Well Worth the Effort

The workshop yesterday required us to haul a lot of supplies into the meeting room, but it was well worth the effort in terms of both good instruction and tremendous fun.  Our instructor was Mary Ann Hilldebrand, an art quilter who has won numerous ribbons for her work.  I neglected to get her permission to use photographs of her work, but a search on Pinterest and the internet will net numerous images.  Her subject for the workshop was free-motion quilting.  The class size was kept small and we all received lots of individual encouragement.  Here is the practice work I did in class.

Some random insights from her in class:

-- I really need to work on consistent stitch length.  I like small stitches but not microscopic.

-- When asked if she ever ripped out she said “yes….a lot!” 

-- She buries thread tails on show quilts using self-threading needles from Spiral Eye Needle Company.

-- She frequently likes to extend the design from the center of the quilt into the border, or beyond.

-- She is meticulous.  She showed us a small piece she has submitted for inclusion to a juried show.  If it’s accepted, she will have to remove the binding and trim off ¼ inch so that it meets the show’s criteria.

Next month’s workshop is being led by Sandy Klop, and I’m really looking forward to that one as well.

...and I've never outgrown the habit of chasing rainbows.  We had a shower last week that ended in a simultaneous mixture of rain and sunshine, so out I went with the camera.