String & Story Presents Our Quilting Rockstar Courses:

Free Motion Quilting Academy & Ruler Quilting Academy

    Become a Quilting Rockstar and confidently custom quilt your own projects on your sewing machine!

    YOU are a Quilting Rockstar.

    Every day is the perfect time to start a fresh adventure– including quilting your own quilts.

    Chances are good that you’ve thought:

    “Wow, that person quilted their quilt themselves– what a Rockstar!”

    Or maybe “Custom quilting looks so cool. I wish I could do that!”

    Or even, “I bet I could quilt designs like that, but I don’t have a longarm.”

    —-

    The great news is that YOU CAN finish your own quilts– bee-yoo-tee-fully–right at home on your domestic sewing machine, midarm, or longarm quilting machine.

    In fact, I’ve put together a specific, guided, step-by-step plan to teach you how to free motion quilt and ruler quilt with confidence. Let me tell you all about it:

    Join Our Next Cohort

    These aren’t so much classes as they are a journey and an adventure of realizing that you are more creative and capable than you’ve allowed yourself to believe.

    In FMQA and RQA, you’ll have a specific, guided, step-by-step outline for not only learning motifs but also going from a quilt top to a complete and beautiful quilt, including learning how to decide what to quilt where.

    Enrollment for our next cohort will be open Feb 28-March 8, 2025.

    Free Motion Quilting and Ruler Quilting Academies are designed to be an adventure we take together.

    Here’s why finishing your own quilts is awesome:

    Finishing your own quilts right at home on your domestic sewing machine, midarm, or longarm quilting machine is awesome because:

    • It saves you money. Sending quilts out may allow you to skip the “complicated” steps of basting and quilting, but if you’re a quick piecer, those longarming bills add up fast.

    • It saves you time. No more waiting for your quilts to arrive home again. When you’re ready to wrap up a project to clear space in the sewing room, give an amazing gift, or get something fresh on your bed, you have the awesome sauce skills to get ‘er done.

    • It gives you creative control. Ever had a vision for a quilt but felt like you had to settle for something else because of time, skill, money, or communication challenges? When you are the piecer and the quilter, you have amazing creative freedom to execute your quilting dreams exactly as you dreamed them.

    • It’s super fun! I love cutting up fabric and sewing it back together to see all that mix and match piecing magic, but doing the quilting too means even more time with those gorgeous fabrics PLUS getting to see the whole thing come to life as the Quilting adds texture and movement.

    Excited to learn how to finish your own quilts like a Quilting Rockstar?

    FMQA & RQA are the first courses of their kind that:

    • Allow you to learn custom quilting from the privacy and comfort of your own home.

      Lugging your machine out to class is inconvenient and time consuming, and learning on a dealer machine doesn’t always mean you can work well with your machine at home. Plus, it’s hard to learn a new skill if you’re nervous about what the students around you think. At home, you can be in your space, on your machine, and at your own pace.

    • Encourage you to start with what you have, keeping supplies minimal, rather than urging you to buy a fancier machine.

      I believe that the best machine to learn on is the machine you already own. 90+% of the time, your machine is capable of at least basic quilting, and investing in a foot or two is the best, and easiest, place to start.

    • Is ready when you are, regardless of geography or time zone, with on-demand, pre-recorded video lessons.

      No matter what your schedule looks like, the Academies are accessible to you. The course lessons are pre-recorded, so you can watch them when it works for you. Plus, once you purchase, you have access forever, to watch and rewatch as often as you want or need.

    • Offer ongoing access to the instructor so you never feel alone or stuck. You’ll get quick help on live online Q&A sessions.

      While the lessons are pre-recorded, I also believe real-time or nearly real time feedback is important. Inside the course community in Kajabi, I host live Q&A sessions so I can help you overcome any hurdles each step of the way.

    • Connect you to other rockstars-in-training around the world so you can help and encourage each other.

      While it can be difficult to learn something new while sitting next to a stranger, it is also valuable to learn in community. The private community allows you to get to know and share your work with Quilting Rockstar alumni and your fellow Rockstars-in-Training so you never feel alone as you learn.

    The Academies will reopen for enrollment from Feb 28 - March 8, 2025.

    Free Motion Quilting Academy

    Transform from a nervous beginner to a confident intermediate Quilting Rockstar in just 12 weeks!

    A peek inside FMQA:

    • Successful free motion quilting is built on a foundation of healthy habits and strong basics. In this module, I teach you about the “extra” skills of FMQ (like basting and good posture) as well as the four essential FMQ motifs.

    • These 6 motifs are some of the MVPs (most valuable players) of a useful free motion quilting “toolbox,” and they continue to grow your skills and give you more textures to add to your quilt.

    • Continuous curves are a classic and useful technique for backgrounds, heavy piecing, and more. Plus, by changing their shape a bit, we can create some fun, modern motifs.

    • This module introduces some truly fancy fillers that will make delicious textures on your quilt.

