Show and Tell

Show and Tell

43” x 45’

First quilt finish of 2021!

I’m in a mood. A mood from the state of the world and politics and Covid and all of that. But also a mood to finish things. Head down and focus on something else. This is 1 of 3 quilts I’ve finished in the last few weeks.

This particular project came about as class samples. When I taught improv curves in person I would grab from the same stack of fabric to demonstrate various ideas. Bits would get used and reused in each class. Eventually, I ran out of the background fabric. That meant it was time to turn things into a quilt.

I do this a lot. It’s better than using random fabric for class samples and being left with a bunch of orphan blocks. This means that the next time I teach this class I will have a different selection of fabrics to use, which will eventually turn into the next quilt.

I was able, thankfully, to use a single width of fabric for the backing. The quilting was based on a sketch I had. My daughter said it made her googly-eyed, but as a quilting pattern it worked fantastic. I’ll admit, I was tempted to stop after one pass, but on a small quilt the second pass isn’t that much more work. Enjoy this badly coloured, but blown out photo so you can see the quilting. One pass was a quarter circle, repeated. The other pass was a modified wave pattern in a different direction. It was all done with a walking foot and 50W Aurifil thread.

The background fabric is covered in little coloured dots. I used most of the colours in the quilt, so when it came time to choose binding I went with yellow, the one dot colour I hadn’t used. Besides, we all could use a little sunshiny optimism right now!

Maybe these finishes will be just what I need to clear some mental space to get back at it? It’s surely a point of privilege to even think that way, a luxury to get to escape to quilting and ignore the real world. Life isn’t going to change overnight, we know that. A lot of us have a lot of work to do to make the world a better place for all. Yellow binding isn’t going to fix anything. Ignoring the world to finish a quilt is probably the wrong thing to do as well. But we all need respite at time in order to have the energy to keep fighting the fight.

HOME - From Virtual Workshop to Fundraising Opportunity

Wrapped up my last virtual workshop of the year this past weekend. What a whirlwind fall it’s been! Two of the most popular classes have been HOME and Make Words Not War. HOME is a more focused version of the other but both are about making Improv letters and using intention in our improv piecing.

As I developed samples for the HOME class a collection of blocks grows. Different text styles, different piecing techniques, and different homes.

A while back I asked followers on Twitter what home means to them. Interestingly, no one mentioned a physical space. It was more about a feeling - of warmth, safety, comfort, love, a deep breath. I’d always envisioned these blocks as representative of a physical space, so it presented a design challenge. It got me thinking about the different physical spaces that can be home - an apartment, a bed, a hearth. And about the non-tangible feelings. Not sure how to represent the latter, but I am working on alternatives to a single family dwelling.

This particular block started in a workshop with Keystone Modern Creative. It was about showing a few different ways to use curves in making the letters. Then that O happened. Doesn’t it look like a flame? That got us talking about the hearth of a home, the idea of warmth and comfort. With input from students I picked the fabric to make the tile surround and mantle.

Home really is the heart of life at the moment. For good and bad. I realize that for so many it is not safe place, not a place of respite. It can be scary or boring or dangerous or not even there. I’ve decided to take the HOME blocks I make for these workshops and turn them into a quilt come summer. After that it will be used as a fundraiser. I will also donate a portion of my earnings from each HOME workshop. So the more workshops I do, the more potential for fundraising.

Not exactly sure how this will all unfold, but I want the money to go towards a shelter that helps those finding home. I am open to suggestions, but will likely pick a local option.

Thank you so much to everyone inspiring these. Thank you to everyone staying home, staying safe.

10 Observations from an Online Quilt Teacher

Are you Zooming?

While I admit that I shunned Zoom, Skype, and most online meeting grounds in the spring and summer - I was just done with being online after schooling with my son and what little work I could get done - I have fully embraced online teaching. In fact, I am relishing the opportunities to be with guilds, stores, and students again. I am also highly respectful of groups choosing to meet this way over putting people at risk.

My corporate background is really coming out now - I can make a killer slide show! So maybe my graduate degree and 10 years in the energy sector weren't all for naught when I became a professional quilter? I do have 10 years of experience as a pro in this quilting community too. These sets of experiences combine to make me now and I appreciate it all.

In the past few months of teaching online I think I have learned and improved as well. I’ve also made some observations in my classes. Talking to other teachers has given me some additional insights. I will admit, that I haven’t taken any classes myself, so there is more learning to do. With all that, I’ve got some observations I want to share with you.

