Keeping Busy

 Recently, a non-quilting friend was surprised I was still busy making things since the "Secret Sewing" was finished and the taping of The Quilt Show was behind me. 

I am a "maker", that's what I do. There are far more quilt projects to be made than I can possibly get done in my lifetime so I just keep going. If you are a quilter, you get it. If you are not, you never will.

With the COVID shutdown of so much in the last 6 months, I had 3 ongoing local quilt classes that did not get all the sessions in. This week I have been working to see how to remedy that. Two of them will meet at my house for a couple hours, masks required, and the other one will meet at the local shop where it was scheduled--they have a large classroom but we are still limiting attendance to 6 people, masks required. For those students who do not want to meet in person, I will make special arrangements to connect with them privately.

Here is my sample from Sylvia's Bridal Sampler, it's 42" square. I was asked to teach this as a 6 month lecture/demo class where all the sewing is done at home. That has been a very popular class style for me with local students who want to make a project that will take a long time, like a Block of the Month quilt. I broke the classes down into techniques: precision piecing, paper piecing, applique', etc.

My instructions are comprehensive, helping students avoid pitfalls and learn how to be successful as they progress through the project. These classes often create friendships as students learn about each other too. I start a Facebook private group where they can share photos and ask questions as they come up, instead of waiting for the next months' class session.

I am eager to see how the students in all 3 of the classes have progressed though I know some put them away to work on other things, or lost interest, or even finished their quilt and have moved on.

Natalia Bonner's 9 PatchALong is really fun and I am enjoying that--9 videos of block designs using her rulers over 5 weeks, free on YouTube, a new block each Tuesday and Thursday. She has a Facebook group and people post their progress there if they like. She often offers a panel you can buy so you don't even have to piece a quilt top if you don't want. I dug out my Amish solids bins and created a simple top--the blocks are 12". I wish I had made the sashing/border wider--mine are only 1.5" finished.

Here's where I am so far, with 3 more designs to come:

Next up I am starting a new quilt, with 1800's reproduction fabrics that I am eager to get to. And I have two more large quilts to quilt and bind in the next month so I am plenty busy.

What are you making?

Let's quilt.

Barbara