I’ll be teaching Machine Quilting—Master the Basics online at Quilt Campus, November 8-29. This is the same class that I teach in person for shops and guilds, and it’s equivalent to more than 6 hours of instruction. Online workshops are great, since you can do the work at home, on your own machine, and at your convenience but still have the instructor available in an online forum setting to answer questions or provide guidance. Interested? Find out more at Quilt Campus, and register for the workshop now!

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I’ll be teaching Machine Quilting Master the Basics online at Quilt Campus starting Saturday, 8 September. The class is the same as I usually teach for quilt shops and groups, just reformatted for online learning. You’ll communicate with other students (and with me!), share questions, comments and pictures through the class forum. Find out more and sign up at Quilt Campus!

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We worked on more freehand feathers in the morning on day two of the workshop, and I discovered that it wasn’t just me having trouble with the feathers on the inside curves looking deformed, it was a common problem. I can make great feathers on the outside curve of a spine, but the inside ones look like awkward thumbs or something! It’s just a practice thing, but Diane did say that the inside curve is a trouble spot for many, so I felt a bit better about it. Diane talked about adding tendrils and extra flourishes to feather designs, and briefly touched on a couple of other freehand, non-marked designs.

It was tempting to just follow her around…just to hear every word she said!

We also learned more background and filler patterns, like Dianeshiko (a sort of curved pattern built on a grid that looks like overlapping circles), Tsunami (wonderful filler with wavy lines, a brand new technique not in any of her books!), Bouncing Bananas, Headbands, Clamshells, Ripple Stipple (another new background filler), Spirals, Mosaic Meandering, etc., etc., etc.! I think there’s never a reason to use plain old boring stippling again! Throughout the workshop while we worked on designs, Diane would come around and talk with everyone personally, helping with machine issues, or giving advice or feedback. It was tempting to just follow her around to everyone else, just to hear every word she said!

Some of the students were at Hancock’s Fabrics at 8:00 a.m. on day two of the workshop, begging their way in the door before they were open to shop. We were in class during opening hours, but Hancock’s was happy to let them in early evidently! Some of these ladies bought assortments of silk dupion fat quarters that were half price, so Dawn and I made the mad dash to Hancock’s ourselves on the lunch hour to get some. What a steal! Read the rest of this entry »

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