The Quilt Skipper

quilting makes me skip for joy

Jenny K Lyon

Quilting makes me skip for joy

Teaching and taking

NOTE: I may not post next week given my schedule (see below), but I will be back!

Starting Saturday I’ll teach (online) for 6 out of the next 7days so it’s been a week to edit my class plans, beef up my Power Point presentations, polish my handouts and edit videos. There has not been much sewing going on!

But I can dream! I saw that Pat Pauly was offering her Take Two class again and I jumped on the chance. Pat is an extraordinary textile artist whose quilts are bold and big with strong composition. This is one of her smaller quilts that she brought to Craft Napa:

Pat limits the class to 10 students and that appealed to me. Pat describes her workshop:

“Join me for this one, two or three-day workshop in designing abstract contemporary quilts. We’ll grab only two hunks of fabric to make a piece that explodes! This is a great class for those who use artist-made fabric. I’ll show you how to design with improvisational piecing, letting the fabric do the work. We’ll do some warm up design exercises, then dive in and cut up that great fabric. Leave the rulers and templates behind, gain strength in cutting freehand, and discover how to use your fabric in a strong composition.”

I took Pat’s “A Dozen Ways – Design for Art Quilts” at Craft Napa 2020 and found her to be am excellent and challenging teacher. She was kind but frank in her assessments, just what I needed.

You will note that her class description references “artist made fabric”. I am not (yet!) a surface designer.  Fortunately I bought 2 gorgeous chunks of fabric from her:

I wrote Pat to see if that would work for her class and she gave me a thumbs up so I’ll be in that workshop. Hmmm, the class is about the abstract, improvisation and strong composition; I have little experience in any of that and none are my strengths. I will probably be way over my head, but design and composition are what I want to focus on right now.

I got to teach an in person class this week at Howell’s in Auburn, CA – what a joy! Eight eager students joined me for Free Motion Quilting: Cutwork Scarf or Table Topper. Here are a few pics of the beginning of student work:

It felt good to be back in the classroom again, an enjoyable day for all. MaryLynn has a huge monitor in the classroom and that was fabulous to use for my videos.

I’ll be linking up:

Nina-Marie’s Off the Wall Friday
and
Finished or Not Friday

 

Comments

  2. I didn’t know Pat was teaching online. I took her Glorious Prints 5-day class at QSDS a couple years ago. Most of those 15 yards I printed have yet to be used since I am scared to cut them up!! In the class she showed how a couple of mine would work together which I just didn’t see. Those pieces you bought from her are beautiful and I bet will make a great quilt. Love your cutwork. I bet your students really enjoyed learning in person.

    • Yes, isn’t it wonderful that she is teaching online? I am quite excited! Lucky you, 5 days, Pat, in person! Thank you about the cutwork – it creates beautiful things.

  3. Ooh, I loved that cutwork project when you shared it awhile back. I’ll bet that’s a really fun class for your students. And I love that you still take classes as a student in between teaching, especially in areas that stretch you beyond your comfort zone. I’m sure that makes you a better teacher, having those recent, fresh experiences of being in your students’ shoes and venturing forth into uncharted territory. Hope you have a wonderful time teaching AND learning this week!

  4. You certainly have a full week ahead! Hope you have time to eat, sleep and breathe! ;-) The work that student did with the batik — printed like a plant — reminded me of a houseplant I had years ago. Lovely!