Monday, March 5, 2018

Sad farewell and new endeavors



2018 has started off with great sadness and a lot of fun. Many of you already are aware that Dorothy, my dearest friend of nearly 45 years, passed away early in January. I miss her very much, of course.

I will be traveling to Colorado in April, to pick up some things that she wanted me to have. I won't have room in the car to bring back ALL of her quilting supplies, of course. But having her machines and a few other quilty things of hers will always bring a smile into my own quilty life.

In addition to an occasional wave of sadness, I am having great fun in the studio and the classroom.  I have become a regular quilting instructor for the Bernina In Stitches store in downtown Johnson City. Conducting workshops for the store engages all of the skills that I love to use: teaching, quilt design, pattern production, piecing, quilting, and making lesson plans. ... Ooops, I lied. I don't really like making lesson plans, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I admit, I get a little overwhelmed sometimes - but the fun is worth it! So, if you live in my area, check out the classes section of the Bernina In Stitches website to find out when my next workshop or clinic is scheduled. I've included a summary below.

News from the studio


Habitat for Humanity house-warming gift

What a great objective! Sally has a vision of presenting new Habitat homeowners with a quilt to help make their new house a real home. She pulled some elegant orientals from her stash, and this lovely quilt is the result. We used the Feather Puff pantograph.





A "Words of Life" quilt like Dorothy's

I discovered last week that I have the program for the April meeting of the Appalachian Heritage Quilters guild. It took me a minute to remember what the program was going to be. It is a trunk-show called "Beyond the 1/4" Seam".

One of the quilts in the show is the one called "Words of Life" that I had made for Dorothy last year. Well...I mailed the quilt to Colorado last November! Yikes. As it turned out, I wound up with almost enough blocks from Dorothy's quilt to make another one just like it for myself. So... I am hustling like mad to at least get the top finished in time for the April guild program. I am ready for borders - but don't hold your breath. Workshop prep has just taken over top priority!

New pattern on Craftsy: Murphy's Corner

I have a new pattern suitable for beginners on Craftsy called Murphy's Corner. It is a disappearing 9-patch and is super easy.

This sweet quilt is also the project for the Starting from Scratch class for brand new beginners that is scheduled 4 Wednesdays in May. See below.

Workshop schedule

All of the following workshops will be held at Bernina In Stitches in downtown Johnson City, TN. Contact Bernina In Stitches at (423) 283-0456 for more information and to sign up. Class sizes are kept small for lots of personal attention.

March 2018 


Finishing Clinics: Saturday, 3/10, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 

Sign up for 1, 2, or all 3 clinics!

 




Heart Song: Thursday, 3/22, 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Heart Song
  








  

 April 2018


Jack and Jill: Wednesday 4/25, 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Jack & Jill












May 2018

Starting from Scratch (for the brand-new quilter) 

This is a 4-week class and will meet once a week on Wednesdays: 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, and 5/30. It will cover everything you need to know to be confident in your quilt-making, talk the language of quilting, have a list tools you'll need, master the 1/4" seam, make nice flat borders, and more.


And, remember - it may be rainy and cold outside, but the sun is always shining when you quilt.

Have a great week! Now, let's go quit something.