    • You are getting pretty darn good at this FMQ thing! In these lessons, we look more seriously about motifs to quilt negative space, learn how to riff quilt, and begin feathers.

    • Feathers, feathers, feathers! If basic feathers are fun, fancy feathers are FABULOUS! 

    • Nervous about how to choose motifs for your quilt and how to decide what to quilt where? I have a whole bonus module for you about creating quilting plans so you can draw yourself a quilty “road map” and enjoy the stitching process.

    Ruler Quilting Academy

    Feel confident using rulers to enhance your machine quilting in just 8 weeks!

    A peek inside RQA:

    • Let’s talk about why it’s valuable to learn how to quilt with rulers, teach you some important ruler safety skills, and cover the most basic ways to quilt with a ruler so you can start practicing right away.

    • Beyond simple straight lines, let’s use rulers to create geometric contrast and draw attention to focal points in our quilting.

    • Grids have a real “wow” factor because of the visual contrast with organic, FMQ motifs. Once you master the basic grid, there are any number of ways to use it.

    • The key element of continuous curves is that they are more regular, more choreographed, if you will, than just “a curvy line.” While they can be stitched free hand, using a ruler creates an elevated precision.

    • These designs fill larger spaces and really show ruler quilting’s ability to create a new picture on your quilt.

    • Linear designs allow you to use rulers to quilt spaces like borders and sashings. Pair with ruler quilting block fills for a more geometric overall fill or with FMQ for interesting contrast. These designs will create real sparkle in otherwise blase sections of your quilt.

    Imagine this…..

    Just a few months from now, you’ve finished all of your own quilts.

    No more waiting on or paying the longarmer; no more settling for something simple when you really want to go all out on the quilting.

    Instead, you will be able to quilt your quilts when and how you want, with skill, confidence, and enjoyment.

    Both Academies give:

    ✅ Lifetime Access ($997 value each)

    Access to quality video lessons teaching you all the skills you need for successful custom quilting, from start to finish. You’ll also receive course workbooks that include quick guides, doodle pages, and more!

    ✅ Private Community ($500 value each)

    The community in Kajabi is the super secret sauce! In the group, you get:

    • Livestreamed Q&A sessions with me, HollyAnne Knight

    • The ability to ask questions and share your work in the group at any time

    • A community with course alumni as well as your fellow Rockstars-in-Training

    • Lifetime membership in the group so you’re always connected with the Quilting Rockstar Community

    I want YOU in FMQA & RQA!

    Here’s the tuition details:

    Tuition for Free Motion Quilting Academy is $327 USD.

    Tuition for Ruler Quilting Academy is $247 USD.

    And if you purchase BOTH courses during enrollment, then you save $100 on tuition! (discount automatically applied at checkout)

    If you’re doing the mathy maths, that means…

    You can enroll in Free Motion Quilting Academy AND Ruler Quilting Academy for just $474 USD!

    That’s right -- you can enroll in a total course value of $2994 USD for JUST $474 USD!

    It’s an amazing deal when you consider the cost of sending quilts to the longarmer year-over-year. Or consider the cost of taking multiple in person classes that may or may not get you results.

    Plus, you get the course, the private community, and the LIVE Q&As!

    Again -- for the cost of sending just ONE quilt out for custom quilting, you can learn to quilt all of your quilts forevermore.

    What Academy Grads are saying:

    • Therese L.

      As a newbie quilter with lots of new pieced tops, this course gave me the tools and confidence to feel comfortable in completing a quilt from start to finish!

      I found the community to be super beneficial in staying connected and accountable. So much more fun to learn with peers and cheer each other along in our FMQ journey!

      Thank you so much, HollyAnne! This is a fantastic course that I would highly recommend to any quilter interested in becoming better at FMQ. :)

    • Dan R.

      Loved the Rockstar Community and Q/A capabilities. Felt solidly supported throughout Ruler Quilting Academy by HollyAnne and my cohort peers.

    • Maureen T.

      I loved EVERYTHING about FMQA. At 69, I was a little doubtful I could learn how to free motion quilt [and] I have never been a doodler. But guess what? I am now a dedicated doodler.

      HollyAnne’s teaching style and videos are fantastic. I love being able to go back to the course over and over again for a refresher of any of the motifs.

      Another wonderful part is being able to post questions and be in contact with others taking the course. There is so much encouragement within the group. It also continues after the course since I have seen so many beautiful quilts stitched by those who had finished the course already. This will go down as one of the very best Christmas gifts my 6 children have given to me.

    If that little voice in your head is saying, “That’s great, but you can’t do this,” then let’s address some limiting beliefs:

    Reason #1: You Took the Class

    And it didn’t “stick.” Classes at shows and even your local shop can be a real investment, and it’s discouraging when you don’t feel like it had the lasting impact on your quilting skills that you were hoping for. Rather than risking more disappointment and more “lost” money, it’s easier to “bet on a sure thing” and keep paying the longarmer or keep straight line quilting.

    In fact, the secret sauce to learning to quilt is practicing over time: time that we have carefully structured and built into both Free Motion Quilting and Ruler Quilting Academy.

