Antique Rose Stars

Today I head to the Chicago area to visit the Faithful Circle Quilters.

Tonight is the lecture: "Time Management for Quilters", a topic that always gets good reviews. Find just a few of my top time management tips HERE.

Tomorrow we spend the day making Antique Rose Star blocks, one of my favorite workshops to teach:

I have written about this workshop a few times before, here is one of those posts:

Needle Chasers Guild of Iuka, MS

In case you think all a quilt teacher does is show up to teach a class, here are some to the things I did recently to prepare for this job:

1. Revised the multi-page Handout
2. Had the Handout printed
3. Made half of a 2" sample block
4. Reviewed all the steps in the instructions to be prepared
5. Packed everything needed for the class along with my supplies for demos--this includes the template sets students get--they had to be ordered weeks ago
6. Reviewed the PowerPoint, updated a few photos
7. Selected a variety of quilts to show during the lecture
8. Got excited to be able to present both this particular lecture, which I know helps quilters, and this fun class I love to teach

I am certainly not complaining--I love my job. There is just so much behind the scenes work that people don't see or think about. This contract was booked more than a year ago and since that time airplane tickets were bought and a hotel booked. A detailed Supply List was prepared and sent more than 6 months ago along with a couple sample blocks I made so they could see the actual block.

Here is the half block I made to test the small template:

Some prior student work:

Anna G

Celia J

Jodie L

Catherine B

Cathy R

Look for some great quilts from the Faithful Quilters.

Let's Quilt.

Barbara

A New Top Finish

It's been a push but I now have the top for "Block by Block", the 40th anniversary quilt from Patches & Stitches, finished:

Designed by the shop owner, Linda Worley, it has 40 different blocks and I used 40 fabrics, most batiks. All came from my stash, including the border, which I selected from my closet today after the rest of the top was assembled. Great fit with the rest of the fabrics which had been selected in December from my fat quarter-size batik collection.

Now to get it basted, quilted and bound. That will have to wait a couple weeks--this week I will be in Brentwood, TN with the Cumberland Valley Quilt Association--Tuesday morning is the lecture "Color and Quiltmaking--Don't Be Afraid". Tuesday afternoon and all day Wednesday we will spend time in a Smitten workshop--much fun and learning should be expected.

Next week I go to Chicago for a week--International Quilt Festival is there. In addition to my Education office duties, I'll be presenting three 2-hour Lecture/Demos at Open Studios on the show floor--this year I'm teaching how to  improve making and enjoy adding Bindings--a topic that some find difficult. It does  not have to be. If you are at the show, be sure to stop by and say hello.

Time to pack and hit the road.

Let's Quilt!

Barbara

Antique Rose Star--A Top Class for Everyone

I recently had the opportunity to teach one of my FAVORITE classes--Antique Rose Star by Machine.

My Sample Quilt hanging in HQH Quilt Show 2015

Although this is an old pattern, I first discovered it 7 years ago when an English friend, Barbara Chainey, showed her hand-pieced blocks on Instagram. Wow--I loved her blocks and the wonderful design. I contacted her and found out the template was available from Material Obsession, a shop in Australia. I ordered 10 of them, knowing this would be a great class to develop and teach. I was off and running and haven't looked back since.

Barbara Chainey's blocks that got me started

I developed a way to organize the 72 pieces for each block that really helps and created a handout for students to assist them. Over time, new ideas for machine piecing this 60 degree angle have been explained and now I incorporate those new ideas too. It is always my goal in all my classes that each student learns more than they expected to and learns tips and tricks that will improve all their quiltmaking. 

After my quilt was done I discovered the quilt pattern in the book Material Obsession 2, by Kathy Doughty of the shop in Australia. It shows this block with two different layouts and there are additional layouts I also explain to my students. The layout I used was a bit difficult because I sewed the blocks completely together while making them. If left in two halves, assembly of the quilt top can be much easier than I did mine. More lessons to teach students.

Dianne's block in two halves

There are 72 "kite" shapes in each block. It can be assembled with several techniques:

hand-piecing with a running stitch, needle and thread

machine piecing, all by machine, or both hand and machine piecing in the same block

English Paper Piecing--cut or buy paper shapes and wrap fabric around the shapes, then whipstitch the pieces together.

You can use Reproduction fabrics, Modern fabrics, 30's fabrics, Batiks, whatever you like will look fabulous in this pattern. There are now templates available in several sizes, making it easier than ever to get started on this quilt.

I have taught this class at least a dozen times locally and am now teaching it nationally--it's one of my classes at Road to California 2018--there are still a few spots left in it.  This is one of those classes I am known for and love to teach.  The wonderful women of the Needle Chasers Guild in Iuka, MS brought me in to teach this to them, as a pre-retreat class. I've been with them 4 times in the last 12 years and truly enjoy my time with them. And the location they retreat to: J P Coleman State Park on Pickwick Lake--absolutely a fantastic location and a huge room for classes.

The 18 students had a good time and everyone made excellent progress. Here are a few shots:

Spectacular Views of Pickwick Lake

I saw water birds and boats throughout the day--a beautiful spot!

Nelda thought she'd hand piece but was intrigued by my machine piecing instructions 

Nelda--her half block done

Rita with her half block

Madge has a half block

Connie made great progress

Sharon use a collection of charm packs to make her first block

Adrienne, the only one who hand pieced hers, cutting out and staying organized

Miss Mississippi (I think), bright and happy

Diane, likes to be very organized so she carefully cut most of the day

Barbara, her second block of the retreat

President Doris, getting her wedges together

Polly?, I think, soft and lovely block, two halves

Nancy did some fussy cutting and has a great plan in mind for her quilt

I would LOVE to teach this to you or your group. If you are local, it will be on the Spring 2018 schedule at Patches & Stitches. If you aren't local, we can make a plan. It is just one of those "Dorito quilts"--hard to make only one. I am working on my second, using very bright fabrics.

