Sentimental Stitching: Keepsake Quilt Workshop

Create a keepsake quilt using upcycled fabrics with our textiles & fashion short courses in Sydney!

Turn much-loved clothing and textiles into a beautiful, practical quilt in this hands-on Upcycled Keepsake Quilt Workshop. Whether you’re holding onto baby clothes, family garments, or other meaningful fabrics, this one-day workshop will guide you through the process of transforming them into a thoughtfully designed quilt you can treasure and use.

Designed with beginners in mind, this workshop focuses on accessible techniques, creative planning, and sustainable making. You’ll learn how to select suitable fabrics, plan a simple patchwork layout, and construct a small quilt using clear, step-by-step guidance. The emphasis is on confidence-building, creativity, and learning skills you can continue to use at home.

Across the day, you’ll work directly with your own garments and textiles to create a small cot-sized or lap quilt (approximately 60 × 80 cm). By the end of the workshop, you’ll have completed your quilt top, prepared the quilt layers, and practised simple quilting or finishing techniques. You’ll also receive guidance on how to complete or extend your quilt at home if needed.

This workshop is a lovely introduction to quilting, upcycling, and creative textile reuse — and a rewarding way to give new life to fabrics that hold personal meaning.

Below is an example of a quilt created by our tutor, Mora, to illustrate the techniques used in this workshop. Please note that this image does not represent the size of the blanket made in class.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this Upcycled Keepsake Quilt workshop, you should be able to:

• Select and prepare suitable garments and textiles for quilting
• Plan a simple patchwork layout for a small quilt
• Cut fabric accurately and safely for quilting projects
• Use a sewing machine to assemble a quilt top
• Layer and prepare a quilt for basic quilting or finishing
• Understand how to complete your quilt at home after the workshop

Course content

What will be covered in this Upcycled Keepsake Quilt workshop?

• Choosing and preparing upcycled fabrics
• Colour, pattern, and layout planning
• Cutting and organising patchwork pieces
• Constructing a quilt top
• Preparing quilt layers (top, batting, backing)
• Simple quilting and finishing techniques
• Tips for continuing or expanding your project at home

Intended audience

Who is this Upcycled Keepsake Quilt workshop for?

• Beginners with little or no quilting experience
• Confident beginners looking to build sewing skills
• Makers interested in sustainability and textile upcycling
• Anyone wanting to create a meaningful, handmade quilt from personal fabrics

No prior quilting experience is required.

Course venue

Rozelle Campus

2A Gordon Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 (corner of Gordon St & Victoria Rd on the grounds of St. Joseph's Church)

Accessibility: This class takes place in an upper-level room accessible by stairs only. The lift is currently out of service. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Course materials

Participants are asked to bring:

• Upcycled garments or fabrics to use for their quilt top
  • These may include baby clothes, adult clothing, or other fabric you’d like to reuse
  • Each item should be large enough to cut 15 × 15 cm squares
  • You’ll need approximately 20 squares in total
• Backing fabric for the quilt
  • This can be a new fabric or a repurposed sheet in a colour of your choice

The tutor will provide:

• Quilt batting / wadding
• Fusible interfacing
• Quilting spray adhesive

Further guidance on materials will be provided prior to the workshop. All sewing machines and basic tools are provided.