Even though Jamestown Landing has recently appeared in Australian Homespun Magazine – I designed this one with the Virginia Consortium of Quilters Celebration 2012 in mind!
The theme this year is “Let’s Make History” and focuses on the various aspects of history within the state of Virginia --- so it’s been fun to have this quilt waiting on the back burner for this event.
It had to be shipped home early to me from Kansas City Star ---it will be in the next book due out in July for those wondering.
Today was the “maiden voyage” of this class--- and I learned many things. Most of all?
It can confuse students if you give them too many options and they can’t make a decision on how to proceed.
Knowing that if I say “We are only going to make triangles this way in class today” ---several will balk and say “But I don’t like that way, I only like to do it THIS way” --- I give lots of options, and after a while everyone settles into it, some feeling brave enough to try new things, some doing it the way they’ve always done it, or what works for them ----and all was well after we got going. It’s just giving them options at the get go leaves some befuddled on which way to start.
We started with string blocks…LOTS of string blocks! And here is where I gave options….of course, I’m telling people how my thought process works and it goes like this…
I was working with left over half page flyers that measured 5.5” X 8.5”, so I cut two 4” squares the finished size of the block from each paper, beccause it was the best use of the paper and I don’t care for paper in my seam allowance. I over piece my blocks and trim 1/4” beyond the paper.
BUT.... if you have a doodle pad that measures 9” X 12” You can either cut 4 4.5” squares ((They WILL have the seam allownace included)) or 4 4” squares --- ((Which will NOT have the seam allowance included)) or if you really want to speed piece……cut a 9” square, cover it with strings, trim it to 9” and then cut it into 4 4.5” units.
Some --- are now going "HUuuhhhhh?!"
OH, your phone book paper measures 8.5” X 11”? That’s no problem…you can get 4 4” squares out if each page without seam allowance added…..or….cut an 8.5” square and just remember to let your strings extend at least 1/2” beyond the edges of the paper so you can trim it to 9” and then into 4 4.5” squares.
Would you be confused? Or would options be helpful?
Anyway, I’m sure they all thought I was nuts, but everyone got the hang of what we were doing after a while!
Sooooo--- the first half of the day we pieced strings --- however we decided to do them, and many “aha!” moments were had by all as they discovered that just using “tone on tone” fabrics in the shades of beige to oatmeal leaves one with a rather boring background!
Then the trading began, and varieties increased, and people were happier with the mix of what they had going on, and many are going back home to dig into the "DEEP" stash to include things that they thought would NOT be suitable, but are going to be the thing to put LIFE and EXCITEMENT back into the quilt. That’s a win for all!
After lunch we got down and dirty with the easy angle ruler --- and I am happy to say that we have CONVERTS! Many of them! Some who admit to formerly preferring to “Sew big and sliver trim down everything to size” now see how much better it is to cut right, sew right, BE DONE! I feel really good about that.
We sewed triangles….turned them into broken dishes units, turned those into positive and negative stars and had a great time!
Take a look at what we got up to:
One of our quilters WINS the prize for bringing the BIGGEST piece of millenium fabric to use up! I think she was trying to trade it out with other students, but so far there were no takers..LOL
By the end of the day, I think they were waiting for class to be OVER, because they were sewing together 4 layers instead of 2 in an effort to move em out!
Ooops! This just will NOT do! LOL!
I tell ya what though --- I cleaned up on all the string block trimmings --- these neutrals are going to be perfect for the “Wild & Goosey” paper pieced blocks I’m working on! And no, I didn’t dig them out of the trash ---well, okay, maybe some!
Today is Smith Mountain Morning day. It’s another full class, and I know it’s going to be another whopping good time……
What’s up for your Saturday? Enjoy it, whatever you get up to!
