I can’t even believe it’s been almost two weeks since Innovations! The quilting was amazing and inspiring, and so much has happened, and so much to talk about, I can’t even remember everything!
I came back from Innovations all fired up to quilt! Would you believe that some of the best instruction happens between classes? I was introduced to Ione Whitney by Sue R. from American Hero Quilts as Ione was getting ready to teach a class. I’ve seen her name in the catalog before, but had not taken any of her classes. I told her that I have the darndest time trying to figure out the continuous lines in a design. I spend more time trying to be efficient than I do quilting!
One simple question from Ione put me on a new path. She asked me “do you think you can’t cross over, or double back on, a line of stitching?” The answer was a thoughtful “yes”. She proceeded to show me how to quilt a 9-patch with a traditional X placed in the middle of each square. It was so easy! When I got home, I put that very design to work on my American Hero Quilt with the set in blocks and 9-patches, and it only took 2 hours to get two rows of 5 blocks done. I still have to quilt the setting blocks, but I was able to stabilize it enough to take the quilt off so I could show my machine to a potential new Innova owner!
I also came back with a sampler pack of 20” squares of batting from Pellon to quilt up and see how they work out. They have a new variety of battings that will not be available in the chain stores. If I sign up to be a distributor, I can sell it to my local quilt shops, if they decided to carry other types of batting, which is a big IF!
The three most intriguing to me are the soy batting, bamboo and cotton blend, and the wool and polyester blend. They feel really soft and I can’t wait to feel how they feel inside of a real for real quilt. I was thinking the other day that I should have bought two of those sample packs so I could quilt one with a flannel back and one with regular cotton. I’m thinking of using a great big feathered wreath, some wonderful King Tut thread, and stitching the name of the batting into the quilt.
Of course, I got together with some of my friends from last year, Edie Ellison and Marion Drain from Cuddle Time Quilts, and Marion Carmickle, and we all met up with some new friends!
The night we had dinner together was not only fun, it was hilarious! The poor waitress dumped a tray full of salad, salad dressing, water, and other beverages and food all over the heads and backs of Marian and Linda Rech, from Finely Finished Quilts. Linda and Marian got their dinners comped, including dessert, which was a chocolate mousse cake!
And, with all that enthusiasm for quilting stirring around, I came back to lots of homework, and an even bigger realization that I have a mid term coming up in two weeks, and I’m very behind on that reading! EEEKK!!
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