A Thread-aholic in Colorado

Mr. Randy and the "Manly" Snowman

The Snowman Appliqué Class started tonight. 

Mr. Randy decided to take this class as he wants to learn how to do appliqué for an upcoming quilt project.  I was informed not to call the snowman "cute".  He is a "manly" snowman.  Well, look at the picture and make your own judgement.

Here's a few pics from class:

For those who know I'm a computer geek

Would you expect anything else? 

Preparing for the Hoopsisters Block of the Month, Jacobean Journey, we played around with various color combinations this past week in our monthly EQ7 meeting.  We learned all about swapping colors, using the paint brush tool, and how important it was to "save to sketchbook".

For those taking the Jacobean Journey, this is a really fun way to figure out what colors you might want to use.  For those who have EQ7, start playing around with your colors and fabrics.  Lots of fun!

The Little Herd of Sheep

Finally have some pics from the Sheep Class a week or so ago. 

 

Last Spider Web Kaleidoscope Class

It always amazes me how different everyone's quilt can look, even in the same class. I guess that's why I love learning new techniques and playing with different rulers.  I always had this intimidation with funny looking rulers, but I've come to learn they are just tools to help you be more creative.

Here are some pics from last night's class.  Cyndi also taught us how to miter borders (that's MI-tered...not ME-tered, by the way)

 

 

Primitive Rug Hooking

Instructor Molly Crotty taught "Introduction to Primitive Rug Hooking" on Monday evening.  What a fascinating and truly inspirational skill!!  Be sure to check back in January 2014 for new Primitive Rug Hooking classes.

Rug hooking was originally developed from scrap pieces of fabric combined with inexpensive burlap pieces cut from leftover feed bags used for the backing. Rugs were created from these leftover materials and transformed into home-made floor coverings.

Here are a few of Molly's samples.

Eye

While in Houston, I saw one booth display with a whole wall of different size wooden hoops. They displayed their new fabric in those wooden hoops. It was very cool. That inspired me to start doing something with the embroidery designs I play with at the store. Plus it gives me  excuses to hammer more nails in Mr. Randy's walls.

 

Points, Triangles, Kisses and Kites

Tuesday night's 2nd class of the Spider Web Kaleidoscope Class resulted in lots of bright colors.  Cyndi did an excellent job teaching us how to arrange our pieces (formed from triangle and kite shapes) to form the kaleidoscope and also how to get our points to "kiss". I'm so glad I took this class! I love Karla Alexander's Spider Web Ruler and can see many future uses for it!

 

 

Canon City Modern Quilt Club

I took a rare night off to go home and sew... ironic, isn't it? ... and Miss Randi's Modern Quilt Club took over the classroom.  I left Mr. Randy in charge and he took some pretty good pics.  I love the block pattern and I love the fabric choices.

Baa Baa Black Sheep - have you any wool?

Well, not this week, but next week the sheep will have wool.  How cute these little guys are going to be!!!

Sometimes you learn more than you'd planned

The 2nd Bali Fever Class met on Wednesday afternoon for their last class, and like the class on Monday night, they were to place their pieces and design their quilt. Again, I was in awe at the combinations of colors and designs.  A flannel back vinyl table cloth works wonders as a roll up temporary design wall you can take to class, then roll up and unroll at home saving your design layout.

The problem at our store, however, we have a lack of "wall" space to put temporary design walls.  We improvise the best we can.

But in Wednesday's class, one of the students had created her own break-down, lightweight, portable design wall, which solved the issue:  where can I put up my design wall during class?

She used insulation board, flannel, a couple of expandable wide-valance curtain rods and of course: duct tape.  I'm a thinking we should have a class.  I know I want to make a couple to keep at the store to use during classes.  Anyone interested in having a "temporary design wall" class?

Triangles, Kites and Spider Webs

We used Karla Alexander's Spider Web Ruler in our first class of The Spider Web Kaleidoscope last night. Cyndi did an excellent job teaching us how to use it, and briefly touched on all the other designs it can help us create.

Bali Fever, Class #1 – Putting it all together

How fun it was to watch these come together over the past weeks!!

Hoopsisters "Mariners Compass"

Marge finished the Hoopsisters Mariners Compass and we have it on display at the store.  It was lots of fun helping her, and was good prep work for the Jacobean Journey Embroidery Block of the Month starting in January.  For more info, click here. 

For more information about the Hoopsisters, click here.