students may paint as many or as few of the blocks as they wish, as time permits.
Discussion will include:
fabrics to paint on
subject matter – selecting future photos (photo of design will be provided)
transferring design to fabric (enlarged pattern of design will be provided)
variety of paints and how to mix colors
variety of brushes
painting techniques and tips
heat set paint.
A kit will be available for $15.00, which includes paint brushes and a 11” x 15” foam core board.
Judith Phelps, of Battle Ground, Washington, is an award-winning art quilter who often incorporates a combination of techniques such as applique, paint, thread painting, piecing, and 3D objects to produce unique and eye-catching pieces.
Judith was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and has lived in various parts of the United States A lifelong lover of creativity, Judith has developed a wide range of artistic skills, including calligraphy, drawing, wood carving, painting, ceramics, sewing, soft sculpture, and fiber arts.
Her education in these fields includes high school classes, community college courses, and local workshops, though she considers herself primarily self-taught. Judith is actively involved in six local quilting groups: the Art Quilt Group, Thread Tales, Church Chicks, Vagabonds, Storytellers, and the Clark County Quilting Guild. The Storytellers – a close-knit circle of nine women - choose a new theme each year. Each member then creates a quilt reflecting that theme. These quilts are showcased at quilt shows, galleries, and trunk shows hosted by quilting guilds.
In addition to these groups, Judith is a member of Columbia Fiber Arts / High Fiber Diet in the Pacific Northwest and the national organization Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc.
Judith’s quilts have earned numerous accolades. In 2014, her quilt The Value of Gears won the Moda Best Wall Quilt award at the AQS Paducah Quilt Week and is now part of the National Quilt Museum's collection. Her quilt Solitude was honored with the Superior Threads Master Award for Thread Artistry at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX, (2024). She has received multiple ribbons from local, state, national, and international quilt shows and was featured in American Quilter (2024), Patchwork Professional (Germany) (2023), Create Whimsey (2022) and on TheQuiltShow.com (2025). Her quilts—Outracing the Storm, Bryan’s Song, and From the Ashes—have been selected for inclusion in two SAQA Global Exhibits.
You can view her work at Storytellersquilters.com and Judithphelps.com.
Sat, Oct 17, 2026 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Spokane Fairgrounds
404 North Havana Street
WSQ-SC is a non-profit 501c (4) social organization. We have two primary objectives: