Wishing you and yours a Very Blessed Christmas and A Happy New Year.  Looking forward to new classes and new friends in the new year...trips to new places...and I hope and pray that you find your happiness and health this new year.

November 27, 2014

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

BE SURE TO SHOW YOUR APPRECIATTION

FOR YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ON

THIS SPECIAL DAY!!!

November 25, 2014....Fourteen New Crazy Quilt Friends....

  Thanksgiving week...and both classes have finished the class...but not their squares...I have arranged with our local library to schedule a stitching day so each can bring in their projects and get help in finishing them....
From Thursday's class....

                                                                 Jennie

                                                                   Cheri

                                                               Barbara

                                                                      Beth

                                                                  Marjean

                                                             Angela, my facilitator...
and from the Tuesday's last class....

                                                                Carol

                                                        Sheela

                                                                           Kathy

                                                                     Silvia

                                                                    Debra

                                                                Gracie

                                                                 Sharren

                                                                Kathie
 For the last class of each day, I brought in for eye candy, my own projects done for Christmas, My Santa, tree cone, ornaments and stocking... 

 My logo fits in this wonderful cloth-covered box....

 My Christmas Tree Skirt, went on 5 RR's around the world, took me ten years to complete...and boy does it sparkle when my tree shines on it...as it rotates on a revolving stand!

 I did a drawing in each class, and two students got a thank-you gift from me...

 Thanks to all these ladies for taking my class and doing such a wonderful job on each of your squares. Best of all, I feel I have 14 new crazy quilt friends...see you in January!!!

November 14, 2014
   The Thursday crazy quilt class only has one more session, while the Tuesday class has two more sessions...Sure makes the month go by fast for me!!!
  As usual, I set up the "Eye Candy" table...each week the items are different to show my own crazy quilt journey or progression...this is Tuesday's class...Thursday will follow these pics....

  These items are still fairly early in my career as a crazy quilter...the big one in the foreground was a wall quilt I made my parents in 1999 for their 50th wedding anniversary.  They have now passed away and I was able to get it back.

 The purple square in the middle, I did for a calendar contest, call it: "A Few of My Favorite Things"...and no, it didn't get chosen.  The foreground blue and orange, I was working on when my dad passed away in 2006...it became my "therapy" and so I dedicated it to him, call it "Peace in the Valley."

I did this vest, also in 1999. One of the students had asked me if I ever make wearable items!!!!
As I wait for the students to arrive, and since I have the use of the NKA facilities, I can put my flickr site and blog up on the front screen... Because of my friend, Nicki Seavey, having taught me how to use the "snipping tool" on the computer, I snipped a picture of these pages, along with my pinterest site and pasted them onto a power point page and printed it out for each student...makes it really easy for them to find the info later....

  So I usually have my blog page up as it greets them when they come in for class....

 

I have found the format of a big "U" shape for the tables with the students on the outside edges,

while I walk around to help them from the inside...cuts down on my walking with my painful knees...

 Here, you can see the students have arrived...and they immediately get to work...two hours goes by soooooo fast!!!!

So here they are, proudly demonstrating their "before" pics....I will post pictures at the end of the class to show how much embellishing they get done.....

                                                            Gracie...

                                                                Kathy...

                                                      Ellen....

                                                          Debra...

                                                          Silvia....

                                                     Kathie....
Now Thursday's class....they started a week earlier than the Tuesday class...so it's changing to the "Eye Candy" again...Tuesday will see these next week....

 You will recognize the big one on your left...I did that one in Judith Baker Montano Basic Crazy Quilt class in 2007....but I didn't finish it till 2012....actually, I still need to back it!!!

 These two squares were originally going to be a tote bag...now I think I will just hang them...the fabric in the background was the "inspiration" for all those luscious colors!

This past August I took my third class from Judith Baker Montano, on Houses to cottages....then I just felt inspired to do the Beach scene using a scan copy of one of my mother's paintings.
And now, the "Before" pictures from the Thursday Crazy Quilt class......

                                                       Patricia...

                                                               Nancy....

                                                                Barbara....

                                                                  Beth....

                                                                Cheri....

                                               Becky didn't want a picture of herself...just had eye surgery...and she is hand sewing....awesome!!!!

                                                             Angie...is my facilitator, and took my class back in January....she has just been a wonderful help.
All of the ladies are doing such a wonderful job, and have made my job easy...but most of all....we all are having a wonderful time...
   Since they won't be able to get their squares completed before class is over, I have set up a group meeting once a month in the public library as a follow up...they can bring in their projects, and get help with new stitches or ask any questions they may have...best of all...we are creating a group of crazy quilters...all in one city!!!!!
  Thanks for visiting....

Crazy Quilt Class...
   Today was the first of four Thursday classes...don't know why I was so nervous....but it was so much fun.  I just love seeing the excitement on their faces....
I got to the classroom at NKA a full half hour early....well, after I ran across town and got a Pumpkin smoothie from Jamba in hopes that would settle my nerves!
My wonderful friend and facilitator, Angie showed up at the same time and helped me lug everything up to the second floor. We immediately set up the room in a "U" shape with the tables, so that I could use the middle to walk around in, actually cutting down on the walking for me and my healing knees!
  While Angie set up the greeting table with handouts and baggies for them to choose from, I began on my demonstration table.

  I set up two irons and my handi-dandi ironing carry bags...had two irons going all class.

 Some of my early projects...along with the pillow that they are designing their pieces after.  Each week I will bring in more of my own projects to show the progression of my personal Crazy quilt journey.

A couple more samples of different size squares, which I often use to demonstrate a stitch for them.

Here are some Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazines, the new 2015 calendar, along with my Under the Sea that is a feature in the calendar.

 A couple antique Crazy Quilts for them to see the variety available from the past.  And now the students are arriving.....

 Well, time to get to work...a few pieces of Halloween candy to give them energy and we all dove in.
After a few minutes of housekeeping and introductions, began by opening the baggies and bringing out the fabrics and foundation piece. And before we knew it, the 2 hours were over, and most will have only half completed their squares...Next Thursday we will pick up where we left off and finish the squares before we begin with embroidery stitches!

As for me...I will be spending the weekend getting ready for the first Tuesday of four Tuesday classes!!! I try to keep the classes to no more than 10, and we had 9 show up...Tuesday has 12 on the list and there were still 11 on a waiting list!!!! I have already signed up for classes in January-March. It will be two classes of 4 weeks back-to-back!