10 Observations from an Online Quilt Teacher (Teaching Live)

1. Just like in person, there are good teachers and there are not great teachers. Honestly, it might be the same on any given day. We’re all trying and for some, learning a new platform is not easy. You still have to keep your students engaged, perhaps even more so. You can’t just give everyone a task and then leave them be for an hour. This is an interactive experience. How that works exactly will be different for each teacher and each class.

2. Not all classes translate well to an online, live environment. You’ve got to examine flow, interactions with students, and how the time will be spent. For example, people sitting in silence sewing in their own space is kind of boring online.

3. Have either 2 cameras going or pre-record segments. When you want to do a demo of something specific it really helps to have a close up and/or overhead shot of the work. Being able to switch between these angles makes for a much better experience for the student.

4. Don’t force anyone to be on camera or talk. Keep the invitation open, but respect the wishes of people. Also. no one has to sew or participate if they don’t want to, their level of participation is up to them. This is the student’s advantage to taking the class on their own. They might just want to hang out or they have their reasons for not participating as you anticipated, it’s all good.

5. Take advantage of students being at home - get them to play with ALL their fabrics or supplies they may not have brought to class otherwise. Many students tell me they LOVE having access to all their stuff during a class so exploit that.

6. Own up to glitches and be quick to fix things as best as possible. We are not all IT gurus and things will go wrong. Take the time to learn the platform as best you can and work through anything that is going on. Your internet connectivity is up to you, the teacher. The student’s is up to them.

7. It’s hard to be running a live class AND manage the technical side of things. Using the guild or store’s account and having them manage entry and questions means you can concentrate on the classroom experience. If you are running your own event consider having an assistant or trusted friend managing the back end of stuff for you.

8. People seem to be MORE engaged at home. Honestly, I was shocked at this. I think I’m a pretty good teacher but even I doubted people’s interest in a 6 hour online class. But it works! The comfort of being at home and choosing your commitment to the class, not to mention access to all your stuff, is a huge advantage for students.

9. Recording classes delivered live is not okay, especially if it is done without the teacher’s permission. If we wanted to have a recorded class we would offer a stand alone one to buy.

10. Build in both breaks and chat time. For one, the teacher needs to go to the washroom if it is a long class. And secondly, by making them formal, students don’t feel they are sneaking out of class. At the same time, adding breaks in your active teaching so people can chat enhances their experience.

We are all hungry for connection. Guild meetings, hanging out at the store, taking classes together are all ways we quilters are used to connection. Switching to a solely online environment is new, difficult, and even scary for some. It’s one thing to be a chat or Facebook group, it is entirely different to be trying to learn and actually hang out together online. As a teacher I see my job as a facilitator of this connection, regardless of the class I am teaching. At the same time, I am privileged to be invited in to the shared space. It isn’t a responsibility I, or any teacher, should take lightly.

What about those of you who have taken classes? What would you add? What are some of the good and bad things you’ve seen in your own Zoom experience? How do you like Zoom compared to a prerecorded class? Add your thoughts to the comments section. We would all benefit from the shared experience.

No Travel? No problem! Webinar Opportunities

Oh! The places I went.

Working as a quilt professional has taken me to some mighty amazing places. From the small towns and big cities, quilters are the same. We just to make and create and enjoy the company of others. We are there for ourselves, we are there to make for others, we are there for the fabric. And, if you are one of my students, you are there for me. I consider it an immense privilege to be able to entertain, to teach, all of you.

I miss it.

The travel, while stressful, always came together in truly memorable experiences for me. You’ve brought me to some pretty amazing places and gave me the time to explore just a little. A few times there were language barriers, but quilts do end up being a universal language. Ultimately though, it is the people that make it all worthwhile. Quilters are pretty amazing people. And that’s a universal truth no matter where you are in the world.

As a teacher and entertainer I loved the moment in someone when they ‘got it’ best. As an improv teacher I’ve seen people struggle with the open endedness then the turn around as something comes together in a beautiful, albeit unexpected way. Or the visible relief when they don’t have to have it all figured out in order to sew. Or the joy in a simple little trick that will make all their sewing easier. Or the laugh when we all realize that we don’t need to take ourselves so seriously.

While I admit that online learning deprives me of those moments, it does nothing to diminish them for everyone else. I’ve played in the online world and always wanted to do more. So let me tell you I am working on it. You know, in between all the homeschooling and running and business and keeping everyone loved and mostly happy.

In the meantime, I’ve opened up some webinar opportunities. This way you can get me in the comfort of your own own for either some sewing/demo presentations or for a lecture/trunk show style presentation. Book with a group of friends, your guild, your store, or even just yourself! We can’t be together just yet, but I can at least show up in your sewing room.

Does this mean I will have to INTERNET to my list of places?