2011: The Year of Quilting Dangerously

That's right, I have declared 2011 the year of quilting.  I have a lot of tops and blocks that need finished, and I think this is the year its going to happen.  I really want to get into the swing of things and start getting quilts finished and on the bed, no sense in the tops and blocks being stored, they aren't very warm that way, and besides, I want to regain some closet space back. 

I am also going to being teaching more this year than I have in the past, and most of it is going to be local, which is going to be very nice.  I actually started a hand piecing class tonight, based upon the sampler quilt from the book, The Quilter's Apprentice.  Several of the students are quilters, but not hand piecers, so that is exciting for me that they are willing to try something new.  This is a 12 week course. 

After that class, I will be teaching sock knitting, and reading a knitting related book, that has yet to be determined.  This is also a 12 week course. 

The third class will be another quilting class.  And I am not fond of the Elm Creek Quilt series by any means, not that I don't think they are ok books, they are, just not my style.  I tend to prefer something more a long a mystery.  I am toying with an idea of reading The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas.  It's set in the Coffeyville, KS area during the depression, and relates to a group of hand quilters that are at the root of a mystery.  Its a pretty good read.  I think it would also be a perfect book to get people introduced to quilting styles of the Depression Era and scrap quilting.  I found out tonight that many people want a really color controlled quilt.  I think a Dresden Plate quilt would be fun, with the quick piecing of the wedges, that are made like a facing.  You get a wedge that is pointed and ready to be appliqued all at once.  I think this would be fun to have each student bring 10 long quarters of fabric, and they trade, so the wedges are all scrappy.

And since I am doing all the piecing for these classes, I hope that makes me not want to piece at home and quilt.  And something very strange happened to me this week.  I gave a friend a quilt.  They liked the quilt because of sentimental reasons, but their spouse didn't.  The quilt was returned to me, and the person was quite upset about it, since it was a gift that had meaning to both of us (the spouse didn't want something crafty in their modern home).  I told them I wasn't upset at all, and I am glad that the quilt wasn't destroyed or given away.  I told them that I would keep the quilt until they wanted it back.  I am just relieved that they thought enough to give it back to me.  My feelings were not hurt.  I am sure other quilters would feel the same way.  I feel so much better knowing that this quilt is stored at my house, than being used as a pet bed at theirs.

Not to much other stuff is going on, I am just getting over another nasty cold.  It seems I got it double this year!  No goals have been accomplished, nothing! 

I really need to get some stuff mailed to people!  I hope to do that Friday.  And, Henrietta, since Lori might be coming down this way, this month, I think that's what she said, should we save the postage and let her take it home with her.  That is if you could trust her with this fabric!  LOL.

Oh, by the way if you are interested in following along in the Quilter's Apprentice book / quilt a long, click the cover of the book at the top of my blog.  The HTML under it will also provide you with a button to the quilt a long.  Though this is basically hand pieced, it can be machine pieced with ease.  If you are interested in following along, I will see what I can do about posting full size templates of some of the more challenging to draft block components.

The quilt at the top is the sampler quilt from the class, just because a blog post without photo's is boring I think!