    Reason #2: You Were Never the Artistic One

    Free motion quilting and ruler quilting just look so darn artsy, and you were always the math one or the reading one-- not the drawing one. Never mind the fact that you find yourself daydreaming about swirls and feathers and continuous curves, and that you are perfectly capable of writing your own name-- you’ve convinced yourself that being able to draw stick people is a requirement of quilting proficiency.

    Spoiler: it’s not! In fact, if you can write your own name, then you have the fine motor skills needed to succeed at quilting!

    Reason #3: You Are Very Busy

    A day job, kids or grandkids, travel… you make the time to do some piecing, but won’t quilting take hours and hours and hours to learn? You want to learn, you’re willing to practice, but you do actually have a life, too.

    Actually, spending just 15-20 minutes at a time practicing your quilting will add up very quickly. You’ll be amazed at your own progress!

    Reason #4: Your Machine Will Definitely, 100% Not Be Able to Keep Up

    It’s not that fancy to begin with… it’s old… the throat space is small… and it will certainly burst into flames if you dare to adjust the tension. Maybe it’s better to leave well enough alone until you can afford that fancy longarm your friend has.

    If you want a permission slip to buy a new machine, I’m happy to write one and help you pick one out. However, the best machine to learn a new skill is the one you already have. You can always invest in something new and shiny later.

    Let’s Get Real:

    These “reasons” are just excuses straight from your inner critic because trying new things feels hard and scary. The reality is that YOU are a ROCKSTAR, and you can learn how to finish your quilts on your machine with confidence.

    Finish Your Own Quilts Like A Quilting Rockstar!

    • Casey M.

      FMQA was absolutely amazing! I went from being completely intimidated by free motion quilting to feeling comfortable enough to quilt my own quilts before I even graduated!

      I have an amazing toolbox of free motion motifs to use in the future and I can't wait to finish even more quilts myself.

      HollyAnne is so positive and encouraging and breaks it down so free motion quilting is no longer intimidating.

    • Becky S.

      I enjoyed learning the basics of ruler quilting, starting with which foot and what rulers to start with. I knew absolutely nothing about ruler quilting when I started. I still need practice, but I love being able to mix my ruler quilting with free motion. They complement each other so beautifully.

    • Lindsey P.

      I loved the flexibility of Ruler Quilting Academy, especially as a full time working gal with two little ones. Videos were nicely done.

      I enjoyed this course very much.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Enrolling in either Free Motion Quilting Academy or Ruler Quilting Academy gives you lifetime access to the course video units (outlined above), which include all the lessons you need to be successful free motion or ruler quilting your quilts start to finish. Each Academy also includes a course workbook, a private course community so you can connect to your fellow Rockstars, and live Q&A sessions with me (plus recordings of the Q&As).

    • We will release the welcome/orientation videos right away so that you know what to expect, and so you can gather and purchase supplies. The course workbook and units will begin releasing during the Orientation week.

    • The next cohort of Free Motion Quilting and Ruler Quilting Academy will be open later in 2025. 

    • You absolutely can, and I’ve been encouraging new Rockstars to sign up for both courses together and build their skills in parallel because free motion quilting and ruler quilting pair together so well.

      If you’re just barely working on one of the courses though, and are concerned about “shiny object syndrome,” just know that both Academies will enroll again soon.

    • We will utilize Kajabi as our classroom portal, so you’ll log in online and be able to see the units and lessons. Our community is hosted in an adjacent portion of Kajabi and it is linked from your course portal. You will have lifetime access to the course after enrollment, including free updates if we add to the course later. 

    • Free Motion Quilting and Ruler Quilting Academy video lessons are pre-recorded and will be released at approximately 12pm EST on the scheduled day. Q&A sessions will be hosted on Wednesdays at 11am ET with a replay available afterward.

    • Free Motion Quilting Academy is filmed on a straight stitch sewing machine, and Ruler Quilting Academy is filmed on a BERNINA 590. Both classes are designed for folks working on domestic/ home sewing machines and sit down longarms/ midarms.

      If you are on a longarm on a frame, there will be some adaptation involved to move the machine instead of the quilt, but I quilt on a frame, too, and am happy to answer any questions you have along the way.

    • No— these classes focus on hand-guided quilting. 

    • Nope! For Free Motion Quilting Academy, your most specialized tool will be an FMQ or hopping foot.

      For Ruler Quilting Academy, you’ll need the two Quilting Rockstar rulers and a ruler foot. A ruler foot can also be used for free motion quilting.

      We have kits available for both classes to make it as easy as possible to gather the supplies you need.

    Join the Academies

    I am so excited to watch you become a true Quilting Rockstar, just like my previous students.

    You deserve a custom quilting class that lasts longer than a few hours, shows you how to use your own machine (not just a fancy dealer machine), allows you to practice at your own pace and on your own time, and gives you an ongoing way to ask questions and get help when you get stuck.

    I can’t wait to show you the way and watch you finish your quilts with confidence!