Monday Sew Day

I am taking a "Sew Day". I have worked hard the last week tearing down wallpaper, and today is a reward day for me! Yes, that Chamomile LOVES a good sew day. She hears that thread being pulled through the fabric from another room and comes running!

I had a busy, fun, weekend. My son's girlfriend, Carrie, came to town and I took her to Acorn Quilts! She wants to make a Sampler quilt, so we had a look around. You just know I can't leave there without a purchase...or 2...or 3! I grabbed that yellow yard to add to Emerson's quilt. It needed that splash! ALL of her fabrics are in the dryer and will be part of my Sew Day. I grabbed some premade labels for myself, and that bundle of 19 different Stonehenge fat 1/8ths for a friend. These feel like silk, but are 100% cotton...perfect for applique.
Yesterday we made a trip to our old town to meet the newest member of our family....my new great niece...and I realized I did not have a hand project I could take along. I grabbed the Henrietta Whiskers pieces for the next block and was able to prep them on my trip. I must make sure there is something to "grab" for the next time!My dear friend, Sue, lives there and we were able to stop by to see her and her family. Sue and I have been very close friends for 29 years, this month in fact. I got to see, up close and personal, her latest quilts....she is such an inspiration! I miss her terribly and I cried half the way home!!! My husband kept saying, "It's only an hour and a half away. Drive up there once a month!" I need to do that!

I found a new-to-me quilting blog and have just LOVED visiting there! Cottons n Wool is full of gorgeous quilts and stitchery. I love her style and tastes and I fell in love with one of her latest quilts, "Folk Art Blooms" It goes along with the new "look" I am desiring to give my new kitchen/eating area. I ordered the book this morning.

You can see Anne's top here. I plan to do a 4 block wallhanging version for the small wall in my eating area, but someday would love to make the entire thing.
So how will I spend my Sew Day? I am headed to the studio to finish a project, and then I will need to spend a bit of time cleaning up. It is a "creative disaster" down there!! After that I want to cut into that fabric and get at least one block made for Emerson's quilt. I need to make 12 different, 12" star blocks, total. After that, since Sweetheart works late tonight, I plan to spend the late afternoon and evening hand quilting. I am sailing along on the UGRR Sampler....pun intended! ;)That is, if Cammy will let me quilt without pouncing on every stitch I make! Eventually, she calms down and just wants to lay....regretfully it is always on my hoop!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

~Bren~

Hand Quilting Class

When Lesley, the owner of Acorn Quilts, asked me to teach hand quilting a couple of years ago, I was certain it would be a disaster. I had never taught ANYthing before, nor had I BEEN taught. I am a self taught hand quilter, hand appliquer (is that a word? Spell check says it is not.), and hand/machine piecer. In fact, the one and only quilting class I took (a basket wallhanging for Easter) was a complete fail. There were 2 of us in the class and the other student had so much trouble she needed all the teacher's attention. It was more like I went to the shop to sew there, rather than at home. So bad in fact, the shop offered me my money back, which I TOOK! Anyway, I was very leery, but had just been praying about stepping out of my comfort zone and getting around more people. I took that as the opportunity I needed. Jan, a beautiful lady who works at Acorn, had taught the class at another shop and told me she would be there if I needed her. That made me feel better. (Jan, btw, is a quilt designer and has had her quilts in American Patchwork and Quilting...she has even made the cover) That first class was FULL...8 students. It was a BLAST. ALL the ladies left saying it was a wonderful class and they had learned what they wanted to learn. THAT was the ticket! My greatest fear was someone would leave that class feeling like I felt when I left that one and only class I ever took. I have made it my mission to give EACH student a nice chunk of individual time.
Since that first class, I lowered my maximum from 8 to 6 to make sure I could do that effectively. Last Saturday's class held 7, so that sisters could take the class together. I have taught 4 classes a year, 1 per quarter, since Acorn opened almost 3 years ago. Some of the topics I cover are, marking tools, batting, backing, basting tools and techniques, stencils, rulers, needles, threads, hoops, thimbles, threading a between (remember your first one? SCARY!). They all mark a piece of muslin with a quilting stencil, we thread baste the 3 layers in the class and they are ready to quilt! I teach the rocker stitch, and by the first few stitches many of those women are talking to their index finger OUT LOUD, saying, "You have no business here...wait off to the side until you are needed!" LOL They ALL want to use that index finger to control the needle in the beginning. Laughing and talking gives way to INTENSE concentration as they learn how to make that all important "hill" and getting their thumb out in front of that needle before they get a "toe-hanger" stitch! The laughing and fun all come back once the technique is mastered. I am so relieved after each class to hear all the positive feed-back. Each and every lady has been a pure joy! There have been a few "serious" ladies enter the room, but before that class is over they are laughing and usually end up being the life of the party!
Though I would teach that class for free, I do get a nice chunk of change AND a hefty discount on fabric as pay for 3 hours of pure delight! I always do a bit of fabric shopping after class. This time I found a couple of pieces in the 50% off bin that will be perfect in the Henrietta Whiskers blocks!
I shared, last post, that I would be making Emerson a quilt with these fat quarters. Well, in playing with them, they have a more "teen" feel to me. I am planning quilts for Charlotte and Zach for Christmas, so these will go into a quilt for Charlotte! That meant I needed fabric for Emerson's quilt! I saw this GORGEOUS floral and thought what a beautiful border it would make!I pulled 3 of the colors and bought 2 different shades of each and a background fabric (think stars) and Emerson was THRILLED!!!!!She wanted us to make her quilt right then and there! The girl LOVES fabric. She stroked it and declared how "Niiiiiice" it was. I am excited to cut into all that! Now to find the time!
Thanks for the visit!!
~Bren~