Let's Quilt!

Barbara

Road to California--Happy Dance!

Even though enrollment just opened about a week ago, some classes are full, including, are you ready?  One of mine:

SMITTEN IS FULL!!!

This show maintains a waiting list so if you missed out, get on the waiting list--if an opening comes up, and things happen like that, you may still get in. It is a great class, fun to make and fun to teach, and I am thrilled so many are already onboard!

You can find all the class schedule info here: Road 2 California 2018 or use the button on the right.

My other two classes still have some openings:

ANTIQUE ROSE STAR BY MACHINE:  this can easily be done by hand as well

Mine at a trunk show

Student work Anna--all by machine

Student work Celia--all by hand

Student work Jodie--all by machine

2-FOR 1: almost too much fun for words.  This is a two-day class and is worth the time.

One of mine, I've made 6 in various sizes

Student work Susan

Student work Joan

I look forward to meeting some of you on the West Coast. We always have a great time in class--my number one goal is that each student learns much more than they expected.

Let's Quilt!

Barbara

What Have You Been Doing?

After being away for two weeks in Houston, then recuperating and doing all the house things that needed to be done, I've had a couple of good weeks getting quilt things done. 

As co-chair for our next guild quilt show, Fanfare 2015 Quilt Show and Sale, October 9-11, 2015, it was time to be sure the Raffle Quilt got finished.  So, I formed a "working party" of 7 other quilters and we sewed all day two days this week.  There was only about an hour when all 8 of us were sewing at the same time--people had appointments and obligations so they came and went but by 5 pm the second day the majority of the top was done.  Those two days turned out to be record-breaking cold weather but we were toasty and happily engaged in our sewing.  I heard words like "sweatshop" and "slave driver" but they all cheerfully kept pedal to the metal and got her done.   I spent another full day putting all the borders on and here we have Celtic Solstice Fanfare:

96" square, pattern by Bonnie Hunter, used with her permission

Today I pieced the 3 yard square back and it's off to the long arm quilter next week. 

The other thing I had to accomplish was getting class samples quilted and bound.  I bound three quilts, basted a twin-size quilt, machine quilted two twin-size quilts--in the ditch with the walking foot, and completed a comfy quilt to donate to my guild--free  motion quilted that one.  Still a long way to go in the practice department.  I taught 2 classes and attended guild last night.  It's been a full couple of weeks:

Comfy quilt donated to our guild, an old project finally complete

Antique Rose Star, still needs big stitch quilting, ditch quilting done and bound--class sample

Southern Super Star, class sample, binding almost complete

Ditch quilting done by machine, needs more hand or machine quilting and binding

I often complete my quilts with what I call the "hybrid" method:  ditch quilting by machine, more visible quilting by hand, either fine hand quilting or big stitch with perle cotton thread.  Free-motion skills have eluded me so far but I'm pretty sure that's because I don't practice very much.  The problem is, I get a quilt done I really like and don't want to mess it up with inferior machine quilting.  Like the quilt in the last photo--those blocks are hand appliqued and some of my favorite repro fabrics.  A couple of friends have been pushing me to free-motion this but I'm still reluctant.  Maybe after the first of the year, when it's a time for new beginnings...

Now I have a bunch of smaller projects I need to jump on.  We have a Thanksgiving invitation to our daughter-in-law's mother's house and we'll enjoy that.  I'm glad I don't have to do much cooking--just my requested Cranberry Chutney and a few other easy dishes.  More time to quilt!

Count your blessings and enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Let's quilt!

Barbara

Quilt-In was Fun!

Yesterday my guild held it's first Quilt-In, a twelve hour retreat, including breakfast and dinner, 4 optional classes, open sewing time, an onsite  quilt shop vendor who brought fabric to sell and lots of time for socializing with old and new guild members.  Twenty-nine smart people took advantage of this opportunity and by lunchtime the talk was "What are you going to teach next year?" and "We HAVE to do this again next year".  So, yes, it was very successful.

I taught a class on hand piecing, the Antique Rose Star.  The template comes from Material Obsession in Australia and the quilt is featured in the book, Material Obsession 2

Here is my sample: 

Class was fun, some of the 16 students had never hand-pieced before, some said they did not like templates but were willing to give them a chance, and all of them had a good time and several said they learned more than they expected to.  That is always my goal--I try to incorporate as many tips as I can throughout my classes.  Because I had used both hand and machine piecing in this quilt, I demonstrated how to machine piece the units at the end of class.  It was a fast-paced 3 hours--next time I teach this it will be a four-hour class, students will get at least one major unit done in 4 hours.

Here are some scenes from our classroom:

Sixteen surprise gifts I  brought--fun to share my excess notions

Cutting and marking the small kite pieces

Everyone kept hard at work

Using the template to cut those pieces

Part of their kit included 3 colorful Ziploc bags to stay organized--the bags were a hit

Biggest pencil case I've ever seen

My demo pieces

First block laid out

Making those small stitches

After lunch, which we ordered in, I had free time to sew.  I was thrilled to get 4 of my 9 sets for the "baby" Color in Black and White quilt finished.  The big quilt has blocks 28" x 24"--the baby has blocks 14" x 12":

I wrote about the big one here and here.  This week I will add the border I decided on for the large quilt, stay tuned for photos of it. 

The day was fun and productive and the food was excellent--our 2 chefs did a great job.  It was hard to stay mindful of my healthy eating plan and I did cave on the Key Lime pie, but it was worth it.  Back to the straight and narrow today.  I've lost 20 pounds since the end of tax season so I'm headed in the right direction.

Everyone should get a chance to sew with friends and learn new things.  Let's Quilt!

Barbara