Fearless Students!
Last Saturday I had the best class! One of the stores I teach at, Shared Stitches, is closing-sooo sad. I held my last “Fearless Curves ‘n Feathers” class with 4 students. Sometimes it’s really nice to have a small class. Saturday’s students were a gift. Everyone came prepared and jazzed-fearless and ready to tackle feathers!
I just have to show off their work. Kim decided to try a wreath, experiment with filling some shapes and using stippling as a fill against the feathers.
Karen used a variegated Superior Rainbow thread on her green fabric to make these fabulous feathers and some yummy silk thread for her curves.
Paula was just having a blast, feathering her sample pretty full by the end-look at those curvaceous feathers. She used 2 layers of cotton batt which gave them dimension.
I like Dawn’s elegant, sophisticated white-on-white feathers. She wanted to try some bubbles for her fill.
No one had tackled feathers before! Can we please give them a standing ovation?
Lucky students, and really great work. I’m sorry about the shop closing; so many small businesses have been hit hard from the weak economy. Best wishes to the owner(s).
In this case the owner chose to close-the shop was doing well but took too much time away from family. In only 4 yrs it had become an institution in the area and a gathering spot for friends and quilters.
I’m clapping! And I think I will start using the word “fearless” in my self talk about machine quilting!
Yes Carol-fearless is the MOST important part and I’m not kidding. It’s just fabric and thread after all-just go forth and make mistakes so that you’ll be better faster!
Wow, wonderful feathers at the first go!! I found the whole FMQ too hard, and after some disasters, many tries, have lots of “woopsies” that can be sewn to make a quilt backing, that no-one will see, Your ladies can indeed be very proud of their achievements. Greetings from Jean
Hi Jean-Hope you’re not discouraged about FMQ. I know you’ve heard it’s about practice. Have you tried doing 20 min/day for 21 days? You’ll be amazed. Layer up a bunch of sandwiches and try it. Just doodle, don’t try to “get good” and then you will be good!
Jenny, maybe I should send photos in private email to you, the disasters were truly that, but maybe in the winter when we are not so busy in the garden I should try again.Your encouragement is so good for me, an oldie trying something new, a few words to pep me up so to speak, thanks so much. Cheers from Jean.
How sad the shop is closing, but certainly understandable that the owner chooses life with family!
I think she made a good choice and she’s certainly at peace with her choice. I will miss her and the shop terribly.
Bravo to the students. I still need so much practice before I even get close to what they did. Someday!!
I think she made a good choice and she’s certainly at peace with her choice. I will miss her and the shop terribly.
Marcia you have to unpack first! Hope all is well in your new home!
LOL Haven’t begun packing up the sewing room yet. Then there will be the unpacking!
Fearless = willing to make mistakes and learn = the best formula! Your students proved that! Brava ladies!
Like your math Franki!
It’s a shame she didn’t sell the shop to a new owner instead of closing it! What a shame to lose that part of your community.
We don’t have an LQS near me in Charlotte, NC anymore (if there is one, I haven’t found it yet)! My Bernina dealer is more of a sew and vac dealer, with minimal space even for mastery classes and just one corner of boring quilting fabric (enough to make samples, I suppose). There’s a Bernina dealer that is also a large, beautiful quilt shop about 30 minutes to an hour away, depending on traffic, and another one about the same distance, opposite direction. Sometimes I daydream about having a shop like that, but I’ll bet it would suck all the joy out of quilting for me in the end and take up so much time that I couldn’t even sew for myself anymore! So, compromise: I’ll just stash so my fabric that my sewing room LOOKS like a quilt shop, and then I’ll pretend! :-)
Wow, I used to live in Charlotte and in the 90’s and there were all kinds of fabric shops then! What a shame. But I like your solution: having your own stash! I call mine a Personal Fabric Museum:-)
Jenny I can not thank you enough for the class 2 weeks ago. I have feathers all over the new quilt that I will call “Birds of a Feather!” You are such a great teacher!
Thank you Karen. I am so thrilled to hear that your are feathering your quilt-yipee, isn’t it fun??