Sunday, October 30, 2011

Getting Ready to Teach a Beading on Fabric Class at Quilt foundry

         I love the opportunity to share my enthusiasm for beads with others.  It always amazes me when I meet quilters who love non-tratitional quilting, but haven't done any beading on their quilts.  To me it seems a natural step to take, and it adds so much with very little effort. 

        Lisa Spaulding, from the Quilt foundry in Maumee, Ohio invited me to teach a class in her shop and I jumped at the opportunity.  They have an active non-traditional quilt group that meets at the shop one Tuesday evening a month and I would imagine that the largest percentage of those signed up for the class come from that group.  I,ve heard so much about the group and really look forward to meeting them. 

        If a person has not done any or much beading it can be daunting preparing for a class.  What do you take, what size beads, do I need stabilizer, can I use regular needles,  do I use regular thread?  Oh my, this can convince one not to take a class.  All of us who teach or take classes , know about the suggested  materials "list" can bring an other wise gentle woman to words that she doesn't use often/never.  Sometimes we even hear about students who get everything on the list and get to class and end up not using all of it. 

        I love to make the canvas, a small quilt  (8" x 10") with all of the quilting done and the area that will be beaded all ready to be finished after the students have been taught the basics of beads, thread, needles, stabilizer and have the opportunity to make a sampler with a dozen different beading stitches.  It is a piece they can take home and feel ready to hang on the wall and brag on.  Each will receive with their little quilt a kit of beading supplies  and a  Timtex  square to practice all of their new stitches on.  It will serve as a permanent reference card for future endeavors. 

       Does this make you want to get the beads out?  Larkin Van Horn has a terrific book, Beading on Fabric, that make a great  gift for any one on your Christmas list.  Lyric Kinard also just came out with a new DVD about Beading on Quilts available through Quilting Arts.   All this talk about Bead has me waking up and thinking I have another two hours before bed time and maybe I can get a bit more work done. 

Ta Ta, as we prepare for Christmas, use your time wisely,  have happy dreams about what you got done today, not nightmares about what you have to do tomorrow.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

More about naked trees

   Did any one notice that everyday Christmas is getting closer.  Funny how that starts happening every year about this time.  I remember when I was a kid it seemed that it would never get here.     I noticed that it all changed when I started being responsible for my own life.  When I was teaching (back in the days when you could still say the word Christmas in the class room without offending some one).  there were decorations, plays, music, parties and schedules to be aware of.  Since I had an income, I was responsible for my own shopping for  family and friends.  You know what I am talking about.

Next thing you know, you realize that all this shopping is expensive, so you start making presents and decorations.  Think about this for a minute, "if time equals money" you might be digging yourself into a bottomless pit into which you might be throwing a fair amount of money, especially if like me you discover a passion/obsession for this creative process.  Over the years, I have lost interest in trendy and whimsy crafts.  A Christmas card, like the one pictured above, (yes, that was my Christmas card 2 years ago) might take a few hours to create, so only very special friends, who know the value of the time=money theory got one.  (there were six of them)   For those who want the best, only made by your own hands will do.

Now, while you can still say  "I have two months left", get busy and go make a gift for those who will know the difference and appreciate it.  For the rest of them, go shopping.    George Siciliano    http://www.georgesiciliano.com  spoke at  the NQA two years ago and he told of an encounter he had with a woman at his church after he had made his first minature quilt.  She admired it and asked if she could buy it.  He responded with 'what do you think it is worth?"  He had 1,300 tiny pieces of fabric in it (yes, the comma is in the right place)  She said, "$10.00, and I would like three more to use as placemats".  that was when he decided that he would never sell one of his little treasures, he would give them to friends.  Good move George,  I feel your pain.  Now get to work, and I will do the same.

Someone asked about my teaching schedule and where to find our fused glass, contact me at  peterson@tc3net.com as I could not connect to you.  thanks.

keep your bobbins full and remember, a drop of oil keeps the repairman away