Smith Mountain Morning in Naples!

Some workshops are a free-for-all, piece-until-you-drop day ---seam allowances aren’t crucial when you are string piecing as we were with Virginia Bound, and there are only a few steps that once learned, simply repeat to make the quilt as big or as small and as easy as you want it. The main objective? USE THE FABRIC!

Yesterday’s Smith Mountain Morning workshop was the complete opposite. A piecing challenge, and a skill builder in learning to use specialty rulers that work well not only in this particular quilt, but anywhere these traditional and oft repeated units are found.

We worked with half square triangles in 2 sizes using the Easy Angle Ruler.

We worked with quarter square triangles using the Companion Angle ruler.

We used Tri-Rec rulers to make long spikey star points with ease and precision, even if it felt like you were awkwardly rubbing your belly with one hand and patting your head with the other ---it feels odd sometimes to use new tools until you get used to them.

I was most encouraged when one quilter, who confessed to preferring to sew all of her half square triangles extra big, and sliver-trimming them all down to size ----was over the moon at the fact that her triangle units using the Easy Angle Ruler turned out “JUST RIGHT” and the only thing that needed trimming was to remove that one dog ear. That makes me feel so good!

I also had the privilege of meeting a long time email friend, Pati, and it was a big surprise to see her here! We met “back in the day” on Interquilt – a paid quilter’s email list serve that existed long before there were free “yahoo groups” and long before blogs ever existed. We figured it had to be about 1996 when we met via email, and this was the first time we saw each other face to face for real! Thanks for coming and sharing in the fun, Pati!

This was Pati’s big hint to share. She likes the Faultless MAXX spray starch. It’s got a non-clog spray bottle, gives a nice firm finish, and comes in vanilla lavender scent --- yummy!

Because this was such a skill builder class, we broke it down into chapters, and spent an hour or so working on each unit --- by the end of the day, several had one of each block done….and everyone had several units that were ready to piece into stars or alternate blocks, but they wanted to build up more variety in their fabrics within the units before they started sewing them together –take a look below and see what we got up to!

		Smith Mountain Morning, Naples, FL 2012 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

It’s a travel home day for me today ----can’t wait to get home and sleep in my own bed! I also finished up the Florabunda blocks….there wasn’t enough room to lay them out in the hotel room, so I’m looking forward to doing that at home!