Virginia Bound Day in Naples!

How many times have I posted pictures from Virginia Bound workshops? I know it is many times, but each time I am so thrilled with the directions the quilters take their own projects that it continues to reconfirm to me how important it is for us to each work things in our own way with our own vision ----no kit required!

When I first walked into the room, there were only a couple people in there----but I saw this ONE old Singer machine sitting on the table --- and my first thought was “Hey! There is another one of those old pink-based Singers ---I remember seeing someone with one of these not long ago ---“

And then after going back out to the car, making the second trip to the room to unload more stuff ((You know that quilt class is at least a two-trip-to-the-car venture, right?!)) I saw Suzanne! And it all clicked! It wasn’t that there were “TWO” of these vintage pink-based Singer machines --- it was the SAME ONE! And there was Suzanne to prove it. I had to run over and give her a hug --- we got to know each other last month when I taught in Venice ---and she had traveled all the way from The Villages to take two days of my workshops then -----and if 2 UFOs in one month isn’t bad enough, she drove even farther to come take 2 more days of workshops, and I was so happy to see her familiar face!

This machine is known as “The Dump Machine” because ---- welll ----you guessed it! Suzanne found it at the DUMP! A little cleaning, oiling and tuning up and it runs like a top. It’s another boat anchor, solid as can be --- this is one of the last heavy Singer models before they began to be made with plastic parts and gears ---the fall of the giant in the sewing world at that point. I’m so happy she adopted this machine and that it is working well for her, hopefully it has many more years in it yet. Sure love those vintage babies!

We had a great time watching the strips fly!

This was Alice’s “under the bed storage bin” Where she throws all her strings so they are ready to go! She had enough strips to furnish a 3rd world country --- and what variety! It was fun to listen to her talk about which fabric went into which quilt ----all the memories still attached.

Strips began to expand and take over even the areas surrounding our chairs!

We laughed about who had the ugliest or the weirdest fabric --- I think this one took the cake hands down ----spooky masks and heads and ---things that look like tornados?

Cut it SMALL enough and this became the perfect object lesson of “Now you see it ----“

“Now You Don’t!”

Can you see where that hideous fabric ended up? Just barely! And cut narrow, and placed where it is, it’s going to add a lot of interest to the quilt ---where as a whole piece it was a “What was I THINKING?!” thing!

Here is a glimpse at what else came together in class:

		Virginia Bound, Naples FL 2012 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I’ll never get tired of string quilts in all of their varieties! And on the subject of string quilts --- I’ve gotten word that the photo shoots for the next book are complete and I can’t wait to see the photos! From what I hear they staged them in some freshly decorated model homes ---fully furnished and modern. I can hardly wait to see what they did! Dates are closing in fast for this next book release, and it can’t get here soon enough for me.

Have a great Saturday everyone ---I’m off to go do a “Smith Mountain Morning” workshop! It’s my last hoorah for this Florida trip, I’ll be back in my own bed by Sunday night!